Background: Neonatal hypothermia is increasingly recognized as a risk factor for newborn survival. World Health Organization (WHO) recommends maintaining a warm chain and skin-to-skin care for thermo-protection of newborn children. Since little is known about practices related to newborn hypothermia, this study’s goal was to assess the knowledge of mothers of newborns especially LBW babies on prevention of hypothermia and to provide them the knowledge of cost-effective thermal protection measures.Methods: It was a cross-sectional study using pre-tested, pre-structured questionnaire. 108 postnatal mothers having LBW babies admitted in postnatal wards of Government Medical College, Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir, India were included in the study and analysed using SPSS version 20.Results: Out of 108 mothers, maximum mothers were of age less than 25 years (51%), 60% were from rural area, residing in nuclear family were 62%. Mothers attended hospital for confinement were 95% and 85% started breast feeding their babies. 45% had knowledge of keeping the baby warm by immediately wiping the baby and only 3% mothers had knowledge of Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC).Conclusions: Understanding and addressing community-based practices on hypothermia, prevention and management might help to improve newborn survival in resource-limited settings. Possible interventions include the implementation of skin-to-skin care in rural areas and the use of appropriate, low-cost newborn warmers to prevent hypothermia and support families in their provision of newborn thermal protection. Training family members to support mothers in the provision of thermo-protection for their newborns could facilitate these practices. Those who fail to fully attend antenatal clinics should be targeted for newborn care education.

Background: India with 1.35 billion people is the second most populated country in the world next to China. Total fertility rate of India is 2.2 and the current total fertility rate of Jammu and Kashmir is 1.7 which is still lagging behind various states. This study was conducted to investigate the knowledge, attitude and practices of contraception in women of reproductive age in this set up.Methods: The present cross-sectional study was carried out in patients attending OPD (outpatient department) of Obstetrics and Gynecology at ASCOMS, Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir, India from 1st September 2017 to 31st August 2018. 200 married women aged between 18-49 years were included in this study. Socio-demographic characteristics of the women, their knowledge, attitude and practices on contraception were evaluated with the help of predesigned questionnaire.Results: Out of 200 women, maximum respondents belong to age group of 21-25 years (75.6%). Most of the contraceptive non-users belongs to age below 20 years (62.5%). Majority of respondents were Hindu (70.37%), maximum studied up to secondary level education (84.61%), 70.30% were housewives and 56.58% belongs to middle class. In 45% of respondents, media was the main source of information. Preferred spacing method was condom in 85% of cases. 68% women had knowledge of female sterilization. According to most women, family planning methods are meant for limitations of birth (43%) and 36% meant for spacing of birth. 80% women had positive attitude towards contraceptive usage. 50% experienced side effects with the use of contraceptives. The most common side effect was menstrual irregularities in 25% of cases. Most common reason for not using contraceptive methods among non-respondents were lack of knowledge in 50% of cases.Conclusions: The study showed that inspite of having good knowledge, utilization of contraceptives were less because of large family norm, religious myth, cultural and political barriers. Ignorance regarding use and side effects of various contraceptive methods is another reason for inadequate practice of family planning methods.

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Background: Poisoning is a common preventable cause of morbidity and mortality in children. Most of the poisoning in children less than 5 years of age is accidental. Not much of Indian data is available particularly from this part of the country. So, authors conducted a retrospective hospital record-based study to know clinical profile and outcome of children presenting with poisoning in our set up. The objective was to study clinical profile, outcome of childhood poisoning and intoxication in Jammu District (Jammu and Kashmir) IndiaMethods: This was a retrospective hospital record-based study done in patients who were admitted in pediatric wards and pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) of SMGS Hospital Jammu with history of ingestion of poison or intoxication or envenomation from January 2017 to December 2017. The data collected was analyzed with SPSS 12.0 software. Demographic and etiological factors were retrospectively recorded and analyzed.Results: There were 227 children enrolled in study with an incidence of 0.99%. Male: female ratio was 1.2:1. Most of the children were asymptomatic and majority of them arrived to the hospital in less than 2 h. The majority of our patients 115 (50.66%) were in the 13-18 years age group. Organophosphorus poisoning was the commonest poisoning seen in 51 (57.30%) patients followed by snake bite 29 (55.77%), insect bite 17 (32.69%), Phenol 14 (77.78%), kerosene 11 (12.36%) and rat poison 10 (11.23%). Alcohol problem occurred in 9 (24.32%) cases. The most frequent cause of suicide attempt were school problems, followed by conflict in the family. Route of poisoning was ingestion in 173 (76.21%) cases followed by bites 53 (23.35%) and inhalation in 1 (0.44%) case. Vomiting 105 (46.25%) was the predominant clinical feature. Aspiration pneumonia 17 (43.59%) followed by respiratory failure 7 (17.95%) were the most common complications. During treatment 67 (27.91%) received gastric lavage and 28 (12.33%) received antidotes. Overall survival was 210 (92.51%), among remaining cases 2 (0.88%) cases died in hospital and 15 (6.61%) cases left against medical adviceConclusions: Parental health education will decrease the occurrence of childhood poisoning. Along with the parents and teachers, media also should take active steps to educate the rural population about the preventive measures from bite, stings and handling of poisonous agents.

Background: Congenital heart defects (CHDs) are an important cause of mortality and morbidity in children representing a major global health burden. Not much of Indian data is available particularly from this part of the country. So, authors conduct a retrospective study to know the spectrum of congenital heart disease in our set up.Methods: A retrospective hospital based study was carried out in the neonatal intensive care unit of SMGS Hospital, Jammu from January 2017 until December 2017 to see the spectrum of CHD.Results: There were 5552 neonates admitted during the study period out of which 68 were found to have CHD. The prevalence was 12.24 per 1000 admitted neonates. Out of 68 admitted neonates, 41were males (60.3 %) and 27 females (39.7%). Clinically Respiratory distress (51.47%) was the commonest presenting symptom followed by Cyanosis (16.18%), refusal of feed (13.23%) and murmer (10.3%).46 (67.65%) newborn had acyanotic and 22 (32.35%) cyanotic congenital heart lesions. Ventricular septal defect (27.94%) was the commonest acyanotic congenital heart defects whereas Tetrology of Fallot (14.70%) was the commonest cyanotic congenital heart diseases. Cleft lip and Cleft Palate was found in 12.5% followed by Down’s syndrome in 3.57% of cases of newborns with CHD. The mode of delivery was spontaneous in 64.71% followed by Elective LSCS were 23.53% and Emergency LSCS were 11.76%.Conclusions: There is an urgent need for government and non‑government organizations to establish well‑equipped cardiothoracic surgical centers across the country especially in Jammu to cater for children with CHDs.