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A community based study was conducted in the rural areas of Udupi taluk, Karnataka state of South India to identify the socio-demographic, maternal and obstetric determinants of low birth weight. All singleton live births that occurred in the study area during a one year period (October 1991 to September 1992) were included. A total of 2919 singleton child-mother pairs formed the basis of the analysis. Information about social, demographic and economic conditions of the families; maternal factors such as age, parity, quality of antenatal care and previous obstetric history were collected by interviewing the mothers and family members and verifying the available medical records through the field investigators especially recruited and trained for this purpose. Data was analyzed using multiple logistic regression model. Primis, elderly mothers and mothers who had not received good quality antenatal care were found to be more at risk of having low birth weight babies. Other significant determinants were family custom, socio-economic status and environmental sanitation.

A cross-sectional descriptive study using a questionnaire with mostly closed-ended questions was carried out on 990 pupils and 46 trainee teachers to investigate their knowledge of and attitudes to HIV/AIDS. Pupils in one school were reassessed after a health talk and distribution of a handout. Despite having had no formal sex education, most respondents were reasonably well informed about the transmission of HIV. However, there were many misconceptions about transmission and prevention and 16.9% of pupils were found to possess very little knowledge of HIV/AIDS. Mass media, teachers and health workers were quoted as the main sources of knowledge. It was found that 24.3% pupils and 6.3% of trainee teachers thought there was a cure, and 27.4% of pupils and 14% of trainee teachers thought there was a vaccine to prevent HIV infection. Schools that were rural, private and English-speaking scored better, as did male students and schools teaching science. The necessity of formal sex education was expressed by 98.5% of pupils and all the trainee teachers. The pupils who were reassessed after receiving a talk and handout showed significant improvement in their knowledge and a change in attitude (p < 0.01). The mass media are important in disseminating knowledge on HIV/AIDS in India but due to the lack of inter-personal approaches to the education system, knowledge is inadequate and misconceptions exist.

Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) is a group of inherited, mechanobullous disorders that are caused by mutations in the structural proteins in the epidermis or dermoepidermal junction. Characteristic clinical picture is the presence of blisters at trauma prone areas of the body, which develops at or soon after birth. Availability of specific monoclonal antibodies against the target proteins together with advances in the molecular genetics have led to the revision in the classification of EB. Now four major types of EB are recognized depending upon the level of blister and the location of target protein: EB simplex (epidermolytic), junctional EB (lucidolytic), dystrophic EB (dermolytic) and Kindler's syndrome (mixed cleavage plane). The laboratory tests not only help to confirm the diagnosis of EB but are also an important tool to classify (and subtype) EB. These include immunofluorescence antigen mapping (IFM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and mutation analysis. IFM is the most preferred method for final diagnosis of EB worldwide. It is relatively easy to perform and results can be obtained rapidly. This article describes the technicalities and significance of IFM in various types of EB.