Background: In developing countries like India, the adolescents constituting one fourth of population are not given the due importance in terms of resource allocation on health care or research. Thus, painting a lopsided picture of adolescent’s health and nutritional status is not truly reflective of ground realities. The objective of this study was to assess the nutritional status of the adolescent community residing in rural block and the prevalence of anemia among these adolescents.Methods: The study was a community based cross sectional survey among adolescents of 10 to 19 years of both sexes, from October 2004 to March 2006. Nutritional status, hemoglobin and prevalence of anemia were observed.Results: Under nutrition was found to be a significant problem in both sexes of rural adolescents. Anemia was more common in female than in male in both school going and non-school going.Conclusions: The significant number of anemic is in the middle adolescent age group, could be explained by the fact that menarche is attained around 12 years and the first few cycles are irregular with increased blood loss. So, any policy towards low birth weight and neonatal mortality needs the policy makers to make a note of this alarming trend of anemia among adolescent girls.

Background: Very low birth weight (VLBW) infants present one of the greatest medical and ethical challenges to the medical field. Although they represent a small percentage of overall birth and NICU admissions, VLBW infants are often the most critically ill and at the highest risk for mortality and long-term morbidity of any NICU patients. The present study was conducted with aim to find out the maternal risk factors related to VLBW of newborn.Methods: This prospective case control study was conducted in Govt. R.S.R.M Lying in Hospital, which is affiliated to Stanley Medical College, during the period from January 2005- December 2005. The data related to maternal and new born variables were collected and evaluated by using Chi square test. P value less than 0.05 was considered as statistically significant.Results: The incidence of VLBW newborns was found to be 2.08%. The most common cause of VLBW is preterm delivery (84%). Maternal factors like age, weight, parity, literacy, mid arm circumference, income, bad obstetric history of the mother and birth interval showed a significant association with the incidence of VLBW of the infants (P <0.05). Antenatal visits, maternal occupation and maternal disease had no significant (P >0.05) influence on the delivery of VLBW babies.Conclusions: In the present study, incidence of VLBW was associated with the maternal factors like age, parity, literacy, nutritional status, income, birth interval and previous history of bad obstetrics. Hence, the study concludes that pregnant women need to be careful of all these above factors so as to avoid VLBW babies.