Comparison of regional versus global growth charts for the classification of small-for-gestational age neonates.

Objective: To compare the performance of regional versus global charts for identifying small-for-gestational age (SGA) neonates with short-term adverse outcomes.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Setting: Level-3 neonatal unit in India.

Clinicoepidemiologic Profile of Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury: Experience of a Tertiary Care Hospital From Northern India.

Traumatic brain injury is an important cause of acquired brain injury. The current study brings to light the clinicoepidemiologic profile of pediatric traumatic brain injury in India. Retrospective record analysis of children (aged ≤ 16 years) with traumatic brain injury presenting to an apex-trauma-center in North India over 4 years was done.

Improving quality of care during childbirth in primary health centres: a stepped-wedge cluster-randomised trial in India.

Background: Low/middle-income countries need a large-scale improvement in the quality of care (QoC) around the time of childbirth in order to reduce high maternal, fetal and neonatal mortality. However, there is a paucity of scalable models.

Methods: We conducted a stepped-wedge cluster-randomised trial in 15 primary health centres (PHC) of the state of Haryana in India to test the effectiveness of a multipronged quality management strategy comprising capacity building of providers, periodic assessments of the PHCs to identify quality gaps and undertaking improvement activities for closure of the gaps.

Comparison of telephone with face to face consultation for follow up of Neurocysticercosis.

Objectives: There is significant scarcity of specialists to provide care for children with epilepsy in many parts of the world. Telemedicine is a potential future option. This study was planned to estimate the diagnostic accuracy of telephone consultation to identify Critical Clinical Events (breakthrough seizures, drug non-compliance, drug adverse events, features of raised intracranial pressure, and other disease-related events),compared to the Face-to-Face consultation (gold standard), in children with Neurocysticercosis (NCC) and symptomatic seizures, following the completion of cysticidal therapy.

Topical Oil Application and Trans-Epidermal Water Loss in Preterm Very Low Birth Weight Infants-A Randomized Trial.

Objective: Topical emollient application reduces trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) in preterm neonates. Coconut oil used traditionally for infant massage in India has not been evaluated for the same.

Patients And Methods: Very low birth weight (VLBW) neonates were randomized at 12 h of age to Oil (n = 37) or Control (n = 37) groups.

Rotavirus diversity among diarrheal children in Delhi, India during 2007-2012.

Rotavirus is the leading cause of severe gastroenteritis in young children worldwide and is responsible for around 100,000 deaths in India annually. Vaccination against rotavirus (RV) is a high priority: 'ROTAVAC' an indigenous vaccine will soon be licensed in India. Surveillance to determine the impact of vaccines on emerging RV strains is required.

Is "Bed Sharing" Beneficial and Safe during Infancy? A Systematic Review.

Background. There is conflicting evidence regarding the safety and efficacy of bed sharing during infancy-while it has been shown to facilitate breastfeeding and provide protection against hypothermia, it has been identified as a risk factor for SIDS. Methods.

Reproductive health, and child health and nutrition in India: meeting the challenge.

India, with a population of more than 1 billion people, has many challenges in improving the health and nutrition of its citizens. Steady declines have been noted in fertility, maternal, infant and child mortalities, and the prevalence of severe manifestations of nutritional deficiencies, but the pace has been slow and falls short of national and Millennium Development Goal targets. The likely explanations include social inequities, disparities in health systems between and within states, and consequences of urbanisation and demographic transition.

Transcutaneous bilirubin levels in healthy term and late preterm Indian neonates.

Objective: To provide normative data for transcutaneous bilirubin (TcB) measurements in healthy term and late-preterm Indian neonates during first 72 h of age using a multiwavelength reflectance transcutaneous bilimeter.

Methods: TcB measurements were performed in healthy neonates (gestation 35 wk), in a well-baby ward, using a multiwavelength transcutaneous bilimeter (BiliCheck, SpectRx Inc, Norcross, GA). Age-specific percentiles values for each 6-h epoch starting at 0 h of age were calculated and an age-specific TcB nomogram was developed using different percentile values.

Carrier frequency of F508del mutation of cystic fibrosis in Indian population.

Background: Cystic fibrosis (CF) is considered to be very rare in Indian subcontinent. Based on reports of CF in migrants from Indian subcontinent to United Kingdom and United States of America, the prevalence of CF is estimated to be between 1/10,000 and 1/40,000 in this ethnic group. The present study was done to estimate the carrier frequency of F508del mutation among neonates using cord blood samples to reflect the prevalence of CF in the study population.

Prospective randomized evaluation of diode-laser and cryotherapy in prethreshold retinopathy of prematurity.

Purpose: To study the efficacy of indirect diode laser photocoagulation and cryotherapy in prethreshold retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).

Methods: Thirty-six eyes of 18 premature infants less than 34 weeks gestational age and/or less than 1600 g birth weight with prethreshold ROP were prospectively randomized to treatment with either indirect laser photocoagulation or cryotherapy. Prethreshold ROP was defined as any stage of ROP in zone I with plus disease; or stage 3 with three or more contiguous clock hours or five or more total clock hours of involvement of retina in zone II with plus disease but less than threshold disease.