Premium
Pattern of Children's Disease and Death as Seen in a Children's Hospital, Colombo, Ceylon
Author(s) -
SILVA C. DE,
SOYSA PRIYANI
Publication year - 1953
Publication title -
acta pædiatrica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1651-2227
pISSN - 0803-5253
DOI - 10.1111/j.1651-2227.1953.tb03643.x
Subject(s) - medicine , ascaris lumbricoides , case fatality rate , pediatrics , xerophthalmia , incidence (geometry) , mortality rate , multivitamin , vitamin a deficiency , vitamin , surgery , immunology , retinol , epidemiology , helminths , physics , optics
Summary and Conclusions Intestinal parasitism was the chief cause of ill health in children in hospital. Ascaris lumbricoides was the commonest intestinal parasite and the Trichuris trichiura was the second. The incidence of intestinal parasitism rose with each year of life and was extremely high at 5 years and over. Nutritional disorders were common including many cases of fatty liver and oedema as well as of Vitamin A and riboflavin deficiences. A pre‐Bitot pigmentation which was often the precursor of a Bitot and a “gutter” pigmentation of the lower part of the sclera are described. The former was a vitamin A deficiency and the latter was probably due to combined vitamin A and riboflavin deficiencies. Among the respiratory diseases bronchopneumonia caused a high fatality rate in the age group below 5 years. Gastro‐intestinal disorders showed a peak in incidence during the first year of life, the fatality rate was high also in following years. Salmonellosis was a common cause of diarrhoeas in infancy and early childhood. The vast array of preventable diseases is heartrending. All possible forces and resources of the country should be marshalled and put into action in order to reduce the unnecessary suffering and sorrow caused to children by poverty, superstition, ignorance, wrong food habits and pernicious teaching by those who should know better.