Rubella is an acute exanthematous viral infection in both children and adults. The disease may cause severe congenital anomalies in newborns if exposed to this virus during early pregnancy. Vaccination, the best way to prevent it a routine program in several countries. But in Iran, it has not been included in National vaccination program, yet.

The objective of this study was to determine seroprevalence of rubella among pre-marriage females living in Ahwaz City to evaluate whether there is a need for overall vaccination across the country or not. Four hundred women were randomly selected from those referred for routine pre-marriage tests, and blood samples were obtained from them. Rubella IgG antibody was measured using ELISA method. The results showed that out of 400 women 366 cases (93 %) were seropositive, 28 cases seronegative and the remaining 6 cases were suspicious and therefore were omitted from the study. Result from the worldwide vaccination show a rate of 95 % immunity against rubella. Furthermore, considering this there is a non-significant difference in the level of protection between the vaccinated population and development of natural immunity if the results of the forthcoming studies in other parts of the country confirm the same level of protection, it may be concluded that a vaccination program against rubella, is not an urgent priority at the present time, in Iran.

There is a pathway for drug smuggling from east of Iran, in the neighbourhood of Afghanistan— the major producer of opium in the world—to the western border and finally into Turkey and Europe. One method of drug smuggling is body packing or body stuffing, which is placement of narcotics (opium, heroin, hashish, etc.) inside intestinal tract for transfer from city to city or country to country. Estimating the methods for transferring contents of packets, packaging, cause of death and results of diagnostic and etc therapeutic methods can effectively decrease the number of body packers and law enforcement.

This is a case series study using the randomized sampling of suspicious cases of body smuggling who were admitted to Loghman Hakim Hospital. Several parameters such as sex, age, marital status, addiction, job, level of education, type of opioids, weight and number of packets, result of abdominal X-ray and surgery needs, were collected from April 1999 to December 2000.

32 male smugglers who had swallowed drug packets were detained. The average age was 41 years (range 20–62). The minimum and maximum weight of the opium carried by the smugglers was below 20 g and 1000 g, respectively (mean, 360g). The minimum and maximum number of packets were one and 54, respectively (mean, 10 packets). In 84 % of body smugglers the content of packets was opium, 13 % was heroin and 3 % was hashish; cocaine and amphetamines were not seen. Abdominal pelvic X-ray was confirmative for 25 (76 %). Results of urine and blood tests using thin layer chromatography was positive among 75 % of suspicious cases. There was a significant correlation between abdominal X-ray and TLC results. Out of the cases, 81 % were addicts themselves. Death occurred in 7 cases of which 3 were after surgery. It was concluded that there is a need to develop a comprehensive protocol for diagnosis, management and treatment of body smugglers in Iran.

The main purpose of this study was to determine the mental health status of people aged 15 and over in rural and urban areas in the year 1999. For this reason, 35,014 individuals were selected by random cluster sampling and evaluated by General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ–28) as screening tool. The cut off point for GHQ-28 determined by GHQ screening method through evaluation of 879 samples. For this purpose a DSM-IV clinical interview checklist was used. The results showed that 21% (25.9 % female and 14.9 % male) of individuals suffered from mental disorders. Mental disorders were more common in the provinces of Chahar Mahal-Bakhtiary (38.9 %) and Goleston (37.3 %). This frequency was the lowest in Yazd Province (11.7 %). The prevalence of mental disorders was 21.3 % in rural and 20.9 % in urban areas. The results also suggested that depression and anxiety were more prevalent than somatization and social dysfunction (3–8 % and 2.3 % vs 1.7 and 1.6, respectively). Mental retardation, epilepsy and psychosis were 1.4, 1.2 and 0.6 % respectively among the families. A significant correlation between prevalence of mental disorders and age has reported. Also, a higher prevalence of mental disorders in the widowed, divorced and married, unemployed, retired and housewives each in comparison with normal population was observed.

The main objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of a 4-year program of nutrition education for mothers on the nutritional status of 6– 48 month-old children living in outskirts of Kerman City of Kerman (South of Iran). One region was randomly chosen as the area for intervention and another region as control. Data were collected before and after the intervention using questionnaires, physical examination and anthropometric measurements. The program was performed for 2.5 years. Impact of education was evaluated through a rapid nutrition survey of 2–3 year-old children.

Analysis of the baseline data showed that protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) was a major nutritional problem of the 6– 48 month-old children in both regions. Nutritional knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of the mothers was low and related to their socio-economic status. A significant decrease in percent of stunted 24–35 month–old children compared to that of the baseline data was observed in intervention region (p < 0.03). There were significant improvements in the household per capita income (p < 0.0001), spacing with the previous child (p < 0.025), length of exclusive breast-feeding (p < 0.01), age of starting weaning food (p < 0.025) and proper order of supplementary foods (p < 0.01). Regression analysis showed a positive correlation between (a) height for age and mother’s literacy and nutrition education (p < 0.01), and also between education (p < 0.05) and (b) weight for height and mother’s literacy (p < 0.05) and children’s birth weight (p < 0.05).

Final analysis of the data demonstrated significant improvement in the mother’s nutritional knowledge, type of the first supplementary food, and age of weaning from milk (p < 0.0001).

Therefore, it can be concluded that education increases mother’s nutrition knowledge and improves to some extent the nutritional status of the children.

Source: Hakim. 2002; 5 (1): 49–56.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most prevalent psychiatric disorder among school age children. This could lead to behaviour misconduct, substance abuse, anxiety and mood disorders. Regarding the lack of adequate data in Iran, the present study was conducted in school age boys in Tehran over the years 2000 and 2001.

ADHD was reported in 19.9 % of the students. Attention deficit type was the most prevalent subtype (50.8 %) and this percent was 29.8 and 19.4 for mixed and hyperactivity-impulsiveness subtypes, and children’s age, parents’ education level, family size and the number of relocations.

ADHD has a considerable prevalence in our society. Further studies in other provinces in order to determine the etiologic factors of ADHD seem to be necessary.

Source: Pejuhandeh. 2001–2; 6 (6): 555-8.

Estimation of fetal weight is of utmost importance in obstetric examination; indeed, misestimation is accompanied by misjudgement. Therefore, the present study was carried out on the parturients referred to Mahdieh Hospital, Tehran, Iran in 1999, to compare the two methods of clinical exam and sonography in estimation of fetal weight.

During this trial, 300 parturients with cephalic singleton pregnancy and intact amnion were studied. Clinical examination was performed by an expert resident and fetal weight was estimated. Afterward fetal weight was re-estimated using sonography. Immediately after birth, babies were weighed and differences were calculated within two range of ± 200 g and ± 10 % of weight.

Of a total of 300 babies, 196 (65.3 %) weighed 2,500–3,500g. Gestational age ranged from 32–42 weeks (mean, 38.5 weeks). Difference of estimations with actual weight (mean ± SD) was 186 ± 131g and 203 ±130 g for clinical exam and sonography respectively. Difference of estimation between the two procedures in those weighing between 3,500g and 4,500g were 155g ± 100g (mean ± SD) and 201g ± 120.9g, respectively (p < 0.02). There was no significant difference in those weighing less than 3500 g or those whose weight was over 4000g.

Clinical estimation of fetal weight was acceptable. With respect to the low number of cases under 2,000 gr or above 4,000 g, further studies are highly recommended with a greater sample size.

Source: Pejuhandeh. 2001–2; 6 (6): 559–62.