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Incidence and severity of gestational diabetes in Bahrain and Australia.

The incidence and severity of gestational diabetes in a series of 5,199 predominantly Arab patients in Bahrain, and 2,643 of mixed racial origin in Australia were studied. The incidence of gestational diabetes in Bahrain (5.4%) was less than in Australia (7.2%) but the more severe degrees were 3 times more common in Bahrain (p less than 0.001). The incidence of gestational diabetes was significantly increased with increasing maternal age and parity. A notable difference between the 2 populations occurred in the groups weighing less than 70 kg. Although Bahrain had a higher proportion of patients weighing less than 70 kg (64.7% versus 55.9%; p less than 0.001) there was a significantly higher incidence of gestational diabetes in this group in the Australian series (13.9% versus 3.7%, p less than 0.001). Postnatal testing of 165 gestational diabetics in Bahrain and 194 in Australia indicated that although the severe degrees of glucose intolerance were more likely to persist postnatally, it was impossible to predict in the individual patient the change in glucose tolerance that would occur after delivery. All gestational diabetics should therefore have a postnatal glucose tolerance test.

Adult

Perinatal mortality in Bahrain.

A review of 583 perinatal deaths at the Ministry of Health hospitals in Bahrain, during the years 1985-1987 revealed a perinatal mortality rate of 19.6 per 1,000 total births. Lethal congenital malformations accounted for 145 (24.9%) deaths. Of the 438 normally formed infants there were 42.2% antepartum, 115 (26.3%) intrapartum and 138 (31.5%) early neonatal deaths; in 82.7% of cases the death was considered to be unavoidable. The population of Bahrain for 1986 according to the Central Statistics Organization (1) was 435,065, the majority of which was served by the Ministry of Health Maternity Service with approximately 10,000 deliveries per annum. The Ministry of Health provides maternity services through one main maternity hospital and 2 peripheral hospitals with consultant obstetric care. In addition to these, there are 3 maternity units run by midwives. High risk cases are usually delivered in the main hospital as there is a neonatal intensive care unit attached to it. The latter also acts as a referral centre for all sick babies in Bahrain. An analysis of the causes of perinatal deaths is an effective way of assessing the efficiency of maternity services. The objective of this study was to identify and improve the various factors influencing perinatal mortality in Bahrain.

Bahrain

Rhinosporidiosis in Bahrain, Arabian Gulf.

Rhinosporidiosis occurred in Bahrain only in Indian expatriate workers who had the disease in India before coming to Bahrain. The pathological and clinical aspects of the disease as well as its possible health hazard in Bahrain are discussed.

Adult

Seroepidemiology of rubella in Bahrain.

Although the Ministry of Health of the State of Bahrain has set priorities for vaccination against a number of communicable diseases including the six target diseases of the Expanded Program of Immunization, no such policy for rubella immunization exists. The incidence of rubella in Bahrain is not precisely known nor is the magnitude of the problem of Congenital Rubella Syndrome. A survey of schoolchildren and primigravidae attending antenatal clinics was undertaken in Bahrain to determine the level of natural immunity against rubella in these groups, which we hope would help us in formulating a vaccination policy. We have found that 67.8% of the 6-7 year old children are susceptible to rubella and that by the age of 18 years susceptibility drops to 10.4%. The decrease in susceptibility was significant until the age of 14 years after which the change became minimal. Efforts should ideally be focused on immunizing all susceptible females before they get married. However, at present, it would be more economical to vaccinate all girls premaritally than to screen and vaccinate those susceptible. When a cheaper screening test for assessing immunity against rubella becomes available, a policy of premarital and post-partum screening followed by vaccination of susceptibles should be put into practice.

Adolescent

Diabetes mellitus in Bahrain: an overview.

