Background and Objectives:Short stature (SS) is a common pediatric problem and it might be the first sign of underlying illness. Studies documenting the burden and etiological profile of SS are scarce from India and are mostly limited to data obtained from referral centers. Due to the lack of large-scale, community-based studies utilizing a standard protocol, the present study aimed to assess the prevalence and etiological profile of SS in school children of a South Indian district.Materials and Methods:In this cross-sectional study, children aged 4–16 years from 23 schools in Madurai district, Tamil Nadu, underwent anthropometric measurements and height was plotted in Khadilkar et al. growth chart. The cause of SS was assessed using clinical and laboratory evaluations in assigned children with a height less than third centile.Results:A total of 15644 children belonging to 23 schools were evaluated, and 448 (2.86%) children had SS. Etiological evaluation was further performed in 87 randomly assigned children, and it is identified that familial SS or constitutional delay in growth was the most common cause of SS in the study population (66.67%). Hypothyroidism and growth hormone deficiency were the two most common pathological causes of SS seen in 12 (13.79%) and 8 (9.20%) children, respectively. Malnutrition was the cause of SS in 6 (6.9%) children and cardiac disorders, psychogenic SS, and skeletal dysplasia were other identified causes of SS in the study.Interpretation and Conclusions:The overall prevalence of SS in school children was 2.86% and familial SS or constitutional delay in growth was the most common cause of SS. As a significant percentage of children with SS had correctable causes, monitoring growth with a standard growth chart should be mandatory in all schools.

Background: Acute abdominal pain is a common presentation in both outpatient visits and emergency room. It can be organic or functional, medical or surgical. We did an observational study to evaluate the clinical profile of children presenting with acute abdominal pain <7 days duration and analyse the various medical and surgical causes for this clinical presentation.Methods: Children <15 years presenting with acute onset pain abdomen <7 days with or without fever, vomiting, loose stools or urinary symptoms and admitted in pediatric ward were included in the study. Out of the 205 children enrolled in the study, 120 were males and 85 were females.Results: Only 15.6% of cases were of surgical etiology requiring elective or emergency surgical interventions. Among the 173 children diagnosed with variety of medical conditions, the most common condition presenting with pain abdomen was acid peptic disease (16%) followed by acute gastro enteritis(14%) and Urolithiasis(13%). Increasing prevalence of acute pancreatitis and type 1 diabetes mellitus (13 cases each) in children were observed.Conclusions: Long term follow up of children presenting with mesenteric adenopathy without other significant pathology is warranted to avoid unnecessary empirical antituberculous treatment. Our study helped us to identify the different spectrum of etiologies across the three age groups (1-5 years, 6-10 years, 11-15 years) and some diseases were showing male or female predilection.

Background: Febrile thrombocytopenia is a common reason for pediatric admission. Though infections are the major cause, noninfectious causes are not uncommon. This study was done to estimate the prevalence of thrombocytopenia as a presentation in pediatric fever cases, to analyze the various etiologies, presentations and relationship between platelet count and the severity of disease and prognosis.Methods: Retrospective observational study done by collecting data from hospital records of children admitted in Velammal Medical college hospital from January 2016 to December 2017. Children in the age group of 6 months to 15 years with fever and thrombocytopenia at admission were included in the study. Children on treatment with anti-platelet drugs, other chronic diseases and infants less than 6 months were excluded.Results: Out of 2523 fever cases admitted, 372 children fulfilled this criterion. 70% had positive dengue serology, other infectious causes were other viral hemorrhagic fevers, complicated enteric fever, scrub typhus and sepsis. The predominant non-infectious causes were hematological malignancies, Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura and Hemolytic uremia syndrome.Conclusions: Febrile thrombocytopenia is a common clinical presentation in children in dengue endemic areas. Most viral fevers have leukopenia but presence of thrombocytopenia with warning signs like pain abdomen, vomiting or oliguria should prompt suspicion of dengue. Infections like enteric fever, scrub typhus or chikungunya may also mimic similar findings. Rarely diseases like leukemia, Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, Hemolytic uremic syndrome or Sepsis may also present as febrile thrombocytopenia. The need for antibiotics or blood products is very minimal.