Congenital malformations (CM) comprise a wide range of abnormalities of body structure or function that are present at birth and are of prenatal origin. It has contributed to a significant proportion of infant morbidity and mortality. The aims of this study were to determine the extent and investigate the relationship between CM and its associated demographic variables. Data was extracted from Ministry of Health (MOH) database compiled from the reports on Stillbirth & Under 5 Mortality from year 2013 to 2014. Out of 9,827 child death, 2,840 (28.9%) were classified under CM as defined under ICD-10 classification. Majority of those with CMs died at neonatal stage (62.7%) and among mothers aged between 20 to 35 years old (67.3%). The mean age of mothers among CM children was 30.8±6.5 years old. Approximately 5.8%, 6.7% and 3.3 % of total CM were neural tube defects, heart defects and hydrops fetalis respectively. The prevalence of CM in males was 15% higher than females. The difference were evident between CM and age of death of children under 5 years old (p<0.001) as well as between CM and maternal age groups (p<0.001). CM is responsible for 28.9% of total causes of child death with higher occurrence of malformation in males. A significantly higher risk of CMs among mother aged between 20 to 35 years old was observed. This emphasises the importance of raising awareness and the need to strengthen appropriate response for surveillance and prevention program of common CM in Malaysia.

Introduction: The prevalence of overweight and obesity is increasing at an alarming rate. It is a major factor for many other metabolic disorders. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of increase body mass index (BMI) and obesity and their associated demographic characteristics among adults in an urban area. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted where data was extracted from the Health Status Screening Form (BSSK) at health clinics in Johor Bahru. Using the World Health Organization (WHO), criteria for obesity, BMI≥30.0 kg/m2 was specified as obese and combination of both BMI ranges for overweight (25.0-30.0kg/m2) and obesity (≥30.0kg/m2) as elevated BMI. Results: The overall prevalence of elevated BMI and obesity was 54.6% and 20.1% respectively. Men had a higher prevalence of elevated BMI (57.4%) with odds of 1.28 higher (95%CI: 1.04-1.58). High prevalence of elevated BMI and obesity were seen among the Indians (elevated BMI - 60.2%, obesity - 19.4%) followed by Malays (elevated BMI -57.8%, obesity - 23.1%) and Chinese showed the lowest (elevated BMI - 39.0%, obesity - 8.8%). The odds of elevated BMI and obesity were lower among younger adults as compared to older adults (≥30 years old). Conclusion: Using WHO criteria, about one in two adults had elevated BMI while one in five were obese. Elevated BMI and obesity disparities were evident in age and ethnicity, but sex differences were encountered in elevated BMI group.

The new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak has challenged us to take unprecedented steps to bring this pandemic under control. In view of the urgency of this situation, convalescent plasma which was used in previous coronavirus outbreaks has emerged as one of the treatment options in this current pandemic. This is mainly due to the fact that convalescent plasma has been studied in a few case series with promising outcomes. In addition, on-going large clinical trials aimed to further evaluate the effectiveness, safety, and optimal dosage, duration and timing of administration of convalescent plasma are indeed revealing a certain level of promising results. Therefore, this article aims to provide an overview of possible mechanisms of actions of convalescent plasma, its benefits and its level of usage safeness by summarizing the existing evidence on the use of convalescent plasma in COVID-19 patients.