Bahrain has faced a rapid transition in its socio-economic status, which resulted in great changes both in life-style and in patterns of health and disease. There has been a marked decline in infectious diseases and an increase in chronic diseases. Diabetes mellitus has become one of the most common public health problems in the country. In 1988 it was estimated that 3.4% of total deaths in Bahrain were due to diabetes. A community-based study among mothers aged 18 to 48 years showed that 8.5% of them had diabetes. The percentage was found to be higher among elderly Bahrainis (12.9%). Obesity, lack of physical activity, alteration in food habits, and change in social conditions have all played a vital role in the changing prevalence of diabetes in this country. The current programmes to manage and control diabetes are limited and ineffective. Thus measures to treat diabetes should be given a high priority in the national health policy. Training of physicians in the management of diabetes, public education, epidemiological surveys, and nutritional evaluation of local foods are among the most important measures needed to control diabetes in Bahrain.

Adolescent

The quality of groundwater in Bahrain.

The quality of groundwater and house tap water throughout the State of Bahrain has been investigated with respect to pH, salinity, conductivity, bicarbonate, chloride, sulfate, sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, nitrite, nitrate, ammonia and phosphate. Groundwater showed elevated levels for salinity, chloride, sulfate, sodium and magnesium, with ranges of 1.40-9.30 ppt, and 110-4407, 239-1385, 247-2165, and 36-313 mg l-1, respectively. These values increased from western Bahrain reaching maximum values along the southeastern coastal zone. Nitrate concentration ranged from 1.3 to 23.3 mg l-1 with an average value of 4.4 mg l-1. The results of the study indicate deterioration of groundwater in localized areas. In the case of tap water, the observed ranges for salinity, chloride and sodium were 0.7-1.5 ppt, and 280-750 and 140-400 mg l-1, respectively. The quality of tap water was assessed by comparing values with WHO guidelines.

Ammonia

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, nickel and vanadium in air particulate matter in Bahrain during the burning of oil fields in Kuwait.

Inhalable air particulate matter (APM) was collected in Bahrain from July 31, 1991 to August 4, 1991, during the burning of the oil fields in Kuwait. The filters collected were black and the levels of APM ranged from 139 to 673 micrograms m-3 with an average value of 199 micrograms m-3. APM were analysed for their contents of PAHs, Ni and V. Analysis was carried out for 32 PAHs and total PAHs ranged from 3.1 to 9.1 ng m-3 and averaged 5.3 ng m-3. The highest individual PAH levels were benzo[ghi]perylene, benzo[b]fluoranthene, benzo[a]pyrene and indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene. The concentration of Ni and V ranged from 7 to 42 and 11 to 42 ng m-3, with an average value of 22 and 26 ng m-3, respectively. A strong correlation was found between Ni and V (r = 0.98, P less than 0.01). The results show that the smoke from burning oil wells in Kuwait has contributed to the concentrations of particulate matter, PAHs, Ni and V in APM in Bahrain.

Air Pollutants

Epidemiology of rotavirus diarrhoea in children under five years in Bahrain.

A case-control study in children under five years of age was undertaken in Bahrain between February 1984 to March 1986 to study the aetiology of diarrhoea with special reference to rotavirus. During this period fecal samples were collected from 698 hospitalized and non-hospitalized diarrhoea cases and 532 from non-diarrhoea controls. Rotavirus was the enteropathogen most commonly detected (20.8%) and represented 68.7% of the total positives from the cases. Percentage rotavirus infection detected in the hospitalized patients was significantly higher than in non-hospitalized cases. Rotavirus was most frequently detected in the age group 6-11 months (26.6%). Rotavirus was not detected at all above 24 months of age. A higher percentage of rotavirus infection was noticed in males up to 11 months. Children of mothers with university education showed a higher level of rotavirus infection (39.3%) in comparison to children of mothers with school level education (20.4%) or no education (19.6%). Rotavirus was detected more often in patients from higher income homes (25.6%) compared to a lower income group (18.2%). No significant difference in rotavirus positivity was noticed between the children of working and non-working mothers. Rotavirus detection in relation to different feeding habits showed no difference. Rotavirus could be detected throughout the year from diarrhoea cases in Bahrain and showed no seasonal trend. It did not show any correlation with mean monthly temperature and mean monthly relative humidity.

Bahrain

Chemical quality of drinking water in Bahrain.

