Knowledge and attitude towards emergency contraception in females of urban area of Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India

Background: Emergency contraception are birth control measures that, if taken after unprotected sexual intercourse, contraceptive failure, incorrect use of contraceptives or in cases of sexual assault may prevent pregnancy. The aim of the study was to assess the knowledge and attitude of female living in urban part of Lucknow district from September 2015 to August 2016.Methods: This was a descriptive, cross-sectional study conducted at RML Hospital, Lucknow from September 2015 to August 2016. A cross sectional study design was conducted and Participants were selected using simple random sampling method. Data was collected by using self-administered questionnaires. Data processing and analysis: The collected data was entered into a computer and analyzed using statistical package of social science version 20.0.Results: In this study it was found that, Out of 385 subjects 54% (209) new the correct time interval for EC to be effective and 91% (350) new that this is for prevention of unplanned pregnancy. Out of 385 subjects 77% (345) reported that they had heard the word EC from different sources, however 23% (90) reported that they never heard about that it means that still there is a scope of health awareness activities and health education to improve the knowledge of EC. Different attitudes of females towards emergency contraception some different pair of questions was asked. Out of 385 subjects 85% (329) were reported that they have positive attitudes in terms of benefits of EC to reduce the risk of unplanned pregnancy. A few number of subjects i.e. 12% (48) reported negative attitudes towards EC where as 3 % (8) did not respond. The more than half subjects i.e. 68% (260) reported that they use EC even if their partners disagreed with them where as 11% (41). Cultural belief was found as an barrier in having negative attitudes towards EC. The Religion, Occupation and educational status affect knowledge and attitudes towards EC.Conclusions: The results show that there is a scope of health awareness activities and health education to improve the knowledge and attitude towards EC

Assessment of micronutrient status during pregnancy attending at Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India

Background: This impression of multiple micronutrients during pregnancy emphasizes to relatively neglected issues. Objectives was to evaluate the status and benefits of multiple micronutrient during pregnancy.Methods: Total 180 healthy pregnant women were included, first trimester 60 cases, second trimester 60 cases and third trimester 60 cases in the age group of 18-40 years. Haemoglobin was estimated by cyanmethemoglobin method, estimation of iron was done by ferrozine method, for zinc colorimetric method, estimation of calcium OCPC method and estimation of urinary iodine was done by ammonium persulfate oxidation method.Results: Haemoglobin are found to be in the Ist trimester 11.3g/dl, in the IInd trimester of haemoglobin 10.5g/dl, and in the IIIrd trimester it was 11g/dl and Serum iron was 71.9ug/dl in Ist trimester, 74.8 ug/dl during IInd trimester, 80.9ug/dl in IIIrd trimester. The mean serum calcium during Ist trimester was found to be 8.0 ug/dl, in the IInd trimester 7.2 ug/dl and in the IIIrd trimester 8.1ug/dl. Serum zinc in the Ist trimester 72.6 ug/dl, in the IInd trimester 70.1ug/dl, in the IIIrd trimester 66.7 ug/dl respectively. Iodine level during Ist, IInd, IIIrd trimester was found to be 122.5ug/dl, 149.1ug/d, 158.7ug/dl respectively.Conclusions: Our study shows that poor nutrition during pregnancy has been associated with adverse maternal and child outcomes such as increased risks of infertility, abortion, fetal intrauterine growth restriction and prenatal mortality

Comparison of biochemical and anthropometric parameters in complicated and uncomplicated severe acute malnutrition among children aged 6 to 59 months: a cross-sectional study

Aim: The frequency of severe acute malnutrition (SAM) is the highest in India. Although it should receive more attention, severe anemia is one of the comorbidities that increases mortality in children who are severely undernourished. In SAM children, the liver function test (LFT), kidney function test (KFT), and complete blood count (CBC) are deranged, but their correlation with the prognosis is not well defined. The aim was to describe the anthropometric assessment and biochemical profile of children with SAM. Methods: This cross-sectional cohort study was performed at the Departments of Paediatrics and Biochemistry at G.S.V.M. Medical College, Kanpur, and at the Department of Biotechnology at Amity University Rajasthan, Jaipur. One hundred and six patients with SAM were enrolled; 53 were grouped as complicated SAM (Group 1) (dehydration and severe dehydration) and 53 were diagnosed as non-complicated SAM (Group 2). Results: Group II had significantly higher mean values for height, weight, mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC), head circumference, and body mass index (BMI) for age percentile compared to Group I, with P-values of 0.001. Group I had a significantly lower level of hemoglobin (8.86 g/dL ± 2.21 g/dL) compared to Group II (10.0 g/dL ± 1.83 g/dL) with a P-value of 0.003. The difference in the frequency of anemia between the groups was statistically significant, with a P-value of 0.026. Anemia significantly increased the risk of complicated SAM with an odds ratio of 2.60 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.07–6.31, P = 0.001]. Conclusions: This study suggests that there may be a significant relationship between anemia and the development of complications in high-risk children with SAM

Knowledge and attitude towards emergency contraception in females of urban area of Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India

