Shadow pandemic: domestic violence and child abuse during the covid-19 lockdown in India

For many women and children around the world, staying at home is no longer a safety aspect during the Covid-19 pandemic. There is a surge in the number of cases of inter-personal violence and child abuse during the lockdown. The stigma and socio-cultural norms create hesitance in subjecting the family and its intimate relationships to public scrutiny. Therefore, building awareness around domestic violence is vital

Housing conditions, knowledge and perceived health effects of indoor air pollution in tribal women of rural Maharashtra

Background: Dependence on using biomass fuels for cooking and heating leads to Indoor Air Pollution (IAP) which can lead to adverse health outcomes. Aim of this study was to observe the housing and kitchen conditions in households of tribal areas, assess the knowledge of women regarding the IAP and perceived health effects due to it.Methods: Cross-sectional community- based study conducted in 100 women above the age of 18 years in a tribal village. A semi-structured questionnaire was used and spot observations were made. Chi-Square was used to calculate the association between type of stove, housing conditions and health effects of IAP. Logistic regression was used to identify determinants of the health effects of IAP.Results: The mean age of women was 29 years; all houses had a separate kitchen; 34% used mud stove with wood. Easy availability and economic reasons were cited for using wood. 47% of women thought IAP present in their homes and the most common source was cooking. Symptoms like asthma, sweating, burns/rash, and headache had a significantly higher association in women using mud stove (P<0.05) than LPG stove. A strong association was found between cooking hours and health effects due to IAP (P< 0.004).Conclusions: IAP due to cooking and unfavorable housing conditions are associated with health problems in women. Knowledge regarding IAP is poor. Reasons for reliance on using mud stove needs to be addressed

Pilot study on gut microbiota profile in Indian children with type 1 diabetes

Background: Non-genetic factors like microbial dysbiosis may be contributing to the increasing incidence/progression of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). Objectives: To analyse the gut microbiota profile in Indian children with T1DM and its effect on glycaemic control. Methodology: Faecal samples of 29 children with T1DM were collected and faecal microbial DNA was extracted and subjected to 16S rRNA (ribosomal RNA) sequencing and further analysis. Results: The dominant phyla in children with T1DM were Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes. Butyrate-producing bacteria Blautia and Ruminococcus showed a significant negative correlation with the glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1C) levels (p < 0.05). Coprococcus and Propionibacterium were important negative predictors of glycaemic control (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Our study suggests that Indian children with T1DM have a distinct gut microbiome taxonomic composition and that short-chain fatty acid-producing bacteria like Ruminococcus and Blautia (butyrate-producing) may play an important role in the glycaemic control of subjects with T1DM