Chemical quality of five types of water used for drinking purposes in Bahrain were studied. There are three main sources of drinking water: tap, private treated, and bottled waters. The findings revealed that tap water had highest level of all chemicals studies (except silica) compared to other waters. Sodium level in tap water ranged from 100 to 545.9 mg/l, with an average of 309.4 mg/l. This average exceeds the drinking water standard as recommended by WHO (200 mg/l), making this water unsuitable for hypertensive people. Average level of fluoride ranged from 0.28 in carbonated mineral water to 0.85 mg/l in tap water. The high usage of bottled mineral water for drinking purposes may deprive the public, especially the children, from one of the protective elements (fluoride) for dental caries. This disease is highly prevalent in Bahrain. A programme to control chemical quality of drinking water in the country is highly recommended.

Bahrain

Growth patterns of adolescents in Bahrain.

Weight and height of adolescents in Bahrain (15.5-19.5 years) was measured to evaluate their growth patterns. A cross-sectional survey was done on 825 students that represented 5% of total secondary students. The results showed that median height and weight of Bahraini adolescents were below the 50th percentiles of the Western standard. However, when compared with earlier surveys in Bahrain, the growth pattern has improved. This is because of improvement in health and in the environment.

Adolescent

Prenatal serologic screening in Bahrain.

Between 1988 and 1990, serological surveys designed to study local disease prevalence and assess the clinical value of various prenatal screening tests were undertaken at Salmaniya Medical Center in Bahrain. High maternal antibody prevalence (greater than 85%) to cytomegalovirus (CMV), herpes simplex virus (HSV) and rubella was demonstrated, and 28% showed antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii. The lowest seroprevalence values were found for HBsAg (1.2%) and Treponema pallidum (0.9%). Routine testing for rubella, syphilis, and hepatitis B are advocated for all pregnancies in Bahrain. In contrast, CMV and HSV serologies are not recommended. Toxoplasma antibody testing remains controversial, but the lack of a proven agent to prevent congenital toxoplasmosis coupled with the high cost of serial testing mitigates against its routine use at this time.

Animals

The epidemiology of tuberculosis in Bahrain.

Incidence and mortality from tuberculosis in Bahrain have been examined for the years 1965, 1971, 1980-1981 and 1983-1987. Both incidence and mortality rates have shown a large decline since 1965. Most of the decrease in incidence rates occurred in the period 1983-1987 when there was a sharp decline among non-Bahrainis by an average of 20.4% per annum, from 157.3 per 100,000 in 1983 to 63.1 per 100,000 in 1987. Rates for Bahrainis have decreased gradually since 1965 and during 1983-1987 declined from 15.8 per 100,000 to 11.9 per 100,000; an average annual decline of 6.8%. In 1983-1987, non-Bahrainis showed, on average, rates which were seven times higher than Bahrainis. In 1987, among Bahrainis the age distribution of cases shifted to older age groups in comparison to previous years, and in all the study years, there were more males with pulmonary tuberculosis than females. Rates for non-pulmonary tuberculosis showed only small fluctuations during the study period.

Adolescent

Carboxyhemoglobin levels in blood donors in Bahrain.

A total of 107 venous blood samples were obtained from blood donors in Bahrain for carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) analysis. The donors were categorized according to their sex, smoking habits, occupation, place of work (indoor or outdoor), and residential area. The mean COHb levels were significantly higher in smokers (4.8%) than nonsmoking (1.5%). The mean COHb levels were higher in smoking, outdoor working donors (4.98%) and nonsmoking outdoor working donors (2.29%) than smoking indoor working donors (3.07%) and nonsmoking indoor working donors (1.04%). Other factors, such as sex and residential area did not influence COHb concentrations. The results indicate a possible influence of the levels of environmental carbon monoxide on the COHb in the blood of the Bahraini population.

Bahrain

Growth patterns of school-children in Bahrain.

The aim of this study is to assess physical growth of school children in Bahrain. Cross-sectional data on 1593 children (818 boys and 775 girls), aged 6.5 to 18.5 years were collected in 1986. Anthropometric measures included height, weight, mid-arm circumference, triceps, biceps, subscapular and suprailiac skinfold thickness. At all ages median (P50) heights and weights of Bahraini boys and girls are below the 50th percentiles of the North American reference standard (NCHS). Median heights of both Bahraini sexes falls between the 25th and 5th percentiles of the reference data. As for weight, the median of boys fluctuates between the 25th and 5th percentiles, while that of girls fluctuates between the 50th and 10th percentiles of the standard. When compared to the American standard, median triceps skinfold of Bahraini boys and girls falls between the 50th and 25th percentiles. The median arm circumference of both sexes is close to the 5th percentiles. In general, the skinfold measurements indicate a high subcutaneous fat store, suggesting a lack of muscle development. Health, genetic and other factors associated with growth patterns of Bahraini children are discussed.

