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Background A valid and reliable measure of infant neurodevelopment is needed in Suriname, South America. The Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, 3rd edition (BSID-III), was created for evaluation of United States infants and toddlers and subsequently validated for use in Dutch speaking infants of the Netherlands (BSID-III-NL). Given that Suriname was a previous Dutch colony and Dutch remains the national language of Suriname, this study sought to evaluate the psychometric properties of the BSID-III-NL in Suriname. Aims Given that the cultural context differs between Suriname, the United States, and the Netherlands, the aims of this study were to determine if any cultural adaptations of the BSID-III-NL were needed for Surinamese infants and to evaluate its psychometric properties. Methods Two hundred and ninety-nine infants between the ages of 10 to 26 months were assessed in three geographic regions of Suriname between May 2018 and July 2019. Minor adaptations to the BSID-III-NL imagery were made based on the input of Surinamese pediatricians and neuropsychologists who were also involved in the administration of the BSID-III-NL in Suriname. Raw scores were collected for the cognitive, communicative, and motor subscales of the BSID-III-NL. Factor structure was evaluated with exploratory factor analysis and cluster analysis, and reliability of internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's alpha coefficient for each subscale. Results Content validity was endorsed by pediatricians and neuropsychologists in Suriname who participated in the administration of the BSID-III-NL. Construct validity was demonstrated through agreement of items from cluster analysis where at least 81.56% of all variability was explained by clustering with correct or incorrect responses and mean raw scores in subscales increased with age group. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was above 0.77 for all subscales. Conclusions This internationally validated developmental measure was found to be valid and reliable in assessing neurodevelopment of infants in Suriname.

Epidemiological data on hepatitis B virus (HBV) are needed to benchmark HBV elimination goals. We recently assessed prevalence of HBV infection and determinants in participants attending the Emergency Department in Paramaribo, Suriname, South America. Overall, 24.5% (95%CI = 22.7–26.4%) of participants had anti-Hepatitis B core antibodies, which was associated with older age (per year, adjusted Odds Ratio [aOR] = 1.03, 95%CI = 1.02–1.04), Afro-Surinamese (aOR = 1.84, 95%CI = 1.52–2.19) and Javanese ethnicity (aOR = 1.63, 95%CI = 1.28–2.07, compared to the grand mean). 3.2% of participants were Hepatitis B surface Ag-positive, which was also associated with older age (per year, aOR = 1.02, 95%CI = 1.00–1.04), Javanese (aOR = 4.3, 95%CI = 2.66–6.95) and Afro-Surinamese ethnicity (aOR = 2.36, 95%CI = 1.51–3.71). Sex, nosocomial or culturally-related HBV transmission risk-factors were not associated with infection. Phylogenetic analysis revealed strong ethnic clustering: Indonesian subgenotype HBV/B3 among Javanese and African subgenotypes HBV/A1, HBV/QS-A3 and HBV/E among Afro-Surinamese. Testing for HBV during adulthood should be considered for individuals living in Suriname, specifically with Javanese and Afro-Surinamese ancestry.

Childhood cancer incidence in Suriname (South-America) was estimated using secondary data from 1980 to 2008, and these findings were stratified according to gender; age groups < 1, 1-4, 5-14, and 15-19 years; and the largest ethnic groups (Hindustanis, Maroons, Creoles, and Javanese). Data were expressed as total numbers, proportions, average yearly numbers, and/or crude incidence rates per 1,000,000 population per year. There were 290 malignancies in the period covered, i.e., about 10 new cases per year or 24 per 1,000,000 per year. The average yearly number of overall cancer increased from approximately 1 every two years in newborns to 3-4 per year in adolescents and young adults. Thirty to 35% of patients were Hindustani or Creole; the proportions of Javanese and Maroons patients were about twice and five times, respectively, lower. Leukemias and lymphomas comprised almost half of cases, each occurring 2 to 3 times per year. Bone tumors, soft-tissue sarcomas, and carcinomas were the most common non-hematological malignancies, occurring once or twice per year. Central nervous system tumors, neuroblastoma, retinoblastoma, renal tumors, primary hepatic tumors, and germ cell tumors were exceedingly rare. In conclusion, childhood cancer incidence in Suriname was relatively low; the individual histiotypes displayed an unusual ranking; and there were differences in the sex, age, and ethnic distribution of overall cancer as well as certain histiotypes. However, these observations might be biased by the use of crude rates, and underdiagnosis and incomplete registration of cases due to the absence of specialized (pediatric) cancer facilities in the country.