Intra-household use and acceptability of Ready-to-Use-Supplementary-Foods distributed in Niger between July and December 2010.

Few studies have looked at consumption of Ready-to-Use-Supplementary-Foods (RUSFs) during a nutritional emergency. Here, we describe the use and acceptability of RUSF within households in four districts of the region of Maradi, Niger during large scale preventive distributions with RUSF in 2010 targeted at children 6-35months of age. Our study comprised both quantitative and qualitative components to collect detailed information and to allow in-depth interviews. We performed a cross-sectional survey in 16 villages between two monthly distributions of RUSF (October-November 2010). All households with at least one child who received RUSF were included and a total of 1842 caregivers were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Focus groups and individual interviews of 128 caregivers were conducted in eight of the selected villages. On average, 24.7% of households reported any sharing of RUSF within the household. Sharing practices outside the household remained rare. Most of the sharing reported occurred among children under 5years of age living in the household. On average, 91% of caregivers in all districts rated the child's appreciation of the products as good or very good. Program planning may need to explicitly accounting for the sharing of products among children under 5 within household

Treatment of severe acute malnutrition in infants aged <6 months in Niger

Objective: To report a nutritional rehabilitation program in Niger for the management of severe acute malnutrition in infants aged <6 months. Study design: This is a presentation of a case series (n = 632) of young infants who were admitted to a nutrition rehabilitation program in 2010-2011. The main characteristics of the inpatient treatment protocol where the use of diluted F-100 milk via a supplementary suckling technique until exclusive breastfeeding was reinitialized, coaching of mothers on infant feeding, and intensive antibiotic therapy as indicated during the stabilization phase. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 103 mothers. Results: Rates of recovery, mortality, and default were 85% (537 of 632), 6% (37 of 632), and 9% (55 of 632), respectively. The majority of infants had an infectious disease at study entry (81%), particularly acute watery diarrhea and respiratory tract infections. Infection on admission was a predictor of death during treatment (OR, 3.9; 95% CI, 1.6-9.2). Anorexia at entry was a risk factor for treatment failure (OR, 4.4; 95% CI, 1.71-11.1). Interviews revealed a very low rate of exclusive breastfeeding (3%), with delayed initiation in 68% of cases. Traditional beliefs, perceived insufficiency of breast milk, and psychological problems played important roles in feeding choices. Conclusion: Severe acute malnutrition in infants aged <6 months can be successfully treated by managing cases as inpatients with an adapted protocol, intensive clinical supervision, and intensive drug treatment if indicated. Whether similar outcomes are achievable in community-based programs remains to be verified. Effective interventions for improving breastfeeding practices are needed

3D articulated growth model of the fetus skeleton, envelope and soft tissues

International audience<p>Fetal dosimetry studies require thedevelopment of accurate 3D models of the fe-tus. This paper proposes a 3D articulated fe-tal growth model including skeleton, body en-velope, brain and lungs based on medical im-ages of 10 dierent fetuses acquired in clinicalroutine. The structures of interest were semi-manually segmented from the images and sur-face meshes were generated. A generic mesh ofeach structure has been deformed towards thesegmented ones. By interpolating linearly be-tween the subjects of the database, each struc-ture can be estimated at any age and in anyposition. This process results in an automatedmodel, the operator being only required tospecify the age and position of the desired es-timated fetus.</p

Micro‐CT and high‐field MRI for studying very early post‐mortem human fetal anatomy at 8 weeks of gestation

International audienceObjective This study involved very early post‐mortem (PM) examination of human fetal anatomy at 8 weeks of gestation (WG) using whole‐body multimodal micro‐imaging: micro‐CT and high‐field MRI (HF‐MRI). We discuss the potential place of this imaging in early first‐trimester virtual autopsy. Methods We performed micro‐CT after different contrast‐bath protocols including diffusible iodine‐based contrast‐enhanced (dice) and HF‐MRI with a 9.4 T machine with qualitative and quantitative evaluation and obtained histological sections. Results Nine fetuses were included: the crown–rump length was 10–24 mm and corresponded to 7 and 9 WG according to the Robinson formula. The Carnegie stages were 17–21. Dice micro‐CT and HF‐MRI presented high signal to noise ratio, &gt;5, according to the Rose criterion, and for allowed anatomical phenotyping in these specimens. Imaging did not alter the histology, allowing immunostaining and pathological examination. Conclusion PM non‐destructive whole‐body multimodal micro‐imaging: dice micro‐CT and HF‐MRI allows for PM human fetal anatomy study as early as 8 WG. It paves the way to virtual autopsy in the very early first trimester. Obtaining a precision phenotype, even regarding miscarriage products, allows a reverse phenotyping to select variants of interest in genome‐wide analysis, offering potential genetic counseling for bereaved parents

The scalp hair collar and tuft signs: A retrospective multicenter study of 78 patients with a systematic review of the literature

International audienceBACKGROUND:Hair collar sign (HCS) and hair tuft of the scalp (HTS) are cutaneous signs of an underlying neuroectodermal defect, but most available data are based on case reports.OBJECTIVE:We sought to define the clinical spectrum of HCS and HTS, clarify the risk for underlying neurovascular anomalies, and provide imaging recommendations.METHODS:A 10-year multicenter retrospective and prospective analysis of clinical, radiologic, and histopathologic features of HCS and HTS in pediatric patients was performed.RESULTS:Of the 78 patients included in the study, 56 underwent cranial and brain imaging. Twenty-three of the 56 patients (41%) had abnormal findings, including the following: (1) cranial/bone defect (30.4%), with direct communication with the central nervous system in 28.6%; (2) venous malformations (25%); or (3) central nervous system abnormalities (12.5%). Meningeal heterotopia in 34.6% (9/26) was the most common neuroectodermal association. Sinus pericranii, paraganglioma, and combined nevus were also identified.LIMITATIONS:The partial retrospective design and predominant recruitment from the dermatology department are limitations of this study.CONCLUSIONS:Infants with HCS or HTS are at high risk for underlying neurovascular anomalies. Magnetic resonance imaging scans should be performed in order to refer the infant to the appropriate specialist for management.Copyright © 2016 American Academy of Dermatology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved