Infant And Young Child Feeding Practices and Infections Pattern in Children Up To 24 Months Age Attending Outdoor Patient Department of a Tertiary Care Hospital of South Gujarat

Background: Optimal infant and young child feeding practices (IYCF) are effective public health intervention to enhance child survival, nutrition and development. There is also documented evidence regarding the pro-tective effect of optimal IYCF practices against diarrhoea and ARTI. The objective is to assess knowledge and practices regarding IYCF among study participants & to explore the association of feeding practices of mothers with the morbidities (infections) in their children. Methodology: The present study was a hospital based cross-sectional study, carried out during September 2019 to March 2021. A total of 380 mothers of children less than two years attending OPD of Institute of child health, Nirmal hospital private limited, a tertiary care multi-specialty hospital was interviewed using pre-designed and pretested questionnaire. Results: Feeding practices during early days of life to be reasonably good among study participants with al-most 2/3rd of the study participants practicing them. Mean number of morbidity episodes requiring consulta-tion were significantly lower in the children whose mothers practiced optimal IYCF practices. Conclusion: Poor feeding practices in children had significant association with morbidity episodes of diar-rhoea and ARTI in children.

Evaluation of crude sesquiterpenoid extract of Phellinus fastuosus as a natural preservative.

It has been revealed that the use of synthetic food preservatives has variety of various side effects and hence search of safe and effective natural preservative has become a need. With the afore said objective the present study to screen the possibility of using sesquiterpenoid extract of local folk mushroom Phellinus fastuosus as food preservative was undertaken. Microbial growth inhibition by sesquiterpenoid extract of Phellinus was evaluated in the media with natural ingredient such as milk agar (MA), tomato juice agar (TJA), wheat flour agar (WFA) and pineapple juice agar (PAJA) with the composition with Phellinus extract, sodium benzoate and combinations. Three strains of bacteria and one strain of fungus were used astest organisms. The sesquiterpenoid extract of Phellinus at 0.02% concentration significantly inhibited the growth of all test organisms on natural media and the results were comparable with sodium benzoate. Similarly combination of Phellinus extract and sodium benzoate completely inhibited the growth of all microorganisms in all media, suggesting the possibility of using the Phellinus extract as food preservative.

Sports sponsorship by cigarette companies influences the adolescent children's mind and helps initiate smoking: results of a national study in India.

To estimate the effect of large scale tobacco sponsorship of cricket, a study was conducted on children's knowledge and perceptions about smoking and their impact on subsequent smoking uptake. Twelve nations played 36 matched in the Wills World Cup-1996 cricket series over one month during which Wills (a cigarette brand) was extensively advertised by live broadcast to a 2-billion viewers with WILLS logo on the players' T-shirts and playground, newspapers, magazines, and hoardings. An anonymous structured questionnaire including 4 knowledge based questions about tobacco, 4 about perceptions directly promoted by Wills and 10 questions related to wrong perceptions about smoking was administered by class teachers six months after the series. A total of 5822 children (65% boys and 35% girls) in Grade 10, aged 13-17 years (median 14) were selected. Smokers increased from 137 (2.4%) before the series to 649 (11.1%) after the series. The smoking initiation rate was 2.04% (13/636) in children with full knowledge and no wrong perceptions, 7.8% (48/618) among those with less knowledge and no wrong perceptions. Among those with less knowledge but believing in at least 2 of Wills related perceptions and 3 of the smoking related perceptions the rate for smoking initiation was 20.55% (127/618). The sponsorship appeared to have a similar effect on initiation rates in both sexes despite the strong social taboo against girls smoking in India. Wrong perceptions about smoking promoted by tobacco sponsorship increases smoking initiation amongst both boys and girls even when they are aware of the risks involved. The study suggests that education, without bans on advertisements is unlikely to stop initiation of smoking among children.

Poisoning in children: Indian scenario.

The retrospective data on childhood poisoning from eight regional hospitals in India has been reviewed. The demographic features and types of poisonings encountered have been compared. The analysis of the data indicated that pediatric poisonings constituted 0.23-3.3% of the total poisoning. The mortality ranged from 0.64-11.6% with highest being from Shimla. Accidental poisoning was common involving 50-90% of children below 5 years of age and males outnumbered the females. Suicidal poisoning was seen after 13 years of age and was due to drugs and household chemicals. One of the hospitals in Delhi recorded a very high incidence (66.6%) of drug poisoning in children. The drugs consumed belonged to phenothiazines, antiepileptics and antipyretics. Iron poisoning was seen in younger children. Kerosene was one of the causes of accidental poisoning at all hospitals except Shimla and rural Maharashtra were probably wood charcoal is widely used. Pesticide poisoning was more prevalent in Punjab and West Bengal whereas plant poisoning was very common in Shimla. Significant number of snake envenomation has been recorded from rural Maharashtra. Other less common accidental poisonings in children included alcohol, corrosives, heavy metals, rodenticides, detergents and disinfectants. Thus various regions in the country showed some variation in types and frequency of childhood poisoning which could be attributed to different geographical and socio-economic background.

Influence of lateral posture on sweating: does posture alter the sympathetic outflow to the sweat glands?

Our unpublished observation that a lateral decubitus posture influences the pattern of sweating was systematically tested by measuring galvanic skin resistance (GSR). Changes in the GSR between two electrodes placed on skin was used to quantify the degree of sweating. In the lateral posture, sweating is inhibited on the lower half and stimulated on the upper half and reversal of the lateral posture induces sweating on the opposite half of the body. This observation suggests that the autonomic nervous system is controlled at least in part, by body posture.