Hydroxyurea, a myelosuppressive agent, is the only effective drug proven to reduce the frequency of painful episodes. It raises the level of HbF and the haemoglobin level. It usually decreases the rate of painful episodes by 50 %. It was first tested in sickle cell disease in 1984. It also decreases the rate of ACS episodes and blood transfusions by *50 % in adults. It was developed as an anticancer drug and has been used to treat myeloproliferative syndromes-leukemia, melanoma, and ovarian cancer. It was approved for use by FDA in adults. Side effects includes neutropenia, bone marrow suppression, elevation of hepatic enzymes, anorexia, nausea, vomiting and infertility.

Background: Tuberculosis is deadliest disease killing nearly 2 million people every year. Before the etiologic cause of TB was determined by Koch, cod liver oil and sunlight, both sources of vitamin D, were used in treatment of tuberculosis. After discovery of antibiotics, anti-infectious value of vitamin D was ignored until increasing cost of antibiotics and rise in resistance led to the need to search for alternative and antibiotic-independent therapeutic strategies. This study shed light on vitamin D, which is very safe and inexpensive by adding vitamin D to antibiotic treatment, immune system can be boosted to help body to clear TB, rather than relying on antibiotics.Methods: A prospective, observational, comparative study in which 62 TB patients were taken and vitamin D level were estimated.Results: The results of study show that out of total 62 patients, 31 (50.00%) had deficient(<20ng/ml) vitaminD,23(37.10%) had insufficient(20-30ng/ml) vitamin D, 8(12.90%) had sufficient (>30ng/ml) vitamin D level. Out of 62 patients, 10(62.13%) had severe variety of TB and 52(83.87%) had  nonsevere TB. Among the 52 patients, 24(46.2%) had deficient vitamin D, 20(38.5%) had insufficient vitamin D and 8(15.4%) had sufficient vitamin D. Among the 10 patients with severe TB, 7(70.00%) had deficient vitamin D, 3(30.00%) had insufficient vitamin D and none had sufficient vitamin D level.Conclusions: Majority of children with tuberculosis demonstrated low serum levels of vitamin D (deficient and insufficient levels) suggest that vitamin D deficiency is  risk factor of tuberculosis and very low levels of vitamin D were noted in severe variant of TB then non severe suggest that in severe form of tuberculosis vitamin D levels were less compared to nonsevere variant.

Background: Low Birth Weight newborns are either Preterm or IUGR. These both have different morbidities and outcomes. KMC is an effective intervention for LBW infants. Here authors study the effectiveness of KMC in preterm babies and full term IUGR babies.Methods: Prospective, Observational, comparative study in which 50 Preterm AGA and 50 Term IUGR included which are hemodynamically stable. effective KMC given and their daily weight gain were observed.Results: Term IUGR having average birthweight is 2083.7±177.9 gm and discharge weight 2179.4±183.8 and preterm AGA are having average birthweight 1972.9±198.9gm and weight on discharge 1962.2±201.0. IUGR term newborns had mean weight loss for 0.90±1.05 days with mean weight loss of 17.94±28.8 grams with average weight loss of 0.9% followed by mean weight gain of 26.6±14.2 grams per day for mean 4.36±0.74 days. Preterm AGA shows weight loss for 3.54±1.5 days with mean weight loss of 98.06±80.83 grams and average 5.4% followed by mean weight gain of 20.4±8.9 grams 4.22±0.97 per day for mean 4.36±0.74 days. With average hospital stay of 5.26±1.2 and 7.76±1.51 days respectively for Term IUGR and Preterm AGA.Conclusions: KMC helps in decreasing the morbidities, achieving physiological weight gain and early discharge in both IUGR term and preterm AGA new-borns but maintaining their physiological pattern of weight gain.