Sabahat Tezcan

Prevalence of cerebral palsy in Turkish children between the ages of 2 and 16 years

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to determine the prevalence of cerebral palsy (CP) among children in Turkey between the ages of 2 and 16 years. Samples were selected from cities, towns, districts, and villages using the cluster sampling method; 41,861 children were selected. Data was collected by parental interview and physical examination. One hundred and eighty-six children were identified with CP. The prevalence of CP was determined as 4.4 per 1,000 live births and included postnatally acquired CP. Origin of CP was classified as prenatal in 49 (26.6%), perinatal/neonatal in 34 (18.5%), postnatal in 11 (5.9%), and unclassifiable in 90 participants (48.9%; data was unobtainable for two individuals). Type of CP was diplegia in 39.8% of children, hemiplegia in 28%, tetraplegia in 19.9%, ataxia in 5.9%, and dyskinetic in 6.4%. Prenatal factors were seen more frequently in the groups with a high socioeconomic status while perinatal factors were encountered more often in those with a low socioeconomic status (p<0.05). Place of residence and sex had no significant effect on the prevalence of CP (p>0.05). This cross-sectional study shows that the prevalence of CP in Turkey is higher than that in developed countries but the aetiology is probably similar. Although the high prevalence of CP in Turkey could originate from an increased level of obstetric and neonatal problems, the lack of a possible aetiological factor in approximately half the children suggests that the high level might also be due to other factors, such as genetic disorders.

Screening for developmental dysplasia of the hip: Results of a 7‐year follow‐up study

Abstract Background : Screening for developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) is widely recommended for all infants to prevent disability from late diagnosis of dislocation of the hip. The present study evaluates the results of screening for developmental dislocation of hip in a clinic in Turkey over the course of 7 years.

Analysis of menstrual, reproductive, and life-style factors for breast cancer risk in Turkish women: a case-control study.

The aim of this study was to investigate the association between menstrual, reproductive, and life-style factors and breast cancer in Turkish women. In a hospital-based case-control study in Ankara, 622 patients with histologically confirmed breast cancer were compared with 622 age-matched controls, admitted to the same hospital for acute and non-neoplastic diseases. Unconditional logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) related to risk factors. Overall, menopausal status and age at menopause were found to be significantly associated with breast cancer. Having a full-term pregnancy and early age at first birth were associated with decreased breast cancer risk (OR=0.45, 95% CI=0.30–0.66; OR=0.34, 95% CI=0.22–0.53, respectively). Postmenopausal women with lactation longer than 48 mo had reduced risk of breast cancer (OR=0.36, 95% CI=0.14–0.93). In conclusion, decreased parity, late age at first birth, early menopause, and shorter duration of lactation were the most important determinants of breast cancer risk in Turkish women.

Cardiovascular risk factor levels in a lower middle-class community in Ankara, Turkey.

Summary Study objective  To assess the prevalence of risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD) in a lower middle‐class urban community of Turkey.

Diagnosis, treatment characteristics, and survival of women with breast cancer aged 65 and above: a hospital-based retrospective study

BackgroundBreast cancer incidence in women increases with age, while survival rates decrease. Studies interpret this result as meaning higher comorbidity, diagnosis at later stages of the disease, and less effective treatment in the elderly. The aim of this study is to evaluate the diagnosis and treatment characteristics of breast cancer and their effect on the survival of women aged 65 and above.MethodsThe data within the files of 1064 women with breast cancer, who were followed-up in Dokuz Eylul University Medical Faculty Hospital between 2000 and 2006, were reviewed retrospectively. The survival probabilities at years 1 and 5 were calculated by life table analysis. The Kaplan-Meier test was used for calculating mean survival time, and the differences between groups were evaluated by log-rank test. The backward elimination method was used for multivariate analysis, and a −2 log-likelihood ratio was used for comparison of different models.ResultsOf the patients, 25.3% were aged 65 and above at the time of the diagnosis. Patients in this group had more comorbidities and were more likely to be diagnosed at advanced stages than younger patients. Additionally, they had lower rates of surgical treatment, chemotherapy or radiotherapy. One and 5-year survival probabilities among age groups were 96.1% and 84.5%, respectively, for <65 years, 93.5% and 84.8%, respectively, for 65–69, 98.7% and 84.0%, respectively, for 70–74, and 85.5% and 59.6%, respectively, for 75 years and above. In the multivariate model, age, clinical stage, and comorbidity were found to be negatively associated with the survival rate.ConclusionsThe survival of women with breast cancer aged 65 and above was affected negatively by age at diagnosis, clinical stage, and the presence of comorbidity. Early diagnosis also is very important for elderly women. Additionally, because of higher comorbidity, their evaluation and treatment should be planned by an interdisciplinary team.

Evaluation of Erythropoiesis by Serum Transferrin Receptor and Ferritin in Infants Aged 0–6 Months

The aim of this study was to evaluate erythropoiesis in 198 healthy babies aged 0–6 months by determination of their blood count, serum transferrin receptor (STfR), and ferritin levels. Anemia and microcytosis were present in 9% and 13% of the sample, respectively. Microcytosis rate was as high as 45% in 6-month-old babies. In infants with normal blood counts, the values of sTfR/ferritin and sTfR-F index were increasing with the increase of sTfR and decrease of ferritin beginning from 2 months of age. In the 5- to 6-month-old group, sTfR concentrations, sTfR/ferritin ratio, and sTfR-F index were higher in infants with anemia and microcytosis. This research showed a high frequency of iron deficiency detected in otherwise healthy babies. Only problems with early weaning practices were found to be significantly more common in babies with iron deficiency.