Teenage pregnancy is a worldwide problem bearing serious social and medical implications relating to maternal and child health. A cross-sectional observational study was undertaken to compare the different sociodemographic characteristics and perinatal outcomes of teenage primigravida mothers with those of adult primigravida mothers in a tertiary-care hospital in eastern India. A sample of 350 each in cases and comparison group comprised the study subjects. Data were collected through interviews and by observations using a pretested and predesigned schedule. Results revealed that the teenage mothers had a higher proportion (27.7%) of preterm deliveries compared to 13.1% in the adult mothers and had low-birth-weight babies (38.9% vs 30.4% respectively). Stillbirth rate was also significantly higher in teenage deliveries (5.1% vs 0.9% respectively). The teenage mothers developed more adverse perinatal complications, such as preterm births, stillbirths, neonatal deaths, and delivered low-birthweight babies, when compared with those of the adult primigravida mothers. Teenage pregnancy is still a rampant and important public-health problem in India with unfavourable perinatal outcomes and needs to be tackled on a priority basis.

An occupational injury surveillance study (record study of five years duration) was conducted involving the workers of a fertilizer producing industry in eastern India to assess whether the risk of occupational accidents in temporary piece rated workers was higher in comparison to the permanent time rated workers. At the same time, to collect the personal details of the workers who have worked in the industry in the study period, an interview was also conducted. Mean age of temporary piece rated workers and permanent time rated workers were (35.9 ± 12.5) and (35.3 ± 11.4) respectively. Distribution of other variables like nature of work, level of education, experience, habits were also very similar between the two worker groups. Accident incidence rate, accident frequency rate and accident severity rate were found to be significantly higher in temporary piece rated workers. This difference was more prominent in case of time-loss accidents than in no timeloss accidents. Relative risk has varied from 2.3 to 18.0 in case of time-loss accidents. In case of no time-loss accidents, it has varied from 1.1 to 2.6. When relative risk is considered after taking both types of accidents together, it has ranged from 1.2 to 3.5. This study concluded that the temporary piece rated workers are more vulnerable to occupational accidents.

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In different epidemiological studies, an association between sedentary life style and incidence of cardiovascular diseases has been demonstrated. This study was carried out among 50 sedentary bank employees working at different nationalized banks within Calcutta City, India and 50 individuals with non-sedentary jobs matched for age group and sex for the control group. Body mass index (BMI), blood pressure (BP), plasma level of glucose, total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein (LDL), very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) and triglycerides (Tgs) were found to be significantly higher whereas high density lipoprotein (HDL) and reduced glutathione were found to be significantly lower among the bank employees as compared with the control subjects. Further, significant alteration in the activity of different enzymes (e.g., glutathione reductase, glutathione S-transferase, glucose 6 phosphate dehydrogenase, catalase and superoxide dismutase) involved in glutathione-mediated antioxidant scavenging systems and increases in lipid peroxidation were also observed in the bank employees. From the study, it appears that the relative risk for cardiovascular disease is increased among bank employees due to the sedentary nature of their jobs.

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Although morbidity episodes as well as hospitalization rate were lower compared with other studied slums of India, there is still room for further improvement of health status of these babies. Adequate care, exclusive breast-feeding, and proper nutrition of the LBW infants must be ensured to have healthy lifestyle free from morbidity.

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