Problematic Smartphone Use: Prevalence and Associated Factors Among Health Sciences Students in Saudi Arabia

Journal of Prevention - Excessive smartphone use leads to several physical and psychological disorders, particularly among young adults. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and the...     

Birth prevalence of non-syndromic orofacial clefts in Saudi Arabia and the effects of parental consanguinity

Objectives:

To describe the characteristics and prevalence of non-syndromic orofacial clefting (NSOFC) and assess the effects of parental consanguinity on NSOFC phenotypes in the 3 main cities of Saudi Arabia.

Methods:

All infants (114,035) born at 3 referral centers in Riyadh, and 6 hospitals in Jeddah and Madinah between January 2010 and December 2011 were screened. The NSOFC cases (n=133) were identified and data was collected through clinical examination and records, and information on consanguinity through parent interviews. The diagnosis was confirmed by reviewing medical records and contacting the infants’ pediatricians. Control infants (n=233) matched for gender and born in the same hospitals during the same period, were selected.

Results:

The prevalence of NSOFC was 1.07/1000 births in Riyadh, and 1.17/1000 births overall; cleft lip (CL) was 0.47/1000 births, cleft lip and palate (CLP) was 0.42/1000 births, and cleft palate (CP) was 0.28/1000 births. Cleft palate was significantly associated with consanguinity (p=0.047, odds ratio: 2.5, 95% confidence interval: 1 to 6.46), particularly for first cousin marriages.

Conclusion:

The birth prevalence of NSOFC in Riyadh alone, and in the 3 main cities of Saudi Arabia were marginally lower than the mean global prevalence. While birth prevalence for CLP was comparable to global figures, the CL:CLP ratio was high, and only CP was significantly associated with consanguinity.Non-syndromic orofacial clefting (NSOFC), including isolated cleft lip (CL), cleft lip and palate (CLP), and isolated cleft palate (CP), is the most common craniofacial defect worldwide with an estimated mean global prevalence of 1.25/1000 live births.1 However, the prevalence of NSOFC varies geographically and across different ethnic groups.2 Although the ethnicity of the Middle East is considered Caucasian,3,4 geographically it is located between 3 continents (Asia, Africa, and Europe), which makes it unique and, in reality, a mixture of 3 ethnicities. A small number of studies have measured the prevalence of NSOFC in Saudi Arabia and neighboring countries with the reported prevalence ranging from 0.3 to 2.19/1000 births,5-9 and a mean value for all studies of 1.25/1000 births.10 In addition, consanguineous relationships have been suggested to increase the prevalence of congenital anomalies.11 These were also reported to be associated with NSOFC in a meta-analysis carried out on 16 studies that assessed the relationship between NSOFC and paternal consanguinity.12 Saudi Arabia, one of the largest countries in the Middle East, has a high rate of consanguineous marriage that varies between regions.13 Riyadh, which is the capital city of Saudi Arabia with a population of approximately 7.5 million and birth prevalence of 38,000/year,14,15 has a consanguinity marriages prevalence of 60%.16 The aims of this study were to 1) describe the characteristics and prevalence of NSOFC (CL, CLP, and CP) in Riyadh (the capital city in the central region of Saudi Arabia), 2) describe the prevalence of NSOFC phenotypes, and 3) the relationship between these and consanguinity in Saudi Arabia.     

Narasin poisoning in the dromedary camel (Camelus dromedarius)

Narasin poisoning was reported in 15 camels, 7 adults and 8 young, after accidental access to poultry feed medicated with 60 g narasin per ton. Fourteen camels died between 3 and 20 days, and one young animal survived the dose after developing a chronic course of a disease. The main clinical signs of narasin toxicity in the dromedary include: weakness of hind limbs, lack of coordination, oedema of dependent parts, inappetence, ruminal atony, myoglobinuria, profound depression, tachycardia, sternal recumbency and death. The lesions were mainly in the heart and skeletal muscles and consisted of multifocal degeneration and necrosis of heart and skeletal muscle fibres with areas of regeneration and lung oedema. There was high enzyme activity for creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase, aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase and an increase in urea concentration and white blood cells, neutrophil and platelet counts. Cardiac markers, troponin T, CK-MB and C-reactive protein, showed slight or no changes terminally.     

A comparative study of the secretory IgA immunoglobulins (s.IgA) in mothers and children with SECC versus a caries free group children and their mothers

Early childhood caries (ECC) is recognized as an infectious disease. The first step in its development is primary infection by the bacterium S. mutans which has been identified as the primary etiologic factors in dental caries. Lactobacilli were also found to play a role in the progression of disease. However the underlying mechanism of immune response to caries is unclear. The association between secretory IgA (s.IgA) and cariogenic microorganisms is still controversial. The purpose of this study was to assess the level of salivary IgA in caries free children, and children with SECC and their corresponding mothers. The study also aims at correlating the children's levels to their mothers'. Sixty children and their mothers attending the dental clinic in King Abdulaziz University participated in our study. Their age ranged from 3 - 5 years. The study groups consisted of thirty children with SECC and a control group consisting of thirty caries free children. Children together with their mothers were examined and their caries level was recorded. Stimulated saliva was collected from each participant for immunological assessment. The secretory IgA (s. IgA) level was assessed by ELISA test. Our study has shown that children with SECC and their mothers had higher levels of s. IgA than the caries free children and their mothers. A positive high correlation was found between secretory IgA of mothers and children in both groups.     

Effects of Exercise on Nutritional Status in People with Cystic Fibrosis: A Systematic Review

Background: Physical exercise is an important part of regular care for people with cystic fibrosis (CF). It is unknown whether such exercise has beneficial or detrimental effects on nutritional status (body composition). Thus, the objective of this review was to evaluate the effect of exercise on measures of nutritional status in children and adults with CF. Methods: Standardized reporting guidelines for systematic reviews were followed and the protocol was prospectively registered. Multiple databases were utilized (e.g., PubMed, Scopus, and CINHAL). Two reviewers independently reviewed titles/abstracts and then the full text for selected studies. Results: In total, 924 articles were originally identified; data were extracted from 4 eligible studies. These four studies included only children; pulmonary function ranged from severe to normal, and the majority of participants were at or below their recommended weight. Exercise training did not worsen nutritional status in any study; two studies that included resistance exercise reported an increase in fat-free mass. Three of the four studies also reported increased aerobic capacity and/or muscle strength. Conclusions: Exercise training can produce positive physiologic changes in children with CF without impairing their nutritional status. In fact, resistance exercise can help improve body mass. Much less is known about how exercise may affect adults or those who are overweight.