Background: Early detection of congenital heart disease is of paramount importance to improve the quality of life of children and prevent morbidity and mortality. Congenital heart disease (CHD) is one of the major causes of mortality and morbidity in the pediatric population of both the developing and developed countries. Present aim was to study the prevalence, age and sex wise distribution, and clinical spectrum of congenital heart disease (CHD) at Sopore, Kashmir, North India.Methods: Around 39829 children in the age group 0 months to 18 years were screened for Defects at birth, Diseases in children, Deficiency conditions and Developmental Delays including Disabilities over the period of 18 months under RBSK. Clinical examination, echocardiography and color Doppler were used as diagnostic tools.Results: A prevalence of 5.3 per 1000 population was observed. VSD (ventricular septal defect) was the commonest lesion (30.1%), followed by PDA (patent ductus arteriosus) in 21.6 % and ASD (atrial septal defect) in 20.2%. Tetralogy of Fallot was the commonest cyanotic heart disease (8.0%). Maximum numbers of children with heart disease were diagnosed in the age group 6 weeks to 6 years.Conclusions: For better estimation of prevalence of congenital heart diseases, more elaborate community-based studies are needed. Such community based studies can be easily done by collecting and analyzing data collected from screening programs like RBSK. Such community based screening programs helps in detecting silent cardiac ailments, their prevalence and pattern, and early therapeutic intervention. A few prevalence studies have been carried out piecemeal in different locations of India; and more such studies can be easily done by collecting and analyzing data collected under RBSK screening program.

Background: Cerebral palsy is a common pediatric disorder occurring in about 2-2.5/1000 live births. It is a chronic motor disorder resulting from a non-progressive static insult to the developing brain. There are various risk factors associated with it. Also it is accompanied with varied comorbidities and MRI findings depending on the etiology. Aims and objectives: To study the various risk factors, comorbidities and MRI findings in patients with cerebral palsy patients. Methods: A hospital based observational study was undertaken in the post graduate department of pediatrics, GB pant hospital, GMC Srinagar, Northern India. The study was carried out over a period of one year from September, 2009 to August 2010. During this year 22036 patients were admitted in this hospital, of which 2077 (9.42%) were neurological cases. Of these 2077 neurological cases, 145 (6.98%) were cerebral palsy patients, however only 57 children were included in our study. Other 88 CP cases were excluded as they were not fulfilling the inclusion criteria. After thorough clinical history and examination relevant investigations were done including MRI brain. Results: The commonest type of CP was spastic diplegia 28 (49.1%). Other types were spastic quadriplegia in 11 (19.29%), spastic hemiplegia 11 (19.29%), choreoathetoid 4 (7.01%) & mixed in 3 (5.29%). Seizures 27 (47.36%), aspiration pneumonia and bronchopneumonia 8 (14.03%) each were the commonest comorbidities associated. Most common risk factors for cerebral palsy in our study were prematurity and perinatal asphyxia in 7 (31.8%) each. Other risk factors in decreasing order of frequency were, pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH) in mothers 5 (29.41%), multiple gestations 5 (29.41%), neonatal meningitis 4 (18.18%), hypothyroidism in mothers 3 (17.64%), toxoplasmosis 2 (1.76%), rubella 2 (11.76%), maternal diabetes mellitus 2 (3.5%), neonatal hyperbilirubinemia 3 (13.6%) and neonatal seizure in 1 (1.75%). MRI was abnormal in 49 (85.96%) patients with PVL in 22 (38.59%), cortical atrophy in 7 (12.22%), post HIE changes in 4 (7.01%),followed by basal ganglion lesions, lissencephaly, porencephalic cyst , schizencephaly cortical dysplasia, dilated ventricles and infarctions. Conclusions: The commonest type of CP was spastic diplegia 28 (49.1%), followed by spastic quadriplegia, spastic hemiplegia, choreoathetoid and mixed. Most common risk factors for cerebral palsy in our study were prematurity and perinatal asphyxia, followed by Pregnancy Induced Hypertension (PIH) in mothers, multiple gestations, neonatal meningitis, hypothyroidism in mothers, toxoplasmosis, rubella, maternal diabetes mellitus, neonatal hyperbilirubinemia and neonatal seizure. Seizures, aspiration pneumonia and bronchopneumon were the commonest comorbidities associated. MRI was abnormal in 49 (85.96%) patients with PVL, cortical atrophy, post HIE changes being the most common changes followed by basal ganglion lesions, lissencephaly porencephalic cyst, schizencephaly, cortical dysplasia, dilated ventricles and infarctions.

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