Ajay Gaur

Prognostic factors affecting outcome of hospitalised infants 1-6 months with severe acute malnutrition in North India

Early infancy represents a period of transition from neonatal life to childhood during which there is rapid growth, neurological and immunologic development, and changes in the mode of feeding. Nutrition programs and surveys have traditionally excluded infants under 6 months of age because adequate nutrition is assumed to be ensured by breastfeeding. However, there is increasing recognition that malnutrition occurs before age 6 months and is associated with mortality. According to recent studies 4.7 million infants under 6 months of age worldwide are moderately wasted and 3.8 million are severely wasted.

Acute megakaryocytic leukemia in a newborn with down syndrome

Patient with Downs syndrome (DS) are found to have an increased risk of developing various hematological disorders. There is 46- to 83-fold increased risk of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and 10- to 27-fold increased risk of acute lymphoid leukemia (ALL). One of the most characteristics feature of Down syndrome associated AML (DS-AML) is that vast majority of case (c.70%) of AML in DS are megakaryoblastic i.e. M7 as per FAB classification (DS- AMKL). Virtually, all cases of DS-AMKL occur within the first 5 years of life. The median age of presentation of AMKL is 1.8 years. We report a case of AMKL in a newborn with Downs syndrome.

Abscess mimicking pre-cervical and submandibular cystic hygroma in a newborn

Pre-cervical inflammation is rarely seen in a newborn. Those swellings that are seen are usually congenital, such as vascular malformations, teratoma, dermoid cyst, thyroglossal cyst, cystic hygroma (abnormal lymphatic tissue), and very rarely, inflammation secondary to infection. Being able to differentiate between each condition is important because the course, treatment and prognosis for each condition are different. This case of a neck abscess in a newborn is reported due to its resemblance to cystic hygroma and highlights the similarities between the two conditions.

Urban poor children.

One-half of the worlds population lives in cities and towns; this is expected to increase to 70% by 2050. One in three urban dwellers lives in slums. As the urban population grows, so does the number of urban poor. Out of a billion children living in urban areas, approximately 300 million are suffering from exclusion or are at risk of exclusion. Urban poor children are devoid of basic rights of survival, development and protection and are marginalised in challenging conditions in overcrowded settlements. Rapid urbanisation and the consequent increase in urban population is one of the biggest challenges that developing countries, including India are facing. Thirty per cent (that is, 367.5 million) of Indias population of 1.23 billion live in urban areas. Moreover, this figure is increasing rapidly and is expected to reach 432 million (40%) by 2021. Rapid urbanisation has unfortunately outpaced development, and a large proportion (43 million) live in substandard conditions in slums. Now is the time to pay attention to the basic rights of the urban poor, especially the urban poor children, the most vulnerable group at the launching of 12(th) Five-Year Plan & National Urban Health Mission (NUHM) in India.