Timing and types of fluids and foods first introduced in a representative sample of toddlers attending day care programs across Lebanon: Are parents following international recommendations?

BACKGROUND: Current WHO's recommendation for optimal infant feeding advises exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months. After this initial period, infants should receive nutritionally adequate and safe complementary food starting from the age of 6 months with continued breastfeeding up to 2 years of age or beyond. PURPOSE: This study examined the timing and types of fluids and foods first introduced in a representative sample of toddlers (n = 1051) from 79 daycares across Lebanon. Questionnaires were self-administered to parents of toddlers (12-36 months) with a participation rate of 67%. RESULTS: Results showed that more than half of toddlers (55.7%) were introduced to infant formula within their first month of life. Around two-thirds received water as the first type of additional fluid (62.5%) with a mean age of 3.86 ± 2.15 months and fruits or cooked vegetables (69.7%) as the first types of food introduced with a mean age of 5.73 ± 1.56 months. Unfortunately, two-third (67.3%) were not breastfed after solid food introduction. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Our data on current suboptimal feeding practices in Lebanon shows the need to reinforce BF and CF practices recommendations and guidelines at the community, social and health system levels. CONCLUSIONS: In the absence of specific recommendations and with the poor involvement of the various stakeholders, it was noted that more than half of the parents were not following the WHO recommendation concerning unnecessary fluid supplementation of infants and were introducing food before the recommended age of 6 months; moreover, only a minority of mothers continued breastfeeding after introducing food to their infants.

Enhancing nonmydriatic color photographs of the retina with monochromatic views and a stereo pair to detect diabetic retinopathy.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Nonmydriatic digital color imaging is rapidly gaining an important role in screening for diabetic retinopathy. However, it has yet to equal a dilated fundus examination or seven Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study field 35-mm photography. The authors therefore attempted to enhance efficacy and validity by adding two low-cost steps to the nonmydriatic digital image evaluation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The fundi of 145 consecutive patients with diabetes mellitus were evaluated for diabetic retinopathy using two different nonmydriatic reading techniques: creating a red-free view (using digital filters) and looking at a stereo pair of each field taken. These methods were each compared to a mydriatic fundus examination. RESULTS: Although the first technique yielded views with sensitivities and specificities similar to what exists in the literature using this same technique, enhancing these photographs (second technique) yielded a statistically significant increase in sensitivity and specificity (P < .005). CONCLUSION: The authors recommend using both low-cost steps when screening for diabetic retinopathy through nonmydriatic digital color imaging.

Hypercalcemia and diabetes insipidus in a patient previously treated with lithium.

BACKGROUND: A 65-year-old woman presented with decreased oral intake, a reduced level of consciousness, hypercalcemia and hypernatremia. She had previously received lithium for 20 years for a schizoaffective disorder, but this treatment had been discontinued 3 years before presentation. INVESTIGATIONS: Physical examination, laboratory studies including measurement of serum calcium and parathyroid hormone levels, measurement of urine and serum osmolalities before and after desmopressin administration, blood and urine cultures, and a CT scan of the abdomen. DIAGNOSIS: Urosepsis, dehydration, kidney stone disease, hyperparathyroidism, and nephrogenic diabetes insipidus. MANAGEMENT: Hydration, antibiotics, intravenous pamidronate for rapid control of hypercalcemia, parathyroidectomy, surgical removal of the large kidney stones, a low-protein and low-sodium diet, and initiation of treatment with a thiazide diuretic.

Trabecular bone mineral density measurement using thoracic and lumbar quantitative computed tomography.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the agreement of bone mineral density (BMD) between lumbar (L) and individual thoracic (T) vertebrae and identify a standard thoracic spine level for BMD assessment in cardiac computed tomography (CT) images. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three hundred subjects who underwent simultaneous chest and abdomen CT scans for clinical indications were included. A calibration phantom that extended from the first thoracic spine (T(1)) to the fifth lumbar (L(5)) was employed. Vertebral BMD were measured by QCT 5000 and NVivo systems. The association between three consecutive lumbar (L1-L3) and thoracic BMD (3T, initiation site equivalent to left main coronary caudally) was evaluated. RESULTS: There was a gradual decrease in BMD values from T(1) to L(3,) subsequently increasing in L(4) and L(5) in both genders. When stratified by gender, 3T BMD was significantly higher versus L(1-3) BMD (156.9 versus 141.9vmg/cm(3), P < .001) for women as well as for men (164.8 versus 151.0 mg/cm(3), P < .001). There is good correlation between 3T and L(1-3) BMD, the Pearson's correlation coefficients are 0.91 and 0.93 for women and men, respectively. We further analyzed the associations between L(1-3) and any individual spine of T(1)-L(5) and similar relationships were observed (r value, 0.62-0.98). The intraobserver, interobserver, and interscan variation measurement of thoracic quantitative CT was 2.5 (1.0, 95% CI 0.099-1.004); 2.6 (1.0, 95CI% 0.992-1.007), and 2.8% (1.0,95% 0.0994-1.008), respectively. CONCLUSION: The 3T BMD was highly correlated with L(1-3) BMD. Thoracic BMD can be measured during cardiac and lung CT imaging without need for additional participant burden or radiation dose. This highly reproducible methodology is actively being applied to large cohort studies to evaluate the prevalence of osteoporosis and track BMD over time.