Neonatal thrombocytopenia is one of the most common hematologic disorders in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of thrombocytopenia and whether thrombocytopenia has an effect on the occurrence of intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) ≥ grade 2 and on mortality rate. This study was carried out retrospectively in neonates admitted to NICU of Cumhuriyet University in Sivas, Turkey, between 2009 and 2012. Among 2218 neonates evaluated, 208 (9.4%) developed thrombocytopenia. The prevalence of IVH ≥ grade 2 was more in infants with thrombocytopenia (7.2%) than in those without thrombocytopenia (4.4%), although this was not statistically significant (P = .08). In univariate analysis, IVH ≥ grade 2 was higher in cases with very severe thrombocytopenia (35.7%, n = 5) than in those with mild (2.1%, n = 2), moderate (4.7%, n = 3), and severe thrombocytopenia (15.2%, n = 5) (P = .04). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that birth weight <1500 g (OR 6.2, 95% CI 3.4-9.8; P = .0001), gram-negative sepsis (OR 2.5, 95% CI 1.8-4.2; P = .01), very severe thrombocytopenia (OR 1.3, 95% CI 1.1-2.1; P = .03), and platelet transfusion ≥2 (OR 7.3, 95% CI 4.1-12.1; P = .001) were significant risk factors for mortality. The results of our study suggest that outcomes of neonates with thrombocytopenia depend not only on platelet count but also on decreased gestational age or birth weight, prenatal factors, and sepsis.

Hypernatremic dehydration is an important problem that should be managed properly to avoid adverse outcomes.

Hypercalciuria is of continuing interest as a risk factor for kidney stones in children. We screened 592 healthy Turkish children (308 boys, 284 girls, aged 3 month-16 years) for hypercalciuria by measurement of urinary calcium/creatinine (UCa/Cr) ratio in the second-morning urine samples. Hypercalciuria was noted in 17 children (2.9%), 9 of them were boy and 8 of them were girl. Oral calcium-loading test could only be done in 7 children who were diagnosed as having hypercalciuria, and it revealed absorptive hypercalciuria in 2 cases and renal hypercalciuria in no cases. The frequency of a family history of urolithiasis in asymptomatic hypercalciuric children was 50%. Median UCa/Cr ratios and urinary magnesium/creatinine (UMg/Cr) ratios were 0.11 and 0.10 and the 97th percentiles were 0.32 and 0.23 respectively. The UCa/Cr ratio in second-morning urine samples was correlated with the UMg/Cr ratio (r = 0.44) and was independent of age and sex.

Serum ferritin, iron, and haemoglobin (Hb) values of 27 pregnant women who did not receive oral iron therapy during pregnancy, and Hb of their normal full-term babies were determined. Maternal blood samples were obtained at 16 and 24 weeks of pregnancy and infants' blood samples were obtained at the first day and 3 months of life. Mothers were divided into two groups according to their serum ferritin values. By analysing the results we were not able to detect any correlation between maternal ferritin, Hb, and newborn gestational age, and Hb and birth weight. The same was found when the groups were compared by a maternal serum ferritin above and below 12 ng/ml.

In this prospective study done between 1983 and 1989, of 109 children with acute renal failure in Sivas, Turkey, infectious disease was found in 94. This was related mainly to preventable disease such as acute gastro-enteritis, sepsis and post-streptococcal acute glomerulonephritis. Within this infectious disease group, the highest incidence rate was found in sepsis.