Background: Emergency contraception are birth control measures that, if taken after unprotected sexual intercourse, contraceptive failure, incorrect use of contraceptives or in cases of sexual assault may prevent pregnancy. The aim of the study was to assess the knowledge and attitude of female living in urban part of Lucknow district from September 2015 to August 2016.Methods: This was a descriptive, cross-sectional study conducted at RML Hospital, Lucknow from September 2015 to August 2016. A cross sectional study design was conducted and Participants were selected using simple random sampling method. Data was collected by using self-administered questionnaires. Data processing and analysis: The collected data was entered into a computer and analyzed using statistical package of social science version 20.0.Results: In this study it was found that, Out of 385 subjects 54% (209) new the correct time interval for EC to be effective and 91% (350) new that this is for prevention of unplanned pregnancy. Out of 385 subjects 77% (345) reported that they had heard the word EC from different sources, however 23% (90) reported that they never heard about that it means that still there is a scope of health awareness activities and health education to improve the knowledge of EC. Different attitudes of females towards emergency contraception some different pair of questions was asked. Out of 385 subjects 85% (329) were reported that they have positive attitudes in terms of benefits of EC to reduce the risk of unplanned pregnancy. A few number of subjects i.e. 12% (48) reported negative attitudes towards EC where as 3 % (8) did not respond. The more than half subjects i.e. 68% (260) reported that they use EC even if their partners disagreed with them where as 11% (41). Cultural belief was found as an barrier in having negative attitudes towards EC. The Religion, Occupation and educational status affect knowledge and attitudes towards EC.Conclusions: The results show that there is a scope of health awareness activities and health education to improve the knowledge and attitude towards EC

Evaluation of Micronutrients and Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines Levels in Nutritionally Deprived Children—A Tertiary Care Hospital-Based Study

Background: Severe acute malnutrition (SAM) is a significant public health problem in developing countries, including India, where a significant proportion of children suffer from malnutrition. Objective: This research aims to investigate the factors contributing to severe acute malnutrition (SAM). Additionally, the study seeks to explore the relationship between micronutrient levels and pro-inflammatory cytokines in SAM children with and without clinical complications. Furthermore, the effectiveness of antibiotic treatment in SAM children without complications is evaluated. Methods: The study involved three groups comprising 66 subjects each: a healthy control group, SAM children with complications, and SAM children without complications. Blood samples were collected, and various analyses were conducted, including biochemical, hematological, micronutrient, and pro-inflammatory marker quantification. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 22.0. Results: The results indicate that the levels of IL-6, CRP, and TNF-α were significantly higher in the SAM group with complications compared to both the control group and the SAM group without complications. Zinc and copper levels were significantly lower in both SAM groups compared to the control group, and a negative correlation was observed between zinc levels and inflammatory markers. The study also assessed the efficacy of antibiotic treatment in SAM children without complications by comparing their weight, height, weight-for-height, and weight-for-age at baseline and after a 15-day follow-up period. Significant improvements in these parameters were observed in both the group receiving antibiotic treatment and the group not receiving antibiotic treatment. Conclusion: The findings suggest that a combination of antibiotic treatment and nutritional support can lead to significant clinical improvements in SAM children without complications. This study has important implications for the management and treatment of SAM in India and other developing countries

Elucidating the origin of magnetic ordering in ferroelectric BaTiO3-delta thin film via electronic structure modification

With the motive of unraveling the origin of native vacancy induced magnetization in ferroelectric perovskite oxide systems, here we explore the consequences of electronic structure modification in magnetic ordering of oxygen deficient epitaxial BaTiO3-delta thin films. Our adapted methodology employs state-of-the-art experimental approaches viz. photoemission, photo-absorption spectroscopies, magnetometric measurements duly combined with first principles based theoretical methods within the frame work of density functional theory (DFT and DFT+U) calculations. Oxygen vacancy (O-V) is observed leading partial population of Ti 3d (t(2g)), which induces defect state in electronic structure near the Fermi level and reduces the band gap. The oxygen deficient BaTiO2.75 film reveals Mott-Hubbard insulator characteristic, in contrast to the band gap insulating nature of the stoichiometric BaTiO3. The observed magnetic ordering is attributed to the asymmetric distribution of spin polarized charge density in the vicinity of O-V site, which originates unequal magnetic moment values at first and second nearest neighboring Ti sites, respectively. Hereby, we present an exclusive method for maneuvering the band gap and on-site electron correlation energy with consequences on magnetic properties of BaTiO3-delta system, which can open a gateway for designing novel single phase multiferroic system

Microscopic insights of magnetism in Sm₂NiMnO₆ double perovskite

The functional characteristics of double perovskites with unique ferromagnetic-insulator ground state have been controversial due to the unavoidable presence of anti-site disorders (ASDs). Here, we aim to investigate the origin of magnetic ordering on local and global scales in Sm$_{2}$NiMnO$_{6}$ (SNMO) double perovskite system. Different calcination routes are exploited to generate different cation arrangements in SNMO and the corresponding magnetic configurations are examined using the high energy (E $\sim$0.3 eV) `hot neutrons', which has helped to overcome Sm absorption as well as to record total (Bragg's+diffuse) scattering profiles with high momentum transfer (Q$_{max} \sim$24 angstrom$^{-1}$). We have observed that the Ni-Mn sublattice adopts long range collinear ferromagnetic $F_{x}F_{z}$ structure with commensurate $k$=(0, 0, 0) propagation vector, below ordering temperature T $\lesssim$ 160 K, irrespective of variable ASD concentrations. In addition, the signatures indicating the antiparallel polarization of Sm paramagnetic moments with respect to Ni-Mn network, are noticed in the vicinity of anomalous magnetic transitions at T $\lesssim$ 35 K. The real space pair distribution function calculations have provided a direct visualization of ASDs by means of broadening in Ni/Mn-Mn/Ni linkage. Employing the Reverse Monte Carlo approach on diffuse magnetic scattering profiles, we have observed the negative spin-spin correlation function which suggests the Ni-Ni antiferromagnetic exchange interactions ranging up to first nearest neighbor distance. These results confirm that the existence of ASDs in cation ordered host matrix leads to competing ferromagnetic-antiferromagnetic phases in a broad temperature range, which quantitatively governs the temperature dependent bulk magnetic observables of SNMO system.Comment: 14 pages, 8 figures, and Supplementary Informatio