A Study on Assessment of Impact of Home Confinement and Associated Risk Factors During COVID-19 Lockdown Among Disabled Children in Chennai District, Tamil Nadu- A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Sleep plays an important role in our life. Adolescents undergo several changes with puberty and have a preference for later bedtimes due to internet usage. Evidence shows that many adolescents are not ob-taining the required amounts of sleep (8-10 hours) due to inadequate sleep practices. The objectives of this research were tostudy sleep-pattern among adolescents in Semi urban Coimbatore and also to determine the sleep hygiene practices among the adolescents Methodology: This study is a school based cross-sectional study. A total of 300 adolescents from class VIII to XIIth were selected using simple random sampling. Data was collected from February to May 2018. A struc-tured questionnaire for sleep pattern and Sleep Hygiene Index was used. Results: The adolescents’ mean sleep duration was 7.49 ± 1.12 hours on weekdays and 9.32 ± 1.55 hours on weekends. Mean Sleep Pattern Index (SPI) score was 22.48±6.9 and Mean Sleep Hygiene Index (SHI) score was 17.51±6.3 in our study. Conclusions: Majority of the adolescents had moderate scores of sleep pattern and sleep hygiene practices. Interventions directed towards promoting good sleep hygiene strategies are required to improve the physical and emotional health of adolescents.

Meckel-Gruber syndrome.

Meckel- Gruber syndrome is a rare lethal, autosomal disorder. It has been linked to chromosome 17. It consists of a triad of occipital meningoencephalocoele, large polycystic kidneys and post-axial polydactyly. Death is mainly due to pulmonary hypoplasia. We report this rare case which presented with many associated defects.

Pattern of cardiac diseases in children in Pokhara, Nepal.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to point out the relative public health problems of cardiac diseases in childhood. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A study of the cardiac diseases in children attending the Paediatric OPD of Manipal Teaching Hospital, Pokhara, Nepal was done over a period of 2 years. The idea was to see the pattern of diseases, as being a developing country, these diseases would be a large public health problem. 107 cases had been studied and it was found that 52% were congenital heart diseases and 25% were rheumatic heart diseases. Other cases included dilated cardiomyopathy, Pericardial diseases and a few cases of hypertension. All the cases were investigated by ECG, X-ray and echocardiographic studies. These cases are under follow up and some have undergone surgical treatment. RESULTS: In this study in a short period of 2 years we had 107 cases of heart diseases of which 51% were CHD, 25% RHD and others were pericardial disease, DCM, hypertension and some had no demonstrable lesions. All the cases of RHD are being followed by regular Penicillin prophylaxis. Among them one has had mitral valve replacement done and 2 had mitral valvotomy. Of the CHD cases 5 cases have had VSD operated upon, one PDA also had surgery and one case of Fallot's is shortly going to undergo corrective surgery. CONCLUSION: Heart disease in neonates could be benign or very significant and a high level of suspicion and knowledge of physiology will differentiate between the two. Early recognition of CHD will help to treat the child and if possible get corrective surgery done. Similarly a history of rheumatic fever is important and all children need to be followed up till at least 18 years of age.