Index for Measuring the Quality of Complementary Feeding Practices in Rural India

This community-based cross-sectional study was undertaken to develop a complementary feeding index (CFI) to assess the adequacy of complementary feeding (CF) practices and determine its association with growth of infants, aged 6–12 months, in rural Indian population. The study was conducted in six villages of Ghaziabad district, Uttar Pradesh, India. A structured interview schedule was used for eliciting information from 151 mothers of infants, aged 6–12 months, on CF practices. Data on CF practices were scored using the CFI developed. Measurements of weight and length were taken. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were done using the SPSS software (version 13). The results revealed that the CF practices were suboptimal in the sample. The mean±standard deviation (SD) CFI scores ranged from a low value of 7.09±3.21 in 6–8 months old infants to a comparatively-higher value of 9.69±2.94 in 9–12 months old infants. Using the CFI it could be identified that infants (n=151) had poor dietary diversity, with only 31% and 18% of the infants reportedly being fed the recommended number of food-groups during 6–8 and 9–12 months respectively. The food-frequency scores of the CFI showed that cereals and diluted animal milk were the major food-groups fed to the infants in this setting. Analysis of nutritional status revealed that 24.5% of the infants were stunted (length-for-age [LAZ] <-2SD), 25% were underweight (weight-for-age [WAZ] <-2SD), and 17% were wasted (weight-for-age [WLZ] <-2SD). Significant associations (p<0.05) were observed between the meal-frequency and the dietary diversity of the CFs of infants aged 6–8 months and 9–12 months and the WAZ and LAZ indices of their nutritional status. On multivariate analysis of factors affecting the LAZ, WAZ and WLZ scores, the CFI was significantly associated (p<0.05) with LAZ whereas maternal education and breastfeeding frequency were significantly (p<0.01) associated with WAZ and WLZ. Per-capita income, parity, and birth-order were the significant (p<0.05) determinants of the CFI. The CFI developed is an exploratory attempt to summarize and quantify the key CF practices into a composite index, which would reflect the CF practices holistically. This index can be used as an easy tool by programme planners for identifying, targeting, and monitoring the deficient CF practices and also advocating the importance of the CF at policy level

Index for Measuring the Quality of Complementary Feeding Practices in Rural India

This community-based cross-sectional study was undertaken to develop a complementary feeding index (CFI) to assess the adequacy of complementary feeding (CF) practices and determine its association with growth of infants, aged 6-12 months, in rural Indian population. The study was conducted in six villages of Ghaziabad district, Uttar Pradesh, India. A structured interview schedule was used for eliciting information from 151 mothers of infants, aged 6-12 months, on CF practices. Data on CF practices were scored using the CFI developed. Measurements of weight and length were taken. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were done using the SPSS software (version 13). The results revealed that the CF practices were suboptimal in the sample. The mean\ub1standard deviation (SD) CFI scores ranged from a low value of 7.09\ub13.21 in 6-8 months old infants to a comparatively-higher value of 9.69\ub12.94 in 9-12 months old infants. Using the CFI it could be identified that infants (n=151) had poor dietary diversity, with only 31% and 18% of the infants reportedly being fed the recommended number of food-groups during 6-8 and 9-12 months respectively. The food-frequency scores of the CFI showed that cereals and diluted animal milk were the major foodgroups fed to the infants in this setting. Analysis of nutritional status revealed that 24.5% of the infants were stunted (length-for-age [LAZ] &lt;-2SD), 25% were underweight (weight-for-age [WAZ] &lt;-2SD), and 17% were wasted (weight-for-age [WLZ] &lt;-2SD). Significant associations (p&lt;0.05) were observed between the meal-frequency and the dietary diversity of the CFs of infants aged 6-8 months and 9-12 months and the WAZ and LAZ indices of their nutritional status. On multivariate analysis of factors affecting the LAZ, WAZ and WLZ scores, the CFI was significantly associated (p&lt;0.05) with LAZ whereas maternal education and breastfeeding frequency were significantly (p&lt;0.01) associated with WAZ and WLZ. Per-capita income, parity, and birth-order were the significant (p&lt;0.05) determinants of the CFI. The CFI developed is an exploratory attempt to summarize and quantify the key CF practices into a composite index, which would reflect the CF practices holistically. This index can be used as an easy tool by programme planners for identifying, targeting, and monitoring the deficient CF practices and also advocating the importance of the CF at policy level

