A cross-sectional study of growth parameters of rural adolescent girls of Punjab.

PIP: To assess the adequacy of growth among female adolescents in rural Punjab, India, anthropometric data were collected on 386 females 9-14 years old and 312 females 15-19 years of age. Although most of the values increased with socioeconomic status, the difference was statistically significant only for head circumference. Compared to their urban counterparts, rural girls weighed less and reached their growth spurt a year later (at age 12 years). Nonetheless, comparison with large studies conducted previously by the Indian Council of Medical Research and the National Nutrition Monitoring Bureau documented significant advances in the past decade. At age 18 years, only 8% of girls in the present survey weighed less than 39 kg and just 9.6% had heights under 145 cm--measures considered to indicate obstetric risk. Overall, these findings indicate adequate growth among adolescent females in rural Punjab, despite high rates of malnutrition among girls under 5 years of age.^ieng

Monoselenophosphate: synthesis, characterization, and identity with the prokaryotic biological selenium donor, compound SePX.

A labile, selenium donor compound required for synthesis of selenium-dependent enzymes and seleno-tRNAs is formed from ATP and selenide by the SELD enzyme. This compound, tentatively identified as a selenophosphate [Veres, Z., Tsai, L., Scholz, T. D., Politino, M., Balaban, R. S., & Stadtman, T. C. (1992) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 89, 2975-2979], is indistinguishable from chemically prepared monoselenophosphate by 31P NMR spectroscopy and ion pairing HPLC. Furthermore, addition of chemically prepared monoselenophosphate caused a dose-dependent decrease in the amount of 75Se incorporated into tRNAs from 75SePX generated in situ by SELD enzyme. A procedure is described for the chemical synthesis of monoselenophosphate in which the readily prepared (MeO)3PSe is converted in quantitative yield to (TMSO)3PSe followed by complete cleavage of the latter to monoselenophosphate in oxygen-free aqueous buffer. The chemical properties of chemically synthesized monoselenophosphate are described.

Effect of child loss on contraception acceptance.

PIP: In India, interviews were conducted with 250 couples who had at least 2 living children and at least 1 son so researchers could examine the effect of child loss on contraceptive usage. The interviewees lived in the area served by the rural health center in Pohir. 67 couples had lost a child. The child loss group had an acceptance rate for contraception of 41.7% compared to 44.8% for the group who had not experienced child loss. The difference was insignificant. Caste, literacy, and parity did not affect contraceptive usage. These findings suggest that child loss does not play a crucial role in contraception acceptance. On the other hand, some studies show that it is a barrier to fertility limitation. Additional studies are needed to resolve the issue of child loss and fertility.^ieng

Relationship between maternal rest during pregnancy and birth weight.

PIP: The objective was to develop an arbitrary scoring system to quantify maternal rest and to study the relationship between maternal rest and birth weight. 474 women delivering at term in various hospitals and nursing homes in Ludhiana, India, were studied. An hour-to-hour inventory of their activity and rest was made for the whole 24 hours. The hours were logged for heavy, moderate, and light work. Similarly, hours of rest were logged for various grades of rest. The various hours of rest and activity were converted into scores by using an arbitrary scoring system and then totaled to give rest and activity scores. The Rest minus Activity Score (R-A score) gives a measure of absolute rest taken by the women. Theoretically the range of R-A score could be from +120 (a woman sleeping for 24 hours) to -120 (a woman performing heavy work for 24 hours). However, the majority of actual R-A scores ranged from 0 to 90. On this basis the women were arbitrarily divided into groups: R-A score of 30 or less, 31 to 60, and above 60. Women were also stratified according to their socioeconomic status into four groups, the criteria being total family income. For finding the relationship between rest and birth weight, the coefficient of correlation (r) was calculated between R-A score and birth weight. Although overall a low degree of correlation was observed between maternal rest and birth weight, in the lower socioeconomic groups the correlation was stronger. In all socioeconomic groups birth weights increased with increasing maternal rest. Maternal rest is an important determinant of birth weight particularly in women of lower socioeconomic level. Any program for prevention of low birth weight must emphasize adequate maternal rest throughout pregnancy to restrict energy expenditure, particularly for women of lower socioeconomic status.^ieng

The female child -- a picture of denials and deprivations.

PIP: Ample evidence is available on the neglect and deprivation of the female child in India. 1986 government statistics showed that the sex ratio was 933 women for every 1000 men. Sex ratios were even lower in northern states. Female mortality was given as the reason for the differences. A study of hospitals and nursing homes during 1987-88 in Ludhiana, Punjab state, found that the sex ratio at birth was 105 males to 100 females. Pooled hospital data showed ratios to be 105 males per 100 females in 1981 and 122 males per 100 females in 1988. In rural communities, the ratio ranged from 101 males per 100 females in 1983 to 122 males per 100 females in 1988. The increased sex ratio differences were attributed to increased sex-selective feticide. A report from Bombay indicated that 7999 out of 8000 aborted fetuses were female. The preference for a male child has been manifested in not only female feticide but also shorter birth intervals after a female birth, adoption of a permanent family planning method after the birth of a son or sons, allocation of health care favoring males, higher malnutrition among females, higher female illiteracy, and diminished female status. The study by Benjamin et al. of 374 female acceptors of tubal ligation found that no one was without at least one male child: 10.1% had one male child and 89.1% had two or male children. Sachar et al. found that, among 623 couples adopting a permanent method of contraception, 18.4% had one male child and 81.6% had two or more male children in 1990, 6 years later than the aforementioned study. The Punjab has experienced rapid socioeconomic development at the same time as unchanged greater prevalence of female malnutrition. Sachar et al. also found that breast feeding of female children was of shorter duration. Literacy in 1981 was reported in the census as 52.3 females per 100 males. The employment ratio was 14.81 females per 100 males, and the school enrollment ratio was 60.4 females per 100 males. Programs that remove gender inequality and changes in attitudes toward women must occur for the sex ratio to become more balanced.^ieng