Thai Twin Registry: description of the initial stage.

The present study describes the initial phase of the Thai Twin Registry (TTR) in Khon Kaen University, a pioneer research university located in the Northeast of Thailand. The initial steps of the study included the analysis of dermatoglyphic information in Thai twins for answering the research question: Are monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins different in dermatoglyphic variables? Subjects were 212 twin pairs (131 MZ and 81 [corrected] DZ), consisting of 155 males and 269 females. Four types of fingerprint pattern (FP) - that is, arch, radial loop, ulnar loop, and whorl - were classified and analyzed and compared between MZ and DZ twins. The arch radial loop and whorl frequencies differ between MZ and DZ twins. When comparing FP in each finger, only the right little finger shows a statistically different FP, while the FP similarity average from 10 homologous fingers of co-twins was greater in MZ than DZ twins. By using the Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristic curve analysis, the MZ twins could be differentiated from DZ twins by the FP similarity. Summarizing, this valuable report about TTR was conducted by analysis of FP data, which indicated that the MZ and DZ twins exhibited FP pattern and FP similarity differences. Other dermatoglyphic studies of the existing FP database, such as finger ridge count, finger ridge density, and minutia, will be considered for ongoing research at the TTR.

Thai infant health situation: essential medical information for family centered care.

BACKGROUND: The family-centered care requires reliable information on morbidity, mortality and related health problems to educate the responsible families. OBJECTIVE: To explore diseases and deaths of infants aged 29 days-12 months under the 2010 Universal Health Insurance in Thailand. MATERIAL AND METHOD: As per Sutra et al in 'Health situation analysis of Thai population 2010. The data included in the analysis were numbers and percents of primary diagnosis of each visit in the outpatient department (OPD), admitted cases and infant death. Other health related issues were also retrieved from the existing sources of health information at country level. RESULTS: The infants aged 29 days-12 month had 9,721, 266 OPD visits including factors influencing health (69.6%), respiratory infections (16.3%), Intestinal infection (2.4%) and other diseases (11.7%). The admitted cases commonly had respiratory infections (47.5%), intestinal infections (23.4%), other infections (4.8%) and congenital malformation (2.8%). The three most common causes of hospital deaths were perinatal conditions (25.2%), congenital malformation (21.4%) and respiratory infection (18.5%). There were also neonatal problems of low birth weight and iodine deficiency. CONCLUSION: The infectious diseases and perinatal health problems were the main issues for family education in the family centered care to reduce the burden of diseases and infant death.

The promotion of exclusive breastfeeding in infants with complete cleft lip and palate during the first 6 months after childbirth at Srinagarind Hospital, Khon Kaen Province, Thailand.

BACKGROUND: Breastfeeding is especially important for infants with cleft lip and/or cleft palate because it helps prevent nasal septum irritation, decreases the number of ear infections, and provides a sort of psychologically support for the postpartum mothers. It is difficult for a baby born with a cleft lip and/or cleft palate to suck milk out of the breast or bottle. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to 1) promote exclusive breast-feeding in infants with CL-CP during their first 6 months after delivery and 2) examine risk factors related to the success of exclusive breastfeeding. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A counseling session provided by a special trained nurse is arranged for the parents of these infants as the earliest after birth. The mothers were advised that the best breastfeeding position either cross cradle or football position. The mothers were instructed to support their breasts with four fingers underneath and press their thumb on top to squeeze breast milk to help the babies with CL-CP get enough milk. The breast squeezing should be related to baby's sucking, swallowing and breathing rhythm. The infant weight gain after birth, their comfort, 6-8 urine per day, and 1 - 2 stool per day were used as the indications of breastfeeding success. RESULTS: Twenty infants were included in this study. A follow up after hospital discharge was set at 1 week 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 months to provide continuously breastfeeding support for the mothers. After the 6-month period, we found that 2 infants were exclusively breastfed for 6 months and continued to have breast milk until 15 and 18 months of age, 2 infants had breastfeed for less than 2 months, and 16 infants for 3-4 months. Employment status played an important factor for the breastfeeding success among the mothers of CL-CP infants. The only 2 mothers able to provide 6 months exclusive breastfeeding did not work while the mothers who could not continue their breastfeeding reported that they felt very exhausted having to go to work and breastfeed their babies when they returned back home. CONCLUSION: This study revealed that exclusive breastfeeding for CL-CP infants can be achieved when the relationship between infants, parents and their families were established.

The prevalence of childhood obesity in primary school children in urban Khon Kaen, northeast Thailand.

Childhood obesity is a serious public health problem because of its strong association with adulthood obesity and the related adverse health consequences. The published literature indicates a rising prevalence of childhood obesity in both developed and developing countries. However no data exists on the prevalence in Northeast Thailand, one of the poorest regions of the country and one that has experienced a recent economic transition. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of obesity in seven to nine year old children in urban Khon Kaen, Northeast Thailand. A cross-sectional school based survey was conducted to determine the prevalence of obesity in children of urban Khon Kaen, Thailand. Multi-staged cluster sampling was used to select 12 school clusters of 72 children each between the ages of 7 and 9 years, in primary school grades 1, 2 and 3 from government, private and demonstration schools. A total of 864 seven to nine year old school children were studied. Anthropometric measurements of standing height and weight were taken for all subjects to the nearest tenth of a centimetre and tenth of a kilogram respectively, Childhood obesity was defined as a weight-for-height Z-score above 2.0 standard deviations of the National Center for Health Statistics/World Health Organisation reference population median. The prevalence of childhood obesity was 10.8% (95% CI: 7.6, 13.9). Obesity was significantly more prevalent in boys than girls. The biggest difference was observed between the three school types, with the highest prevalence of obesity found at teacher training demonstration schools and the lowest at the government schools. This study provides the first data on childhood obesity prevalence in Northeast Thailand. The prevalence of 10.8 per cent is lower than that found in two other urban areas of Thailand but slightly higher than expected for this relatively poor region. If this prevalence rate increases, as observed in other countries in economic transition, the incidence of non-communicable diseases associated with obesity is also likely to increase, thus raising cause for concern and reason for intervention to both control and prevent obesity during childhood.