pica and Diarrhea

Collagenous gastritis is an uncommon gastrointestinal disease in children. Its cause remains uncertain. It may present as severe hypoproteinaemia manifesting as generalized oedema. We report a 15 months old female who presented with pica, generalized body oedema and diarrhoea. Diagnostic workup revealed gastric replacement of the lamina propria by hyalinized collagen on histology. This case seeks to highlight the need for early paediatric gastroenterology referral including oesophagogastroduodenoscopy with multiple tissue biopsies as part of a broad diagnostic workup in children with non-specific gastrointestinal symptoms to improve diagnostic yield and enable accurate histologic diagnosis, so that appropriate therapy can be timeously applied.

Topics: Albumins; Anemia, Iron-Deficiency; Azathioprine; Biopsy; Collagen; Diarrhea; Edema; Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal; Female; Gastric Mucosa; Gastritis; Humans; Hypoalbuminemia; Hypoproteinemia; Infant; Pica; Prednisone; Treatment Outcome; Water-Electrolyte Balance

Topics: Bezoars; Child, Preschool; Diarrhea; Female; Gastroscopy; Humans; Intestinal Obstruction; Intestines; Pica; Stomach; Syndrome; Vomiting

Topics: Adult; Antipsychotic Agents; Diarrhea; Foreign-Body Migration; Humans; Male; Pica; Radiography, Abdominal; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Many children under the age of five are exposed to environmental health risks in the home environment. These lead to diseases such as diarrhoea, which along with acute respiratory infections, malaria and intestinal worms, account for 70% of the total health burden to children under five in Kenya. The aim of this study was to investigate whether earth eating within the home environment by children is a risk factor for diarrhoeal disease.. A longitudinal study was conducted in 350 households having children aged below five years between April and October, 2005. Questionnaire and observation were used to collect data on participant demographics, earth eating practices in children, incidence of diarrhoea, structure of the home, sanitary facilities available, and presence of faecal matter in the yard.. Thirty-seven percent of index children ingest earth occasionally (less than a handful) and 12% ingest a lot (a handful or more). Diarrhoea is positively correlated with earth eating (r = 0.306), presence of human faeces in the yard (r = 0.587), presence of animal faeces in the yard (r = 0.225) and the index child not wearing loincloth (r = 0.471). Chi-square test of independence also indicates that earth eating is significantly related to diarrhoea (p<0.005).. Earth eating is a risk factor for diarrhoea in the home environment in this region of Kenya.

Topics: Animals; Child, Preschool; Diarrhea; Environmental Exposure; Family Characteristics; Feces; Humans; Incidence; Infant; Kenya; Longitudinal Studies; Pica; Risk Factors; Rural Population; Surveys and Questionnaires

Topics: Abdomen, Acute; Adult; Diarrhea; Digestive System Surgical Procedures; Female; Foreign Bodies; Humans; Intestine, Small; Ischemia; Pica; Treatment Outcome; Vomiting

This study was carried out in the southern Punjab, Pakistan, to outline the causes of childhood diarrhea as perceived by mothers. Two hundred households in ten villages were randomly selected. Information was obtained from mothers, through a questionnaire, in-depth interviews, and direct observations. The focus was on obtaining information from mothers of children who were below five years of age. Causes of diarrhea reported by mothers were categorized in seven different domains. Causes relating to the digestive system, especially consumption of too much food, were the most important, followed by causes pertaining to contamination and those pertaining to the humoral theory of 'hot' and 'cold'. The mothers' health status was perceived as determining the health of her child through her breast milk. Through in-depth interviews, diarrhea as a symptom of envy and malice was brought up. The study draws attention to the complexity and heterogeneity of beliefs, attitudes and practices concerning diarrhea. This makes it difficult to come up with general rules for health education campaigns. Rather, in health education, the outstanding 'good' and 'bad' behavior should be selected and should be the focus. On the other hand, the heterogeneity of beliefs, attitudes and practices prevailing in the community could make mothers more receptive to new ideas than when a small set of rigid cultural norms would dominate thinking on disease transmission and hygiene. The study found that despite the mother's central role as caretaker one should not focus only on the traditional mother-child relationship, but also include the husband-wife relationship, and target other individuals involved in setting norms within the household or within the nearby community.

