  |
|
|
|
|
|||
| Journal of the New Zealand Medical Association,
08-September-2006, Vol 119 No 1241
|
|||
|
This Issue in the Journal
Vitamin D deficiency in
pregnant New Zealand women
C Eagleton, A Judkins Vitamin D is a key factor in bone development and is
primarily produced in the skin from sunlight exposure. The term
“rickets” describes the bone abnormalities associated with abnormal
mineral deposition in the growing skeleton. This study investigated the
prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in pregnant women of a Wellington general
practice population where 10 cases of childhood rickets had been diagnosed over
the past 3 years. It showed 61.2% of women in this multicultural population had
severe vitamin D deficiency. All vitamin D deficient women in the study were
treated. This study highlights the magnitude of vitamin D deficiency in the
pregnant population in a New Zealand setting; this vitamin D deficiency is
responsible for the re-emergence of childhood rickets.
Reliability of ultrasound
estimation of fetal weight in term singleton pregnancies
A Colman, D Maharaj, J Hutton, J Tuohy By measuring ultrasound images of a fetus, it is possible to
estimate the baby’s weight at birth. The purpose of this Wellington
Hospital study was to assess the reliability of this ultrasound measurement in
pregnant women at 37 or more weeks. 1177 babies were studied. The accuracy of
ultrasound estimations was at least similar and sometimes better than that
reported in other studies. For one in four women, however, the estimated fetal
weight was more than 10% different from the actual birth weight of the
baby—ultrasound measurements had a tendency to overestimate the weight of
small babies while underestimating the weight of both large babies and the
babies of diabetic mothers. As the reliability of ultrasound estimation to
detect larger babies was poor, its use in predicting macrosomia (large babies)
at birth should be avoided.
Myotonic dystrophy in
Otago, New Zealand
C Ford, A Kidd, G Hammond-Tooke Myotonic dystrophy is the most common adult muscular
dystrophy. It is dominantly inherited, with clinical features which include
weakness, myotonia, cataracts, cardiomyopathy, and gonadal atrophy. Otago cases
were identified through hospital records and assessed by questionnaire,
neurological examination, and review of hospital notes. There were 21 cases, all
of European descent, giving a prevalence of 11.6 per 100,000. It seems to be
rare in Polynesians. There were effects on quality of life, including higher
scores on the bodily pain subscale of the SF-36 Health Survey compared to a
group of patients with other neuromuscular disorders. Some deficiencies were
noted in the management of these patients and the use of a clinical care pathway
is desirable to avoid overlooking the many systemic complications of this
disease.
Erucism in New Zealand:
exposure to gum leaf skeletoniser
(Uraba
lugens) caterpillars in the differential
diagnosis of contact dermatitis in the Auckland region
J Derraik There are no native caterpillars in New Zealand reported to
cause adverse reactions in humans. However, the caterpillar of a recently
established Australian moth known as the gum leaf skeletoniser has spines
containing venom, which can be injected into human skin upon contact. Symptoms
usually include a stinging sensation, followed by itching and the formation of
lumps on the affected area. Exposure to the gum leaf skeletoniser should be
considered by medical practitioners in the diagnosis of cases of contact
dermatitis in the Auckland region.
|
|
|
| | Current
issue | Search journal |
Archived issues | Classifieds
| Hotline (free ads) Subscribe | Contribute | Advertise | Contact Us | Copyright | Other Journals |
|