Explore the vast range of titles available.

There is a lack of nationally representative estimates for the consequences of early childhood undernutrition on preadolescent outcomes in India. Understanding this relationship is helpful to develop interventions that not only prevent child undernutrition but also mitigate its consequences. In this cohort study, we analyzed prospectively gathered data from 2 waves of the India Human Development Survey (IHDS) to investigate the association of undernutrition during early childhood (0 to 5 years) in 2004 to 2005 with physical and cognitive outcomes during preadolescent (8 to 11 years) years in 2011 to 2012. These surveys interviewed 41,554 households across all 33 states and union territories in India in 2004 to 2005 and reinterviewed 83% of the households in 2011 to 2012. Primary exposure was assessed using the Composite Index of Anthropometric Failure (CIAF) based on 2004 to 2005 survey. Primary outcomes were short stature (height-for-age z-score [HAZ] <-2), thinness (body mass index [BMI] <18.5 kg/m2), reading, and arithmetic skills during preadolescence based on the 2011 to 2012 survey. Survey-weighted generalized linear models were used, and effect modification based on child sex and sociodemographic variables were evaluated using 3-way interaction terms. Of the 7,868 children included in this analysis, 4,334 (57.3%) were undernourished. Being undernourished was associated with increased odds of short stature (odds ratio [OR] 1.73, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.45 to 2.06) and thinness (OR 1.52, 95% CI 1.33 to 1.73) during the preadolescent period, while it was associated with decreased odds of achieving a higher reading (cumulative odds ratio [cumOR]: 0.76, 0.66 to 0.87) and arithmetic (cumOR: 0.72, 0.63 to 0.82) outcomes. The disparity in outcomes based on CIAF increased with age, especially for female children. Increased level of female education within the household reduced the disadvantages of undernutrition among female children. Study limitations include observational and missing data, which limit our ability to draw strong causal inferences. In this study, we found that early child undernutrition was associated with several adverse preadolescent physical and cognitive outcomes, especially among female children. Improved female education mitigates this association. Female education promotion should assume a central role in Indian public health policy making.

Background and objectiveThe recent pandemic due to the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has become a major concern for the people and governments across the world due to its impact on individuals as well as on public health. The infectiousness and the quick spread across the world make it an important event in everyone’s life, often evoking fear. Our study aims at assessing the overall knowledge and perceptions, and identifying the trusted sources of information for both the general public and healthcare personnel.Materials and methodsThis is a questionnaire-based survey taken by a total of 1,246 respondents, out of which 744 belonged to the healthcare personnel and 502 were laypersons/general public. There were two different questionnaires for both groups. The questions were framed using information from the World Health Organization (WHO), UpToDate, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Center for Disease Control (CDC), National Institute of Health (NIH), and New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) website resources. The questions assessed awareness, attitude, and possible practices towards ensuring safety for themselves as well as breaking the chain of transmission. A convenient sampling method was used for data collection. Descriptive statistics [mean(SD), frequency(%)] were used to portray the characteristics of the participants as well as their awareness, sources of information, attitudes, and practices related to SARS-CoV-2.ResultsThe majority (94.3%) of the respondents were Indians. About 80% of the healthcare professionals and 82% of the general public were worried about being infected. Various websites such as ICMR, WHO, CDC, etc., were a major source of information for the healthcare professional while the general public relied on television. Almost 98% of healthcare professionals and 97% of the general public, respectively, identified ‘Difficulty in breathing” as the main symptom. More than 90% of the respondents in both groups knew and practiced different precautionary measures. A minority of the respondents (28.9% of healthcare professionals and 26.5% of the general public) knew that there was no known cure yet. Almost all respondents from both the groups agreed on seeking medical help if breathing difficulty is involved and self-quarantine if required.ConclusionMost healthcare professionals and the general public that we surveyed were well informed about SARS-CoV-2 and have been taking adequate measures in preventing the spread of the same. There is a high trust of the public in the government. There are common trusted sources of information and these need to be optimally utilized to spread accurate information.

Objective To assess the effectiveness of the Basic Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) course and to evaluate the perceived utility of the skills acquired during the course. Methods This cross-sectional survey aimed to assess the perceptions of participants who attended the Basic NRP course, comprising online video modules and offline workshops, across India. Data were collected between October 2023 and November 2023 for the courses held from May 2022 to April 2023, using a semi-structured questionnaire distributed electronically or via telecommunication. Results Out of 10,000 participants approached, 6,066 responded which included nurses (60.4%), pediatricians (20%), and medical officers (19.7%). Majority were females (76.4%), in private healthcare (62.1%), with the highest participation from West Bengal (14.72%) among the different states. Satisfaction with online videos was reported as very high by 48.5% and reasonable by 51.5% and one participant reported dissatisfaction. Compared to private healthcare settings, exposure to labor room experience was lesser in government facilities (48.8% vs. 42.5%, P < 0.001). The overall functional equipment was greater in government set-ups compared to private facilities (49.8% vs. 45.2%, P = 0.001). Conclusion Participants reported improved neonatal resuscitation skills as well as opportunities and facilities to practice after Basic NRP course.

Background: Hospitalization of a new-born child is stressful for parents. This study was done to determine the level and sources of stress in mothers of infants admitted in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and variance in stress by infant and maternal characteristics. Materials and Methods: Parental Stressor Scale for NICU was used as the primary outcome measure. Maternal socio-demography, maternal and infant characteristics such as gravidity, number of prenatal visits, perceived support from family members, perceived level of discomfort that the baby underwent, pregnancy and delivery complications, gestational age, sex, birth weight, length of NICU stay and ventilator support, and neonatal morbidity were also collected from maternal and infant hospital records. Results: Amongst these rural and poorly educated mothers, the appearance of the baby, sights and sounds of NICU environment were major sources of stress. Higher maternal stress was found to be associated with poor family support during pregnancy, mothers' perception of the baby's discomfort, lower birth weight of the baby, baby on ventilator, post-partum depression, and moderate to severe anxiety symptoms. Mothers who had higher levels of education and those with pregnancy complications were more stressed. Conclusions: Before designing remediation programs for parents, local demography and the predominant NICU stressors need to be kept in mind. Possibility of screening at-risk mothers by questioning them about perception of baby's discomfort needs to be evaluated further.