Conservative Management of Ankyloglossia by Diode Laser: A Case Report

Ankyloglossia or tongue-tie is a congenital condition that results when the inferior lingual frenulum is too short and is attached to the tip of the tongue, limiting its normal movements. Ankyloglossia can lead to different problems such as difficulties in breastfeeding, speech impediments, poor oral hygiene, malocclusion, inability to deglutition, thus being an undesired problem in normal life activity. Among various methods of treatment of ankyloglossia, laser-assisted lingual frenotomy is the simplest, safest, and less traumatic with the most promising results. Here, a case of ankyloglossia and its management by frenotomy with diode laser is reported in a four-year-old female child. After performing partial frenectomy (frenotomy) using a diode laser of 980nm there was an immediate tongue protrusion and slight improvement of phonetics of the patient immediately and altogether improved after six months.

Socio-Economic Determinants of School Dropouts: An Evidence from Households in Pakistan

The present study analyzed the determinants of children who dropped out from school in Pakistan, based on PSLM microdata. The study employed the advanced econometric technique “the logistic regression model “to identify the correlates of the problem; thereby analyzing the marginal effects of the multiple attributes. The analyses show that a female child is more likely to dropout from school as compared to a male child. The education of the household head is also a significant contributor to reducing dropouts. Mother education also reduces the chances of a child to dropout from school. An employed mother will increase the chance of a child to dropout from school as compared with the unemployed mother. Other factors which reduce the chances of child dropouts from school are the female household head, lower distance from middle and secondary school, household wealth, and per capita household income. If household head belongs to agriculture sector then there are more chances that their child dropped out from school. Household economic condition is also a very important factor in reducing dropouts. If the economic condition of a household is better off than before then there is less chance of the child to dropout from school. Similarly, the economic situation of the community where the household resides also affects dropouts. If the community’s economic situation is better than before then it reduces the chance of child dropout.

Early infantile form of Krabbe disease: a case report

A 7-month-old female child, born to 2nd degree consanguineous marriage brought with complaints of gross developmental delay. Her examination revealed spasticity in all 4 limbs with brisk deep tendon reflexes with intact primitive reflexes and exaggerated startle reflex. Her MRI brain showed demyelination signs in bilateral thalami, dentate hila, and thickened optic chaisma. Age of presentation, clinico-radiological findings were suggestive of early infantile form of Krabbe disease.

An aggressive fibromatosis in the palm of a female child: A rare case

Aggressive fibromatosis is the locally aggressive benign tumor of mesenchymal origin. It can be found in any part of the body. However, abdomen is the most common site of this lesion. It has a predilection to females between 15 and 60 years. We report the case of a 16-month-old female child with an aggressive fibromatosis in her right palm. The location and age of presentation make this a rare case. She was diagnosed by histopathological examination and the mass was excised. The patient was advised for follow-up examination due to the high degree of recurrence of this tumor.

Unusual Case of Head Injury Presented with Brain Gliomas

Seven years female child came with parents who gave us history that 1month back, child during playing had fall on face and lost consciousness which remained for 30 min followed by convulsion. On examination patient was conscious, responds to command, vitals were stable, aphasia was present, pupils were equal and reactive to light bilaterally and horizontal gaze was restricted. There was no facial weakness, Tone increase more in left upper and lower limb .Deep tendon reflexes (DTR) increase in left side. Plantar reflex were extensors. MRI was done which shows intra axial space occupying lesion in brainstem with expansion of brainstem with hydrocephalus. Pt was inoperable and ventriculoperitoneal shunt was done for hydrocephalus. Post operatively patient was kept on assisted ventilation. Conclusion: Unusual presentation of brainstem gliomas as head injury.

Perception and Determinants of Gender Preference among Men in Isoko South Local Government Council, Oleh, Delta State

Introduction: Some couples do not have the gender of children they prefer which could result in physical, psychological, sexual, obstetric and several other consequences. The present study was conducted among men to determine their perception of gender preference and factors responsible for their gender preference. Objective: To assess the perception of gender preference and factors responsible for gender preference among men. Methods: A descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. Proportionate stratified random sampling technique was used to select 143 out of 221 male Civil Servants from nine (9) different departments. The instrument used for data collection was a self-developed Questionnaire on Perception and Determinants of Gender Preference (QPDGP). The reliability of the instrument was established through the test-retest method using Cronbach’s alpha which yielded co-efficient of 0.82. Data collected were summarized using frequencies and percentages. Results: The results showed that 90 (62.9%) men preferred male gender. For 79 (55.2%) men, the choice of gender was aimed at psychological satisfaction in marriage. Also, 77 (53.8%) preferred male children because they had better initiative, were easier to train 101 (70.6%), to allow for security of family inheritance 142 (99.3%) and continuity of family name 141 (98.6%). Some reasons given for female child preference were better ability to take care of younger ones 99 (69.2%), more supportive to aged parents 115 (80.4%) and being a reliable emotional support 88 (61.5%). Conclusion: Male gender preference is strongly perceived among the men. It was recommended that reproductive health services be modified to allow male involvement.

Evidence-Based Minireview: In young children with severe sickle cell disease, do the benefits of HLA-identical sibling donor HCT outweigh the risks?

In case 1, a 14-month-old male child with sickle cell disease (SCD) was referred for evaluation for an allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HCT). The patient had a history of dactylitis 3 times in his first year of life and febrile episodes twice at the consult. His 4-year-old sister was found to be human leukocyte antigen (HLA) identical. The patient was started on hydroxyurea (HU) at 2.5 years of age. His parents again sought consultation when he was 5 years old because of concerns about his medical condition. At the time, the patient had experienced 2 vaso-occlusive pain episodes (VOEs) requiring hospitalization during the previous 2 years. He had also experienced intermittent pain crises requiring rest at home for 2 to 3 days. The child has not attended school in person due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The family is considering HCT but is ambivalent about it because of potential toxicity. In case 2, an 8-year-old female child is 3 years out from HCT for SCD from her HLA-identical sibling. Before HCT, despite receiving HU, she had experienced >5 VOEs requiring hospitalization and 2 episodes of acute chest syndromes in the previous 3 years. She had also been missing almost 50 days of school days each year. After HCT, she is now attending school regularly and participating in all normal age-appropriate activities. The parents believe that HCT has been transformative in their child's life.

Delayed Diagnosis of McCune–Albright Syndrome

Background. McCune–Albright syndrome (MAS) is a rare heterogeneous genetic disorder that is characterized by a triad of polyostotic fibrous dysplasia (FD), café au lait spots (CAL), and multiple hyperfunctional endocrinopathies. In general, it is diagnosed clinically. From the triads, two of the findings are enough to make the diagnosis, but genetic testing can be done if it is available. Case Presentation. We report a female child who was symptomatic since the neonatal period with skin hyperpigmentation, breast enlargement, and vaginal bleeding. She was diagnosed with MAS at the age of five years. She had pathological fractures at multiple sites and had raised thyroid hormones since the age of 3½ years. The child developed severe morbidity as the result of delayed diagnosis and currently became wheelchair dependent. Conclusion. Thorough patient evaluation and appropriate interpretation of findings are crucial steps for timely diagnosis of MAS and better patient care outcomes.