Developing students’ hand hygiene behaviors in a primary school from Turkey: A school-based health education study

Background: Hand hygiene is a cheap, simple, and an effective method that is necessarily implemented in crowded areas such as schools where infectious diseases can spread easily. Objective: To improve hand hygiene of students from grade 6 to 8 in a primary school from Canakkale, Turkey. Materials and Methods: This research was conducted in the educational year of 2012–2013 in a primary school, Kepez, Canakkale, Turkey. The subjects consisted of 185 primary school students from grade 6 to 8. Of these, 161 (participation rate = 87%) students participated. It was an educational study devoted to improve skills about hand hygiene. This study was carried out in three steps. First, a self-answered questionnaire and a standard checklist were used before hand hygiene training. Second, after 1 week from this first step, students were trained for improving hand-washing skills. Immediately afterward the training course, researchers observed each student for the assessment of their hand-washing habits and then filled the skill checklist. The last evaluation was made in the third step after 3 months from the training course. Students’ hand-washing skill scores before and after the training were compared. Statistical analyses were performed using the SPSS software, version 19.0. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Results: Of 161 participants, 50.1% were boys and 49.0% were girls with the mean age of 12.6 ± 0.9 (min 11; max 14) years. Of these participants, 32.3% were from grade 6, 32.3% from grade 7, and 35.4% from grade 8; 98.1% students were living in Kepez and 1.9% were living in village. A statistically significant difference was detected between the first practice, which was made before training, and the second and third practices, which were made after training, in terms of handwashing skill development (p o 0.001). After the training, hand-washing skill scores showed a significant increase than before-training skill scores in both female and male students (p o 0.001). Conclusion: In this study, hand-washing skill training was found to be effective. In addition, students were found to be successful on implementing hand-washing skills in the last practice that was done after 3 months from the training course. However, it should be considered that newly acquired behaviors must be followed once in 6 months or in a year with continuity for these behaviors to be permanent and long standing

Raine syndrome associated with cytomegalovirus infection

Intracranial calcification, periosteal proliferation and microcephaly, which represent the clinical features of the congenital cytomegalovirus infection, can also be seen in a rare disorder named Raine syndrome. This clinical entity has been reported in eight families so far. Here, we report a new patient with clinical features of the Raine syndrome associated with cytomegalovirus infection. Although this may be a chance association only, the condition raised the question of whether early intrauterine CMV infection may contribute to the Raine phenotype

Congenital hypothyroidism associated with Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome

Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome is a genetic syndrome characterized by broad thumbs and big toes, growth retardation, mental deficiency and dysmorphic facies. We report the association of Rubinstien-Taybi syndrome with congenital hypothyroidism

Passive smoking increases pain perception in children undergoing venous catheterization

AimTo establish whether there is any association between passive smoking and pain perception in children, in the absence of existing studies into possible links

Does Glp-2 have a protective effect on cerebral ischemia/reperfusion model?

Background/aim: To investigate the neuroprotective effects of glucagon-like peptide 2 (Glp-2), which increases cerebral blood flow, on the hippocampal complex after cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury in rats

Multi-Vitamin Intake During Pregnancy: Is it a Causative Factor for Childhood Obesity?

Aim: This study was conducted to investigate whether multivitamin intake can be one of the reasons of childhood obesity. Material and Method: : We carried out a prospective case-control study. The first group included 50 children, as case group who was diagnosed with obesity according to body mass index (BMI) and the second group 50 healty children as control group. Premature babies, children with mental motor reterdation and chronic illness, syndromic children and mothers who couldn't answer the questions efficiently were excluded. The study was conducted with a questionnaire that was filled out by mothers. Anthropometric measurements including body weight and height were measured by the same researcher (NK). Results: The mean age of the case group was 10,34 +/- 3,68 years and 8,88 +/- 3,96 years in control group. There were no statistically significant difference between two groups in terms of multivitamin intake during pregnancy so multivitamin intake was not found related with childhood obesity, mode of delivery, gestational age at delivery and birth weight as well. Discussion: In our study; multivitamin supplements had no effect on childhood obesity. Further studies are needed with larger populations to asses it detailed