Ninety-six cases of severe malnutrition and associated nutritional disorders were encountered in children in the department of paediatrics for the year 1971. The predominant age group was in children under the age of two years. Malay and Indian children were affected more than the Chinese children with malnutrition. Protein caloric malnutrition had already affected the growth pattern of these children as the majority were below the 50th percentile in height and weight comparing them with Hong Kong childrens’ height and weight standards. Seventy-five per cent of the children presented with infection. Fifty-four per cent of the families with malnutrition had three to six children and in two thirds of the families the income was from $100/- to $249/- per month. Forty per cent of the children lived in the kampong type of houses with no proper sanitation. Worm infestation was common in this group. The mean haemoglobin, serum iron levels, and serum folic acid levels were lower in the Indians and Malays. Protein caloric malnutrition must be treated early because of its irreversible effects on brain and bone growth. It is recommended that some form of allowance either in the form of food or money be given to these children from poor social-economic background.
A complete diallel cross of four broiler breeds was made to investigate whether there are breed differences in the combining abilities for the traits, body weight, weight gain and feed efficiency, measured during the growing period from 4 to 12 weeks of age. Data collected from male and female birds were analysed separately. General combining ability (GCA) was found to be the largest and most significant source of variation contributing to differences between crosses for all the traits, in both male and female birds. Specific combining ability (SCA) was important for body weight in both sexes and for weight gain in females. Feed efficiency in both sexes did not appear to be influenced by SCA effects. Reciprocal effects (RE) were generally absent in both sexes for all the traits, except possibly for feed efficiency.
During a routine medical examination of 5280 government employees (2736 males, 2544 females; age range 17 to 66 years; 3386 Chinese, 1252 Malays, 508 Indians and 134 other ethnic groups) diabetes was found in 31 (0.59%). The prevalence was higher in males (0.95%) than in females (0.20%). The highest prevalence was in the age-group 50 to 59 years (5.4%); at ages 30 to 66 years, the overall prevalence was 2.18%. The prevalence of diabetes is higher in Indians (2.76%) than in Chinese (0.30%) and Malays (0.48%); the difference is statistically significant, as it also is in the age-group 30 to 66 years (Indians 6.36%, Malays 1.39%, Chinese 0.9%). Of the 31 cases, only four were previously known and only nine were overwieght. The possible reasons for the higher prevalence of diabetes in Indians are discussed.
Pneumonia and diarrhoeas are an important cause of toddler mortality and morbidity in developing countries. Of the 147 children admitted to the University Hospital at Kuala Lumpur in 1971 for pneumonia and diarrhoeas 50 (34%) were found to be suffering from protein-calorie malnutrition of varying degrees of severity. The malnourished children tended to come from poorer homes, and to have a larger number of siblings born in rapid succession when compared with normal weight children. Anemia was more common among the malnourished children. The interaction of infection and malnutrition and the social implications of these diseases are important. It is vital that hospitals in developing countries promote health in addition to their traditional curative role.
The weights and heights of 3,312 Malaysian primary school boys and girls, aged 6 to 11 years, belonging to various ethnic groups in Malaysia were measured. On the whole, the Chinese children were taller and heavier than the Malay and the Indian children who were the least heavy among the three ethnic groups. Economically the Indians were the poorest among the three ethnic groups and they also had the largest family size. When the household incomes were taken into consideration it was found that the growth achievement of the higher income children was better than that of the poorer children, irrespective of their ethnic groups. It is interesting to note that, although the Indian children as a whole, were the least heavy of the three ethnic groups, yet the growth achievement of the higher income Indian children was similar to that of the higher income Chinese children. The differences in growth achievement of the various ethnic groups are probably due to environmental differences, rather than genetic differences. It seems likely that Malaysian children of different ethnic groups (Malay, Chinese and Indian) can attain similar statures if environmental conditions are similar.
Body weight and nine body measurements were recorded on 79 mature Kedah-Kelantan cows at two locations. The Kedah-Kelantan is an indigenous cattle of Malaysia. A principal component analysis was used to study size and shape as indicated by the dependence structure among measurements. The total variation among measurements associated with the first principal component which was interpreted as a measure of general size was 40.8%. The second principal component contrasted cows tall at the withers, and deep at the chest with top line sloping downward and under line sloping upward from front to rear with those having less wither height and chest depth and straighter lines. This contrast accounted for 14.3% of the variation in body dimensions. The third principal component contrasted long, narrow, and deeper cows with a more compact type. This contrast accounted for 10.7% of the variation in body dimensions.
A breeding colony utilizing a harem mating system was established to study the feasibility of breeding cynomoglus monkeys, Macaca fascicularis, in Malaysia. Two groups consisting of 10 females and one male each were evaluated over a 3 period. Forty births were recorded; one was stillborn, 11 died while nursing, and 28 were weaned. The average time to wean offspring was 230 days with an average weight at weaning of 0.858 kg. The average time for conception to take place after weaning was 50 days. Of the 20 breeder females, six produced three offspring each, nine produced two offspring each, four produced one offspring each and one remained barren throughout the project. Three different weaning systems were evaluated. The best method was caging the mother-infant pair within or adjacent to the breeding room followed by a two-part cage system which allowed the infant to continue nursing and also obtain solid food inaccessible to the mother.