The cost and effective analysis of health care management of very low birth weight babies in rural areas of West Bengal, India

Background: Low birth weight (LBW) is prevalent in low-income countries. Level II neonatal intensive care at SCNUs is cost intensive. Rational use of SCNU services by targeting its utilization for the VLBW neonates and maintenance of community based newborn care is required.  Even though the economic evaluation of interventions to reduce this burden is essential to guide health care policy making for low resource setting, data on low cost outcome study associated with LBW in Indian setup are scarce.  Methods: This study aims to estimate the costs to the health system in the management of LBW in rural setting where affordability of parents for healthcare facility comparatively less. The cost of management was cut off by minimum investigations, more supervision by working health care personnel’s. A prospective observational study was conducted to see outcome of estimate the costs to the health system in the management of LBW or VLBW babies.Results: The mortality and survival rate among the evaluated LBW under this low cost health care setting was 6.66% and 86.6% respectively.Conclusions: Results of this unique cost and effectiveness evaluation of LBW healthcare management in a low resource setting are very relevant in Indian context where healthcare facility is almost out of reach and affordability in majority rural populations. These results are of relevance for similar settings and should serve to promote interventions aimed at improving maternal care in rural settings. Further larger research is required on cost effectiveness of level II neonatal intensive care.

The cost and effective analysis of health care management of very low birth weight babies in rural areas of West Bengal, India

Background: Low birth weight (LBW) is prevalent in low-income countries. Level II neonatal intensive care at SCNUs is cost intensive. Rational use of SCNU services by targeting its utilization for the VLBW neonates and maintenance of community based newborn care is required. Even though the economic evaluation of interventions to reduce this burden is essential to guide health care policy making for low resource setting, data on low cost outcome study associated with LBW in Indian setup are scarce. Methods: This study aims to estimate the costs to the health system in the management of LBW in rural setting where affordability of parents for healthcare facility comparatively less. The cost of management was cut off by minimum investigations, more supervision by working health care personnel's. A prospective observational study was conducted to see outcome of estimate the costs to the health system in the management of LBW or VLBW babies. Results: The mortality and survival rate among the evaluated LBW under this low cost health care setting was 6.66% and 86.6% respectively. Conclusions: Results of this unique cost and effectiveness evaluation of LBW healthcare management in a low resource setting are very relevant in Indian context where healthcare facility is almost out of reach and affordability in majority rural populations. These results are of relevance for similar settings and should serve to promote interventions aimed at improving maternal care in rural settings. Further larger research is required on cost effectiveness of level II neonatal intensive care. [Int J Res Med Sci 2016; 4(4.000): 1093-1098

Effects of Blanching on Nutrient Dynamics in Edible Shoots of Bambusa nutans Wall Ex Munro and Bambusa balcooa Roxb.

The effect of hot water blanching on proximate and mineral constitution of two edible bamboo shoots viz., Bambusa nutans and B. balcooa, was investigated in the eastern Himalayan Terai region of West Bengal, India. The proximate and mineral composition was determined at the laboratory of Department of Forestry,Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya in 2021-22 by using standard methods. In the present study, hot water blanching at 100ºC for 20 minutes was significantly reduced the carbohydrate (4.11g/100g fw), total protein (1.19g/100g fw), fat (0.28g/100g fw), ash (0.09g/100g fw), energy value (26.90 Kcal/100g fw), HCN content (8.72 mg/ Kg) and minerals viz. potassium (233.10mg/100g fw), calcium (11.84mg/100g fw) and magnesium (3.19mg/100g fw) content whereas enhanced the moisture content (92.75%), crude fibre (1.58g/100g fw), iron (1.78mg/100g fw) and copper content (0.94mg/100g fw), respectively, in comparison to the raw bamboo shoots. It was also found that  B. nutans was qualitatively superior with maximum edible percentage (43.17%), carbohydrate (4.50g/100g fw), total protein (1.51g/ 100g fw), fat content (0.48g/100g fw), crude fibre (1.74g/100g fw) and energy (31.80Kcal/ 100g fw) along with higher sodium (2.09 mg/100g fw), potassium (339.37mg/100g fw), magnesium (4.85 mg/100g fw), zinc (0.56 mg/100g fw) and manganese (1.12 mg/100g fw) while B. balcooa had higher moisture content (92.72%), HCN (104.15 mg/Kg), calcium (16.05mg/100g fw), iron (1.77mg/100g fw) and copper content (1.13mg/100g fw). However, there is a need for further research towards value addition and composite mixture to ensure the nutritional security

