ABSTRACT
Background: Advancement of skill, technology and perinatal medicine has led to improve survival of low birth weight babies during the last few decades but they have reported high incidence of growth failure during infancy and early childhood. The objective of the study was to find out the influence of perinatal risk factors on anthropometric outcome.Methods: A prospective cohort study conducted on 143 ELBW and VLBW babies admitted in Sick Newborn Care Unit (SNCU and PICU) of North Bengal Medical College and Hospital (NBMC), Darjeeling, West Bengal from 2016 to 2017 and discharged babies were followed up.Results: Total 143 neonates were studied at NBMC among male 82(57.3%) and female 61(42.7%), 95 were AGA and 48 were SGA babies. Significant positive correlations were found among birth weight, gestational age, perinatal infection (p<0.001). The mean weight for age (Mean'SD) was 7.615'1.1092 kg with median 7.8 kg. The mean length for age (Mean'SD) was 72.6'3.74 cm with median 73 cm. The mean head circumference for age (Mean'SD) was 42.5'2.12 cm median 43 cm. Adverse neonatal outcome associated with CRIB II score ?10. Total CRIB II score with parameters of growth (<-2 Z score) like weight for age, length for age, weight for length and head circumference for age shows significant correlation (p<0.001).Conclusions: Perinatal risk factors are important determinant for future anthropometric outcome in very low and extremely low birth weight babies. They should be identified, and appropriate measures should be taken to achieve good outcome.
ABSTRACT
Background: Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) is a major public health issue in India. The common etiologies of AES in India are various infectious agents. There are seasonal and regional variations in etiologies making diagnosis and effective intervention often difficult. Our study represents the epidemiological data that will help in planning management in larger perspective.Methods: This is a six years prospective observational study conducted in the Department of Pediatrics, North Bengal Medical College Hospital, Darjeeling from January 1st, 2013 to December 31st, 2018. In this study all clinically diagnosed AES cases were included fulfilling inclusion and exclusion criterion.Results: 585 out of 39420 patients (1.48%) were diagnosed clinically as AES over six years. Male patients (372) contributing to 63.6% and female patients (213) 36.4% of the study. Majority cases (271) were seen in the age group of 1-5 years amounting to 46.3% with mean age 5.1'3.6 years. In July 2014 number of cases were maximum 59 (10%) followed by May 2013 20 (3.4%). Among the 585 AES cases, 263 (45%) were suspected for viral etiology (JE= 84, 14.3%). Total 457 cases (78.1%) were alive with insignificant to age and gender variance. Vaccination status revealed 11 among 15 JE deaths were unimmunized which is statistically significant (p < 0.05) by Chi-square test.Conclusions: The magnitude and etiologies of AES need to be explored and understood in various geographic regions and in different seasons to have a better insight for development of future policies to reduce the burden.