IN VITRO SCREENING OF ANTIOXIDANT AND ANTIAGING POTENTIAL OF CUCUMIS SATIVUS FRUIT EXTRACT

Objective: The present study was designed to screen the anti-aging and anti-wrinkle potential of Cucumis sativus fruit through in vitro estimation of antioxidant, anti-hyaluronidase, anti-elastase, anti-collagenase/anti-matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-1, and anti-tyrosinase activity. Methods: Raw juice of cucumber was taken, filtered and fractionated with ethyl acetate and n-butanol. The obtained extracts were then evaluated for their antioxidant potential through 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay taking ascorbic acid as positive control and other enzymatic activities in reference to hyaluronidase inhibition, MMP-1/collagenase inhibition, and elastase inhibition taking catechin as reference standard whereas for tyrosinase inhibition the standard used was quercetin. Results: All the evaluations were performed in triplicates and results were noted down. It was observed that aqueous extract of C. sativus fruits showed a maximum DPPH radical scavenging activity (p&lt;0.0001), half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) at a concentration of 122.67 μg/ml. The ethyl acetate fraction of C. sativus fruits exhibited maximum hyaluronidase (p&lt;0.0001), MMP-1/collagenase (p&lt;0.04), and tyrosinase (p&lt;0.04) inhibitory activity, IC50 at a concentration of 59.54, 45.79, and 24.46 μg/ml, respectively. The elastase (p&lt;0.0001) inhibitory activity by n-butanol fraction of C. sativus fruits extract was maximum, IC50 at a concentration of 52.76 μg/ml. Conclusion: A potent anti-aging and anti-wrinkle properties were well demonstrated by C. sativus, as depicted from the results obtained

Management and Outcome of Patients with Pancreatic Trauma

Introduction: Pancreatic trauma is a rare entity occurring in 0.2% of patients with blunt trauma abdomen. Once the diagnosis is made, the management of patients is dependent on multiple variables. Conservative management, suture repair, drainage, and resection have been utilized with varying degree of success. This study is aimed to evaluate the management of patients with pancreatic trauma.Materials and Methods: This was a prospective study done in the Department of Surgery in Dayanand Medical College and Hospital where forty hemodynamically stable patients diagnosed to have pancreatic trauma on contrast‑enhanced computed tomography abdomen were included in the study. Results: Out of forty patients taken in this study, 38 were male and two were female with age ranging from 3 to 50 years. Road traffic accident was the most common cause of pancreatic injury. Pancreatic injuries were graded according to the American Association for Surgery in Trauma scale. Twelve patients had Grade I and II injuries. Grade III was the most common injury occurring in 14 patients.  Twenty‑four patients underwent surgical management. Mortality rate was 45% and it was in direct correlation with the severity of injury.Conclusion: Grade I and II pancreatic injury can be managed conservatively depending upon the hemodynamic status of the patient. Grade III and IV injuries have a better prognosis if managed surgically.Keywords: American Association for Surgery in Trauma pancreatic injury, blunt trauma abdomen, pancreatic traum

Isolated facial cutaneous sarcoidosis

Isolated cutaneous sarcoidosis is a rare multisystemic granulomatous disorder of unknown etiology. Cutaneous lesions have been classified into specific and nonspecific depending on the presence of noncaseating granulomas on histopathologic studies. Macrophages most likely initiate the response of sarcoidosis by presenting unidentified antigens to CD4+ lymphocytes. A persistent poorly degradable antigen-driven CMI response leads to cytokine cascade, granulomaformation, and fibrosis. In the present study, we report a case of isolated cutaneous sarcoidosis, localized to the face, in an adolescent girl without systemic manifestations which is a rare entity

Synthesis of Different Substituted Pyridazinone Derivatives and Their Anticonvulsant Activity

6-Phenyl(3᾽-imino-benzylidene)-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro pyridazin-3-one derivatives were synthesized from 6-(3᾽-aminophenyl)-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro pyridazin-3-one by reaction with different aldehydes. The respective pyridazinone was prepared by cyclization of appropriate β-(aminophenyl) propionic acid with hydrazine hydrate. The pyridazinone derivatives were tested for anticonvulsant activity by MES (maximal electro shock) method and found that few of them have shown significant anticonvulsant activity