BACKGROUNDThe invention of antimicrobials emerged as a transformational turning point in the reduction of the burden of communicable disease in the 20 th century. Antimicrobials are among the most widely prescribed therapeutic agents across the world. The use of antibiotics among children is different from adults due to a number of reasons like a lack of data on pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, efficacy and safety of drugs, different physiological spectrum among different age groups-preterm neonates, full-term neonates, infants and toddlers, older children and adolescents, paediatrics populations being vulnerable to the majority of the illnesses and the adverse effect of irrational use of antimicrobials being more serious among children than adults. However, antibiotic use is not explored much in a paediatric population. Existing reports of population-based antibiotic use in children are relatively few, so the present study was carried out in Berhampur city with the objectives of finding out the pattern of oral antibiotic use in children in the outpatient setting of a tertiary care hospital.

BACKGROUND As per NFHS-4 data under 5 mortality in India is 50 and infant mortality rate is 41. Globally, neonatal deaths account for 41% of mortality in children under 5 years of age, rate that has been increasing over recent years. Hypothermia is an important cause of death in low birth weight (LBW) babies. 1 Neonatal hypothermia, defined as an abnormally low body temperature of under 36.5*C is a risk factor for newborn survival. The essential care of LBW includes maintenance of warmth to prevent hypothermia. Hypothermia is considered as a silent killer. 2 Infants born small or prematurely are recognized as needing more intense thermal protection. 3 Apart from intrinsic problems in LBW neonate, the thermal control in them is greatly influenced by knowledge and practice of caregivers specifically mother. 4 Objective-While hypothermia has long been recognized as a potential threat to newborn survival in resource-limited settings, it has not received sufficient attention. So there is a need of assessing the knowledge of mothers of LBW babies on prevention of hypothermia and to provide them the knowledge of cost effective thermal protection measures. A very few studies have been made in our institution SNCU which caters a good number of LBW neonate from south Odisha. MATERIALS AND METHODS It is a cross-sectional study using pre-tested, pre-structured questionnaire. 54 mothers having LBW babies admitted to SNCU of MKCG Medical College were included in study. Descriptive analytical statistics applied. RESULTS Out of 54 mothers 57% were from rural area, residing in nuclear family were 59%. Mothers attended hospital for confinement were 95% and 85% started breast feeding their babies. Only 44% had knowledge of keeping the baby warm by immediately wiping the baby. But no mother had knowledge of Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC). CONCLUSION However, simple strategies such as skin-to-skin care are not consistently practiced by many of mothers. Mothers still need more knowledge to prevent the baby from heat loss.

BACKGROUNDSickle Cell Disease (SCD) poses a considerable health burden in India. The sickle gene is widespread among many tribal population groups in India with prevalence of heterozygotes varying from 1-40 percent). The disease has multiple acute and chronic complications, including haemolytic crises, severe pain, renal complications, thromboembolic phenomenon and overwhelming infections; some complications of SCD generate high mortality. MATERIALS AND METHODSThis is a cross-sectional, hospital inpatient based, observational study. Convenience sampling technique was used to include 74 consecutively diagnosed cases of sickle cell disease children less than 14 years of age and suffering from fever. A blood culture was performed in each case prior to starting of antibiotics. RESULTSThe present study comprised of 74 children with confirmed sickle cell disease admitted to ward with fever. The largest numbers of cases were between 1 to 3 years age group. Febrile episodes decreased as the age advanced. Around 30% of febrile patients presented with cough followed by 24% with pain in limbs. Anaemia was the most common physical finding (92%) followed by splenomegaly in 86% cases. URTI being most common aetiology. Most common organism isolated by blood culture was Staph. aureus in 8 samples. CONCLUSIONAs because fever is a consistent finding in severe bacterial infections, extensive evaluation, early intervention in febrile SCD children may reduce the morbidity and mortality rates. Although, the greatest concern has traditionally been S. pneumoniae, effective vaccination has reduced its incidence. It is probably wise to treat all highly febrile children with sickle cell disease with antibiotics pending the results of blood culture. Strengthening of routine immunisation programme is needed.