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Not AvailableTurmeric (Curcuma longa L.), the golden spice of India, offers a myriad of health benefits primarily due to the presence of polyphenolic curcuminoid pigments. It is believed that the dark orange colour of turmeric rhizome has wide-spread health benefits; but no reliable evidential proof for this is available till date. It is crucial to discern the association of rhizome colour with health benefits. It is also of prime importance to investigate whether the curcuminoids present in the rhizomes are the sole bioactive compounds contributing to its medicinal properties. In the present study, forty five turmeric genotypes were collected from the sub-Himalayan terai region of India which differed in their rhizome colour. Here, the Turmeric Redness Index (TRI) in terms of rhizome colour content (a */b *) of the genotypes revealed strong correlation with curcuminoid content ( + 0.93), total phenol content ( + 0.76), total flavonoids content ( + 0.82), iron content ( + 0.55) and antioxidant activity (–0.90 and –0.92 for DPPH and ABTS assays and + 0.82 and + 0.95 for TAC and CUPRAC assays, respectively, with p < 0.001). Among the studied genotypes, TCP 2 (Turmeric Collection Pundibari 2) having dark orange coloured rhizome turned out to be a superior genotype in terms of its antioxidant potential, curcuminoid and iron content. Quantification of phenolic and flavonoid compounds of TCP 2 revealed that other than the three isoforms of curcuminoids, different therapeutically important bioactive compounds like p-coumaric acid (162.46 mg/kg), catechin (107.67 mg/kg), sinapic acid (417.36 mg/kg) and flavonoid like quercetin (2746.21 mg/kg) are also present in the rhizome, suggesting that along with curcuminoid these compounds also contribute towards its antioxidant potential. The GC–MS analysis of the essential oil of TCP 2 revealed the presence of thirty three volatile compounds with significantly high ar-turmeron (28.57 %), curlone (10.05 %), eucalyptol (10.13 %) and chemigran (13 %). A rapid and improved micro-propagation protocol was also developed for TCP 2 using single rhizome bud sprout as explants. A media composition of MS with 6 ppm BAP and 2 ppm NAA was found to be the best for rapid and efficient micro shoot development.Not Availabl

Application of Different Dehydration Technology on Chrysanthemum for Quality Dry Flower Production under Terai Region of West Bengal, India

Flower is an integral part of human life and day by day the demand is increasing throughout the world. Though fresh flowers look attractive and become scented but it can’t be stored for long time, so, dry flower is the substitute of fresh flowers. Dry flowers are easy tohandle and it can be stored for a long time, hence, available for year roundsupply and post-harvest losses are very low.Twenty three different techniques can be applied for dry flower production, such as - Sun drying, shade drying, sand drying, silicagel drying, borax drying, corn meal drying, alum drying, glycerol drying, hot air oven drying, embedded drying in hot air oven, solar cooker dryingand embedded drying in solar cooker. The colours of initial fresh flowers were matched with RHS (Royal Horticulture Society) Colour Chart and observed as -Yellow group 7(A) and finalcoloursof dried flowers were observedas - T1 (22-B), T2 (15-D), T5 (22-B), T8 (14-C), T9 (15-B), T18 (19-A), T20 (22-A), T21 (18-C), T22 (18-B) meant Yellow orange group and T3 (13-B), T16 (13-B), T4 (11-A), T6 (9-B), T11 (9-B), T7 (13-C), T14 (13-C), T10 (10-A), T12 (8-A), T13 (12-A), T15 (12-A) meant Yellow group. Last two treatments like T17 (163-A) and T23 (162-A) showed Grey orange group. Maximum reduction infresh weight was noticed under T10(1.35g) treatment and minimum with T8(0.35g) treatment. The minimum days required for drying wasobserved under T5(4.17days) and T7(4.17days) treatments and maximum days requiredby T2(22.17days) treatment. Least moisture reduction in the finished product was observed in T8 (31.41%) whereas the moisture reduction was found highest inT10 [89.21(70.83)%] treatment