Changing new normal lifestyle in COVID-19 pandemic: Sabah, Malaysia

The COVID-19 pandemic threatens the world in the beginning of the 2020 [1,2]. The second wave of the Covid-19 infection in Malaysia during the 2nd week of March which was due to a mass religious gathering involving over 10,000 people from South East Asian countries in a confined area where a lot of close contacts took place, was the turning point for Malaysia when positive cases rocketed as a consequence of sporadic cases of transmission within local community all over Malaysia [3-5]. The need from that time was to break the chain of the virus and to further contain the spread of the virus especially among the vulnerable groups like the elderly people, individuals who have underlying chronic diseases, and also children population. On 10th April 2020, a further extension of the Movement Control Order (MCO) in the country was announced at that time. There were reminders from Ministry of Health endlessly to adapt to the new norms in the long run, for at least the coming 2 years in order to prevent the formation of new clusters

Risk factors for undernutrition in children under five years of age in Tenom, Sabah, Malaysia

ABSTRACT Undernutrition is the result of complex interplay of factors such as household food security, childcare, feeding practices, nutrition and sanitation. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the prevalence of stunting, wasting, underweight based on WHO child growth standards 2006 and undernutrition based on Composite Index Anthropometric Failure (CIAF) and its association with the biological, behavioural, socio-economic and physical environment factors among children under-5 years. This was a cross sectional study involving children aged between 6 and 59 months recruited through stratified random sampling from the Tenom district. Sociodemographic background was obtained from mothers via a questionnaire. Height and weight measurements were measured using standardised instrument. The height-for-age, weight-for-age and BMI-for-age were classified according to the WHO Child Growth Standard 2006. Bivariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis were conducted. The prevalence of undernutrition based on CIAF was 42.3%, underweight 34.7%, stunting 33.3% and wasting 10.0%. After adjusting for all confounders, childhood undernutrition was significantly associated with unimproved sanitation (adjusted OR 2.98, 95% CI: 1.082 to 8.225) and frequent illness (adjusted OR 2.07, 95% CI: 1.015 to 3.274). These findings support the association of biological and physical environmental factors with the nutritional status of children under-5 years old

Helminth Infection among Children Living in an Urban Area in Tropical Countries: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND: Neglected tropical diseases are a group of preventable and treatable diseases, in which soiltransmitted helminth (STH) infections are among the most common infections worldwide. AIM: Most affected are the children and this review aims to identify the prevalence, risk factors, and impact of STH in an urban area. METHODS: This review was guiding using preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses review protocol incorporating the research question of “What is the prevalence, risk factors, and impact of Helminth infection among urban children in tropical countries?” The databases used in this review include SCOPUS, WEB OF SCIENCE, OVID MEDLINE, and PUBMED. The articles used include observational and interventional studies conducted among children aged 18 years and less from 2010 to 2020. The main outcome measure was risk factors of STH infection seen in urban children include social backgrounds, sanitation, and policy. RESULTS: From the initial 973 articles found in the database searching, only 13 articles selected for qualitative synthesis after exclusion and screening for eligibility done. The overall prevalence of helminth infection among urban children ranges from 4.8% to 48.9%. The associated factor that influences helminth infection among children living in an urban area are age, male more common than female, low socioeconomic status, low parents’ education level, living in an urban slum or crowded area, low water quality and sanitation practice, and poor hygiene practice. The deworming tablets consumption acts as protective factors for helminth infections. The medium hemoglobin value was significantly lower in helminth-infected children compared to uninfected children and the stunting, underweight as well as moderate acute malnutrition were attributable to helminth infections. CONCLUSION: The prevalence and intensity of helminthiasis were heterogeneous among urban areas of developing countries; however, the endemicity is still high. Further efforts including healthy policies, continuous national deworming programs, and multi-sectorial partnership are required to reduce the prevalence of helminthiasis in the urban area

Psychiatry illnesses in Pregnancy: A Literature review

Background: Women of reproductive age frequently suffer from psychiatric disorders. The risk of developing anxiety, bipolar, and depressive disorders is especially significant during the perinatal period. Objectives: This article aims to identify and discuss the different psychiatric conditions that might affect pregnant women and update the mother’s carers about the recent and updated bidirectional relationship between psychiatric disease and adverse pregnancy outcomes, As well as the most updates in diagnostic and management strategies. Methods: A thorough analysis of the literature was conducted using database searches in EMBASE, Science Direct, Google Scholar, Scopus, and PubMed to obtain the objectives and aim of the study. Results: The presence of maternal mental illness during pregnancy has been linked to preterm delivery, newborn hypoglycemia, poor neurodevelopmental outcomes, and disturbed attachment. Placental anomalies, small-for-gestational-age foetuses, foetal discomfort, and stillbirth are among more undesirable perinatal outcomes