Topics: Causality; Child, Preschool; Diarrhea; Female; Fluid Therapy; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Health Status Indicators; Humans; Infant; Milk, Human; Mothers; Pakistan; Pica

Bezoars can be composed of a multitude of materials and can present in a wide variety of ways. The authors describe a young boy who had secretory diarrhea caused by an ileal bezoar composed of surgical adhesive tape. This report expands the literature on causes and presentation of intestinal bezoars in children.

Topics: Acidosis; Anastomosis, Surgical; Bezoars; Child, Preschool; Colectomy; Colostomy; Dehydration; Diarrhea; Hirschsprung Disease; Humans; Hyponatremia; Ileostomy; Ileum; Male; Pica; Postoperative Complications

Parasite levels were determined for 141 members of a naturally formed social group of rhesus macaques living under free-ranging conditions. Results indicate that group members harbor Trichuris trichiura, Balantidium coli, and large numbers of Strongyloides fuelleborni. Parasite counts decrease significantly with age in this population. Females have significantly fewer parasites than males and a significantly lower prevalence of multiple infections. There were no rank effects regarding parasitosis. While 89% of the animals examined are infected with one or more species of enteric parasite, the prevalence of diarrhea is negligible (2%). The low prevalence of diarrhea in the presence of high parasite loads may be due to the practice of geophagy, which is engaged in by 76% of group members. Soil eaten by these monkeys contains large amounts of kaolinitic clays. Kaolin-based pharmaceuticals (i.e. Kaopectate) are commonly used in human populations to treat diarrhea and intestinal upsets. The mechanical and pharmaceutical properties of the natural kaolinite-based clays may counteract the effects of parasitosis in this free-ranging population.

Topics: Animals; Balantidiasis; Balantidium; Diarrhea; Feeding Behavior; Female; Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic; Kaolin; Macaca mulatta; Male; Monkey Diseases; Pica; Prevalence; Soil; Strongyloides; Strongyloidiasis; Trichuriasis; Trichuris

One hundred and sixteen infants and children with normal development were studied for their non-nutritive suckling habit with special reference to pacifier suckling. The use of pacifier was more common among the lower socio-economic group (83.6%) and those residing in slums (58.6%). In 88.7% of cases it was the mother, family member, friend or relative who was responsible for introduction of pacifier to the baby with the aim to soothe the child. The other indications for use of pacifier were to facilitate dentition (60.0%) and nutritive function (18.1%). The use of pacifier in most of the cases was associated with chronic diarrhea (86.2%), respiratory illnesses (52.5%) and pica (10.2%). Defective dentition was noted only in 5.1% of children. The medical/paramedical staff were against the use of pacifiers.

Topics: Child; Child, Preschool; Diarrhea; Humans; India; Infant; Infant Care; Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Pica; Respiratory Tract Diseases; Socioeconomic Factors; Sucking Behavior

A diagnosis of sand enteropathy was made in a 3 1/2-month-old Quarter Horse filly. Clinical signs included diarrhea and weight loss of 2 1/2 months' duration. Abdominal radiographs were useful in diagnosis of the condition and in evaluating response to therapy. The filly responded to treatment with psyllium hydrophilic mucilloid although full recovery took 2 months. Diagnosis and treatment of sand enteropathy is discussed.

Topics: Animals; Diarrhea; Female; Horse Diseases; Horses; Humans; Pica; Psyllium

Topics: Adolescent; Deficiency Diseases; Diarrhea; Dietary Proteins; Female; Helminthiasis; Humans; Hypoproteinemia; Iran; Liver Cirrhosis; Male; Nutrition Disorders; Pica; Protein Deficiency; Protein-Losing Enteropathies; Serum Albumin; Tuberculosis, Gastrointestinal; Zinc

Topics: Ambulatory Care; Angioedema; Blood Chemical Analysis; Child; Child, Preschool; Diarrhea; Dimercaprol; Edetic Acid; Female; Hematocrit; Humans; Infant; Lead Poisoning; Male; Outpatient Clinics, Hospital; Paint; Penicillamine; Pica; Radiography; Urticaria; Vomiting