An efficacy study on alleviating micronutrient deficiencies through a multiple micronutrient fortified salt in children in South India.

Background: Multiple micronutrient deficiencies are prevalent in India.

Objective: The study aims to establish the efficacy of multi-micronutrient fortified salt in addressing multiple micronutrient deficiencies among children compared to nutrition education and no intervention in Tamilnadu.

Methods: The study employed a community based randomized controlled trial designed to study the impact of multiple micronutrient salt (micronutrient group) in comparison with nutrition education (education group) and no intervention (control group) on haemoglobin, serum ferritin, soluble transferrin receptor, body iron stores, serum retinol and urinary iodine outcomes over a period of 8 months.

Pneumococcal carriage at age 2 months is associated with growth deficits at age 6 months among infants in South India.

Nasopharyngeal colonization is the first step in the pathway to Streptococcus pneumoniae (Spn) infection, a leading cause of childhood morbidity and mortality. We investigated the effect of Spn colonization at ages 2 and 4 mo on growth at age 6 mo among 389 infants living in rural South India by using data from an Spn carriage study nested within a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled community trial designed to evaluate the impact of newborn vitamin A supplementation on Spn carriage in the first 6 mo of life. Primary outcomes were weight, length, and anthropometric indices of nutritional status.

Exposure to indoor biomass fuel and tobacco smoke and risk of adverse reproductive outcomes, mortality, respiratory morbidity and growth among newborn infants in south India.

Background: Exposure to indoor air pollution due to open burning of biomass fuel is common in low- and middle-income countries. Previous studies linked this exposure to an increased risk of respiratory illness, low birth weight (LBW) and other disorders. We assessed the association between exposure to biomass fuel sources and second-hand tobacco smoke (SHTS) in the home and adverse health outcomes in early infancy in a population in rural south India.

Risk factors for maternal night blindness in rural South India.

Purpose: This study aimed to identify risk factors associated with maternal night blindness in rural South India.

Methods: At delivery, women enrolled in a population-based trial of newborn vitamin A supplementation were asked whether they were night blind at any time during the pregnancy. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify socioeconomic, demographic, and pregnancy-related factors associated with maternal night blindness.

Maternal night blindness during pregnancy is associated with low birthweight, morbidity, and poor growth in South India.

Maternal night blindness is common during pregnancy in many developing countries. Previous studies have demonstrated important consequences of maternal night blindness during pregnancy on the health of the mother and newborn infant. We compared birthweight, 6-mo infant mortality, morbidity, and growth among infants of women who did and did not report a history of night blindness from a community-based, randomized trial of newborn vitamin A supplementation in south India.

Newborn vitamin A dosing reduces the case fatality but not incidence of common childhood morbidities in South India.

Vitamin A supplementation reduces mortality in young children in areas of endemic vitamin A deficiency. However, it has no impact on the incidence of common morbidities. This discrepancy has been explained by an impact on case fatality, although with the exception of hospitalized measles cases, there is little direct evidence to support this hypothesis.

Evaluation of non-specific effects of infant immunizations on early infant mortality in a southern Indian population.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between receipt of routine childhood immunizations and infant mortality before 6 months of age.

Methods: This was an observational study of 10,274 infants, in a randomized trial of vitamin A supplementation, who received the study dose and survived to at least 1 week of age. The primary outcome was mortality before 6 months of age, analysed in Cox regression models as a function of vaccine receipt and gender.

The impact of visual impairment on functional vision of children in rural South India: the Kariapatti Pediatric Eye Evaluation Project.

Purpose: To determine the impact of visual impairment on functional vision of children in a rural population of south India.

Methods: A visual function questionnaire (LVP-VFQ) was administered to 1194 children aged 7 to 15 years identified through a systematic random sampling technique from 144 hamlets of Kariapatti in rural south India as part of a larger population-based project. Visual acuity estimations and clinical examinations for morbidity were performed in these 1194 children.

Perceptions of eye diseases and eye care needs of children among parents in rural south India: the Kariapatti Pediatric Eye Evaluation Project (KEEP).

We conducted 24 focus group discussions for parents and grandparents as part of a population-based survey of ocular morbidity to determine awareness and perceptions of eye diseases in children among parents and guardians of children in a rural south Indian population. Focus group discussions were conducted separately for mothers, fathers and grandparents. They were audiotaped and subsequently transcribed to the local language and English.

The Kariapatti pediatric eye evaluation project: baseline ophthalmic data of children aged 15 years or younger in Southern India.

Purpose: To estimate the prevalence of ocular morbidity among children of rural southern India before developing a service delivery model for community-based pediatric eye care.

Design: Population-based cross sectional study.

Methods: Trained field-workers performed door-to-door enumeration in 74 randomly selected villages of the Kariapatti block in southern India to identify children aged 15 years or younger and performed visual acuity measurements using Cambridge crowded cards and external eye examination with torchlight.

Impact of supplementing newborn infants with vitamin A on early infant mortality: community based randomised trial in southern India.

Objective: To assess the impact of supplementing newborn infants with vitamin A on mortality at age 6 months.

Design: Community based, randomised, double blind, placebo controlled trial.

Setting: Two rural districts of Tamil Nadu, southern India.