Adipose Tissue

Nutritional disorders associated with affluence in Bahrain.

In this paper the nutritional disorders associated with affluence in Bahrain are reviewed and analysed. Heart diseases, obesity, diabetes mellitus, cancer, and dental caries are becoming the main public health problems in the country. The major aetiological factors leading to such a situation are change in lifestyle, high per capita income, change in food consumption patterns, and ineffective preventive measures. Programmes to control the disease of affluence should be given a high priority in any health plan. Emphasis should be placed on initiating intervention nutrition programmes, training health staff and carrying out epidemiological studies.

Adolescent

The epidemiology of trauma in an intensive care unit in Bahrain.

Injuries resulting from trauma are over-represented in Bahrain's intensive care unit beds. Using data from 1984 and 1985, this study examines the most severe etiologic agents and high-risk population groups among ICU trauma patients. Road traffic accidents were the principal cause of admission, accounting for 57% of all injury admissions. Most occurred in pedestrians suffering from severe head injury. Poisonings were the second largest category, followed by falls. In comparison with medical cases admitted to the ICU during the same 2-year period, the trauma cases included a disproportionate number of children and males in their most productive years of life, further adding to the economic burden which injuries have inflicted on this small country. The authors call for a new approach, namely passive prevention such as environmental modifications and legislation and tertiary prevention such as improvement of the country's underutilized ambulance service.

Accidental Falls

Chromosomal resistance to antibiotics in gonococci from Bahrain.

Ninety-one isolates of non-penicillinase-producing Neisseria gonorrhoeae from patients in Bahrain were tested for serotype, auxotype, and antibiotic susceptibility. Ten serovars and three auxotypes were found. Of the 91 isolates, 49 (54%) were serovar IB-5/7, 59 (65%) had a penicillin MIC greater than or equal to 1 mg/l, 39 (45%) had a cefuroxime MIC greater than or equal to 0.5 mg/l, and 63 (69%) had a tetracycline MIC of greater than or equal to 4 mg/l. No spectinomycin or high-level tetracycline resistance was seen. Seventy of the 91 isolates were tested against ciprofloxacin and ceftriaxone, and 40 (57%) and 26 (37%) had MICs greater than or equal to 0.03 mg/l, respectively. DNA from two penicillin-resistant isolates was capable of transforming recipient strain FA19 to donor level of penicillin and cephalosporin resistance in four steps. The first three steps were indicative of the acquisition of known resistance mutations. The existence of the fourth level transformants, with the ability of donor DNA to transform strain FA140 to higher levels of resistance, suggest the presence of another resistance mutation.

Anti-Bacterial Agents

Pregnancy in sickle cell disease in Bahrain.

OBJECTIVE: To review the maternal and fetal complications in pregnant women with sickle cell disease and to compare their pregnancy outcome with those of controls. DESIGN: A case-control study. SETTING: Ministry of Health hospitals in Bahrain. SUBJECTS: 147 pregnancies in 140 women with sickle cell disease and 294 controls matched for age and parity. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The characteristics of women who had crises, the frequency of the crises, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, infection, diabetes, perinatal mortality and the delivery statistics in the index and control women. RESULTS: Maternal mortality was 1.4% and perinatal mortality was 73.3/1000 total births in women with sickle cell disease, there were no maternal deaths and the perinatal mortality was 6.8/1000 births in the control group. Anaemia was treated by blood transfusion in 47% of women with sickle cell disease and, of these, 39% had a crisis that appeared to have been precipitated by the transfusion in the absence of any other predisposing factors. The presence of raised HbF did not decrease the number of crises but reduced their severity. CONCLUSION: Pregnancy in women with sickle cell disease should be monitored very closely as it constitutes a high risk to both the mother and the baby.

Adult