Hyperglycemia is a predictor of mortality and morbidity in low birth weight newborn.

Early onset of hyperglycemia is common among low birth weight neonates. Increased risk for death and major morbidities has been observed among hyperglycemic low birth weight infants. This prospective observational study was done to find out hyperglycemia as a predictor of increased morbidity and mortality in the low birth weight sick newborn and was conducted among the hospitalized newborn of Special Care Baby Unit (SCABU), BIRDEM hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh from July 2009 to December 2009. A total of 198 LBW neonates were included in this study. One third (30.8%) LBW neonates were found hyperglycemic. The mean gestational age was 33.2±3.6 weeks and mean birth weight was 1535.8±780gm in the hyperglycemic neonates. In this study, highest prevalence of hyperglycemia was observed in birth weight <1000gm (38.46%) and in gestational age ≤28 weeks (46.15%). Apnoea, confirmed sepsis and suspected sepsis, confirmed necrotizing enterocollitis (NEC) and neonatal jaundice showed statistically significant association with hyperglycemia than that of non hyperglycemic group. Mortality of neonates in hyperglycemic group was higher (31.15%) than that of non hyperglycemic neonates (10.22%) and the difference in mortality between two groups were found statistically significant (p<0.002). From this study it can be concluded that hyperglycemia in early neonatal period is related to increased morbidity and mortality in low birth weight newborn.

Prevalence and pathology of helminth parasites in domestic ducks of Bangladesh.

Parasitism in waterfowl is a very common phenomenon. Two detailed check lists of helminth parasites of waterfowl are available (Lapage, 1961; McDonald, 1969) and many of these parasites are reported to occur in domestic ducks. However, the pathological significance of most of them is unclear. In a preliminary study, Qadir (1979) recorded 13 species of helminths from domestic ducks of Bangladesh. The present paper reports on the prevalence and pathological effects of helminth infections in domestic ducks (Anas platyrhynchos domesticus) of Bangladesh under natural conditions and on their incidence in two age and sex groups of ducks.