Background: Maternal spot feeding programs operational in southern Indian States are providing a package of nutrition services (food, micronutrient supplementation, deworming, gestation weight gain monitoring, and fortnightly nutrition health education) to pregnant women. These remain to be evaluated. Objective: We evaluated the maternal spot feeding programs in 2 Southern Indian states. Methods: Study design was cross-sectional entailing primary data collection (July to November 2016) on 360 pregnant and lactating women (of infants aged 0-6 months) per state and a review of the scheme’s management information system (MIS) beneficiaries’ records for the time period April 2014 to August 2017. To gain program functioning insights, open-ended interviews (n = 252) with state, district, and block program managers a state-level open space technology workshop was conducted. Results: Average days of meal consumption ranged from 19 to 21 days per month; spot meal enhanced high dietary diversity (≥6 food groups; 57%-59%) and consumption of eggs and milk (74%-96%) among pregnant and lactating women. On-the-spot consumption of iron, folic acid, calcium, and deworming was 18%, 87%, and 56%, respectively; 94% attended at least 1 of the 2 nutrition monthly counseling sessions. Majority (68%) of the beneficiaries were motivated to enroll by self-help groups or family members, suggesting the crucial persuasive role of peers and family members. Conclusion: Maternal spot feeding schemes can potentially deliver nutrition interventions outlined in the World Health Organization antenatal care guidelines 2016 for a positive pregnancy outcome. Research on schemes’ impact on birth outcomes, maternal depression, social norms, and its cost-effectiveness is needed.
Background: India is culturally diverse and traditional practices differ from region to region. Even though the prevalence and degree may vary, traditional practices which have long term devastating effects are performed all over the world. Harmful traditional methods are always perpetrated against infants. Hence it is important to understand the local practices to comprehend fully the determinants of adverse health outcomes of infants. This study was planned to assess the prevalence of harmful traditional practices adopted by the mothers of infants in Tirunelveli and to assess the association of various socio demographic factors influencing these practices among the mothers. Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted among 100 mothers of infants in the subcentre of Patthamadai Primary Health Centre, Tirunelveli. Mothers with infants of less than one-year-old were selected randomly from the Family register and after obtaining their consent were interviewed at their door steps with a pretested semi- structured questionnaire. Data collected were analysed using SPSS software. Results: Among 100 mothers who were interviewed, 36 of them had given pre lacteal feeds, 24 of them did not practice exclusive breast feeding, 44 had used feeding bottles, 10 had reported some application on umbilical cord stump, 16 of them took native treatment for diarrhoea, 12 of them had instilled oil in eyes and 60% of them had practices of blowing of air into ear and nose. Conclusions: Almost all the mothers have practiced at least one harmful traditional practice following delivery of their child and these practices were mostly under the influence of the grandparents. The most commonly adopted harmful practices were administration of pre lacteal feeds and not practicing exclusive breast feeding which are contributing factors in increasing the Infant mortality.
BACKGROUNDBiomedical research has very little representation in the graduate curriculum in India. Research and academic education operate in tandem and enhance critical appraisal skills of the students and orients them to evidence based medical practice in the years of their profession. It has been reported that students in medical schools report mixed interest in undertaking research during the study period. MATERIALS & METHODSThis institute implements a short term student Research Program as a systemic annual curricular engagement. A questionnaire based assessment of the awareness, knowledge and attitude of MBBS students about research as a curricular activity was performed. RESULTS & CONCLUSIONThe responses of the medical students were tabulated and statistically analysed. Of the 347 respondents, 70.32% were aware that medical research was possible during the graduate course period in the medical school, in the current medical curriculum and 87.6% opined that research as a compulsory part of graduate medical curriculum was welcome.
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