Aging Alters Functionally Human Dermal Papillary Fibroblasts but Not Reticular Fibroblasts: A New View of Skin Morphogenesis and Aging

Understanding the contribution of the dermis in skin aging is a key question, since this tissue is particularly important for skin integrity, and because its properties can affect the epidermis. Characteristics of matched pairs of dermal papillary and reticular fibroblasts (Fp and Fr) were investigated throughout aging, comparing morphology, secretion of cytokines, MMPs/TIMPs, growth potential, and interaction with epidermal keratinocytes. We observed that Fp populations were characterized by a higher proportion of small cells with low granularity and a higher growth potential than Fr populations. However, these differences became less marked with increasing age of donors. Aging was also associated with changes in the secretion activity of both Fp and Fr. Using a reconstructed skin model, we evidenced that Fp and Fr cells do not possess equivalent capacities to sustain keratinopoiesis. Comparing Fp and Fr from young donors, we noticed that dermal equivalents containing Fp were more potent to promote epidermal morphogenesis than those containing Fr. These data emphasize the complexity of dermal fibroblast biology and document the specific functional properties of Fp and Fr. Our results suggest a new model of skin aging in which marked alterations of Fp may affect the histological characteristics of skin

Age At Marriage, Gauna (Effective Marriage) And First Child Birth In Rural Women- Changing Pattern In Various Marriage Cohorts By Decades

Fertility patterns of a community depend upon several factors. Strict enforcement of legislation is amongst its important determinants. The Government proposes to enact a deterrent law, which will replace the loophole â€" ridden Child Marriage Restraint Act of 1978. In India, there exists a long established custom to enter into effective marriage several years after marriage. This is called ‘gaunaâ€. Studying the various marriage cohorts by decades, the present communication comments on the age at marriage, age at gauna and age at first childbirth amongst 843 rural women in Delhi. The study shows that over the last six decades, there has been a gradual rise of age at marriage from 10.5 years to 16.5 years. However, this slope is less steep with age at gauna and almost non- existent for age at first childbirth. This in turn has narrowed the gap between age at gauna and age at first childbirth. Age at first childbirth has remained more or less constant at 19-20 years. This fining, if corroborated elsewhere also, may be of great significance and raise questions on the validity of the current strategy of increasing marriage age to 18 years in order to reduce fertility

Completed Family Size Of Rural Women : Changing Patterns In Four Decades Of Marriage Cohorts

Eight hundred and sixty five ever married women of age 15 years and above belonging to two villages near Delhi were interviewed. Complete fertility history was taken. This communication is restricted to 229 women who had completed 45 years of age at the time of the study. The year of marriage has been categorized in to decades i.e. 1932 before, 1933 to 42,1943 to 52 and 1953 to 1962. Fertility profile in terms, of conceptions, live births and children living for at least five years in 4 decades of marriage cohort is provided. The data on sterilized and unsterilised couples have been separately reported. Literacy of women has been used as the background characteristic and analysis by literacy status is presented. The study demonstrates that literacy markedly brings about a decline in fertility among rural women. Even among illiterate women, general social development witnessed over the four decades has materially helped in reducing fertility. Finally, sterilization to be effective must be adopted by couples when young

Completed family size of rural women: changing patterns in four decades of marriage cohorts

Eight hundred and sixty five ever married women of age 15 years and above belonging to two villages near Delhi were interviewed. Complete fertility history was taken. This communication is restricted to 229 women who had completed 45 years of age at the time of the study. The year of marriage has been categorized in to decades i.e. 1932 before, 1933 to 42,1943 to 52 and 1953 to 1962. Fertility profile in terms, of conceptions, live births and children living for at least five years in 4 decades of marriage cohort is provided. The data on sterilized and unsterilised couples have been separately reported. Literacy of women has been used as the background characteristic and analysis by literacy status is presented. The study demonstrates that literacy markedly brings about a decline in fertility among rural women. Even among illiterate women, general social development witnessed over the four decades has materially helped in reducing fertility. Finally, sterilization to be effective must be adopted by couples when young

Childbirth spacing in a rural community of Delhi: profile in various marriage cohorts by decades

Complete retrospective fertility histories of 843 ever married women of two villages in Delhi, obtained through house to house survey, were analysed to study various marriage cohorts by decades for trends of child birth spacing over a period of 60 years from 1921 to 1980. Spacing between consummation of marriage and first child birth gradually declined over the last 6 decades. For all other subsequent livebirths remained constant at an average of nearly 30 months. Irrespective of the reasons for such a trend, much more efforts are required to be put in to increase child spacing. PIP: From March 1982 to April 1983, researchers from the University College of Medical Sciences in Delhi, India interviewed at least 843 women=or 15 years old and married between 1921-1980 from 2 villages near Delhi about their birth history and year of marriage. There were 3736 live births among the 843 women. 98.8% of the women married between 1921-1970 had children. Only 182 of the 256 women married between 1971-1980 had already borne children. The spacing between consummation of marriage and the birth of the 1st child (1st birth order) decreased steadily over the 6 decades. For example, the average spacing fell from 44.86 months (1921-1930) to 40.11 (1951-1960) to 28.82 (1971-1980). During this time frame, the mean age at marriage rose gradually, but the mean age for 1st birth did not change. For each decade except 1971-1980, the spacing for the 1st birth order remained significantly more than most of the other birth orders in that decade. The mean birth interval for all the marriage cohorts stood at 30 months. The average spacing of all births for the 1971-1980 marriage cohort was significantly lower than those of the 5 previous decades (p.05), however. This could be a result of the decline in breast feeding and sexual abstinence in urban areas of India. This trend appears to counteract the efforts of family planning programs. The results of this study indicate that the National Family Welfare Programme must more actively promote child spacing as a means to reduce family size

Weight pattern of Pre-school children in a rural area of Delhi

In a cross-sectional study weights of 542 boys and 547 girls of rural area recorded at different times during 0-4 yr of their age was analysed. The mean birth weight was found to be 2.84 kg. It doubled at the age of 4 months, tripled around 1½ yrand quandrupled around 3½ yr. The average weight gain per month during first two months was nearly 800 gm for next two months about 500 gm per month and about 220 gm per month thereafter till the age of one year. The mean weights up to the age of 5 months were on the curve of 80 percent of 50th percentile of Harvard standard (usually considered as the lower limit of normal) but substantially lower after that age. Individually, 61.38 percent of the weights for age were less than this lower limits of normal. On the other hand, 4.72 percent weights for age were higher than even the upper limits of normal measured by the 50th percentile of Harvard standard. After the age of 2 months, male children weighed more than female children by a small but constant margin of about 250 gm on an average. However, at the age of 3½ yr females overtook males. A possible hypothesis explaining this phenomenon is discussed