Dietary vitamin A intake and serum retinol concentrations of preschool children from different socio-economical levels in İzmir, Turkey

PubMed ID: 21231958Aim: Vitamin A deficiency (VAD), especially in its subclinical form, is a world health problem in young children. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of VAD among preschool children in various socio-economic groups in İzmir, Turkey. Methods: One hundred and one children aged 24-59 months were selected for the study with cluster sampling method. A questionnaire was completed by the parents, and the dietary pattern was assessed by using a 3-day dietary record method. Results: Mean serum retinol concentration of the children was 28.3 ± 10.2 µg/dL. Serum vitamin A concentration of two children (2%) was below 10 µg/dL (VAD), whereas 18 (18%) children had vitamin A concentrations between 10 and 20 µg/dL (subclinical deficiency). We did not find any relationship between mean serum retinol concentrations and the independent variables such as socio-economical levels, age groups, birth weight and gestational age. However, there was a statistically significant positive correlation between serum retinol concentrations and weight-for-age and weight-for-height Z scores of the children (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Because one-fifth of the children under 5 years have VAD in İzmir, Turkey, nutrition education must be given to the families during well-child care visits, and routine vitamin supplementation should be considered especially in children with malnutrition. © 2011 The Author(s)

Oral allergy desensitisation in children with cow's milk allergy

31st Congress of the European-Academy-of-Allergy-and-Clinical-Immunology (EAACI) -- JUN 16-20, 2012 -- Geneva, SWITZERLANDWOS: 000310247701117European Acad Allergy & Clin Immunol (EAACI

Immediate adverse reactions to subcutaneous allergen specific immunotherapy in respiratory allergies

Objective: Allergen immunotherapy has been used in the management of allergic diseases for nearly a hundred years; however, its short term side-effects can effect the decision of starting the therapy. Material and Methods: This study is a retrospective evaluation of the immediate local and systemic reactions seen in the cases who were given immunotherapy between March 1997 and September 2008 in the Ege University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatric Allergy and Pulmonology. Results: The 541 patients had ages ranging from 6 to 18 years. 64.3% (n=348) of the patients were having calcium phosphate-adsorbed allergen vaccines, while35.7% (n=193)were having aluminium hydroxide adsorbed vaccines. Of the patients, 229 patients had allergic rhinitis (42.3%), 161 had asthma (29.7%), and 151 had both asthma and allergic rhinitis(27.9%). Totally, 28.374 injections were given to the patients. In 4.6% (n=1310) of the injections immediate reactions were detected; 74% (n=970) of them were observed during the build-up therapy (p<0.01), and 81.6% (n=1069) of the reactions were detected in the patients who were receiving calcium phosphate-adsorbed vaccines (p< 0.01). There was no statistically significant difference in the immediate reaction rates of the subjects when comparing the allergens in the vaccines or the diagnosis of the patients. The frequency of systemic reactions was 0.04% (n 13); most of these reactions were detected during the build-up therapy and in patients with asthma + allergic rhinitis. With early term interventions, the symptoms of all patients improved in a short time. Conclusion: In conclusion, most of the immediate reactions to immunotherapy are local and the systemic ones are controllable through early treatment; so that subcutaneous immunotherapy is a safe treatment modality when it is used for appropriate indications by experienced staff. Copyright © 2010 by Türkiye Klinikleri

Immediate adverse reactions to allergen immunotherapy

28th Congress of the European-Academy-of-Allergy-and-Clinical-Immunology -- JUN 06-10, 2009 -- Warsaw, POLANDWOS: 000266171500870European Acad Allergy & Clin Immuno