Prevalence of malformations was 1.2 % of the total live births. Musculoskeletal system was the most common system involved. Congenital malformations were significantly associated with sex of the new born, registration of the mother and birth weight of the newborn.

Aim:To determine the annual incidence of congenital malformations in Assam and to analyze the data.Materials and Methods:Data regarding babies born with congenital malformations in the state of Assam during the year 2006 were obtained through questionnaires and analyzed. The results were compared with similar Indian data.Results:The overall incidence of congenital malformation was 0.08%. This was considerably lower than similar published data from other states. Five hundred and eleven babies were born with congenital malformations, with 421 (82.4%) having major malformations. Males were affected more than females, 334 (65.4%) vs. 177 (34.6%). The gastrointestinal and genitourinary systems accounted for 26% and 25.8%, respectively. Malformation involving the central nervous system was more common in certain ethnic groups.Conclusions:The incidence of malformations in certain systems was at variance with the data from other states.

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Objective The aim of this study was to assess the impact of socioeconomic factors in increased prevalence of rheumatic heart disease and its clinical spectrum in Assam, North-East India. Method A case-control questionnaire-based study of 100 echocardiography confirmed rheumatic heart disease cases with age- and sex-matched healthy controls from Assam medical college and hospital in Dibrugarh, Assam was conducted. Results There was a trend toward increased risk of rheumatic heart disease and its clinical spectrum with respect to low socioeconomic status. Three parameters were found to be statistically significant in posing increased risk towards rheumatic heart disease: rural dwelling location ( p < 0.0001, odds ratio (OR) 4.1, 95% confidence interval (CI = 2.29-7.45), low monthly income ( p < 0.001, OR=9.5, 95% CI = 4.99-18.1) and education status ( p < 0.05, OR=9.5, 95% CI = 1.866). Out of the severe cases of mitral stenosis, mitral regurgitation and aortic regurgitation, 69.6%, 58.3% and 34% patients were of low socioeconomic status. Conclusion Socioeconomic factors can be of significant importance in increased prevalence of rheumatic heart disease and might also influence the clinical spectrum of the disease. Increased awareness and up-gradation of socioeconomic status might ameliorate the prevalence of rheumatic heart disease.

Girls have traditionally been neglected in India. The neglect is reflected in adverse sex ratio of 914 girls per 1000 boys as reported in 2011 census. The declining sex ratio can be prevented by the registration of female children and by ensuring their progress and safety. The study aims at finding the effect of the introduction of a conditional cash transfer scheme ('Majoni' scheme) upon the registration of a female child. It was a hospital record-based study where the preferential treatment of female children during registration into the birth register before and after the introduction of the Majoni scheme was measured. An effect of the scheme on the registration of male and female children was also compared. The introduction of this scheme increased the female to male ratio of applications for the registration of births from 1.06 to 1.34 and also increased the number of formal requests for the registration of the birth of a female child from 24.45% to 39.05%. Financial incentives or securities have been shown to modify human behavior. The increase in the numbers of applications for the registration of a female child, after the introduction of the 'Majoni' scheme was due to the financial incentive attached with the registration. The increasing trend in the number of applications with every passing month was probably due to the increase in awareness regarding the benefit of the scheme. Conditional cash transfer schemes, such as Majoni, can have a significant effect on increasing the registration of female children. Further study is required to evaluate the effect of the factors other than the financial incentive upon the registration of female children.