Domestic violence in pregnancy in North Indian women.

BACKGROUND: Domestic violence against pregnant women in the Indian context, violence against women is frequently by family members other than the spouse/intimate partner/husband. AIMS: To study the incidence of domestic violence in pregnant North Indian women and the demographic features which put women at high risk for domestic violence. STUDY DESIGN: A prospective study at the Government Medical College and Hospital, Chandigarh from January 2004 to December 2004. PARTICIPANTS: Nine hundred and ninety-one pregnant women admitted to the pregnant women admitted to the antenatal ward were interviewed. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Test of significance used was Chi-square test. Odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated. RESULTS: The incidence of domestic violence in this study was 28.4%. The violence was more when the husband was educated up to Class 10 level or lower (OR 2.07 (95%) CI 1.54 to 2.79), was habituated to alcohol (OR 2.31 (95%) CI 1 - 71 to 3.11) or to chewing tobacco (OR 2.77 (95%) CI 1.46 to 3.27) or to smoking cigarettes (OR 2.23 (95%) CI 1.59 to 3.11). The incidence of domestic violence was drastically high in women who were socially unsupported (OR 98.9 (95%) CI 43.65 to 235.68). The level of education and employment of the woman had no effect on the incidence of the abuse. The perpetrator of the abuse was the intimate partner (husband) in 48.2%, the husband's mother in 61.3%, and the husband's sister in 22.6%. Most often the abuse was by more than one person. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of abuse was more when the male partner was less educated or in the habit of taking alcohol, opium or tobacco and in socially unsupported women. The level of education and employment of the woman had no effect on the incidence of abuse.

Study of some common biochemical bone turnover markers in postmenopausal women.

Markers of bone formation in serum include total and bone specific alkaline phosphatase, osteocalcin and Type 1 collagen carboxy terminal extension peptide. Bone resorption can be assessed by measuring plasma tartarate resistant acid phosphtase and urinary excretion of collagen degradation products: hydroxyproline, hydroxylysine glycosides and more recently the pyridinium crosslinks and associated peptides. We compared the excretion of hydroxyproline in women of reproductive age group to those of menopausal age group and found a significant difference in the two age groups. Urinary hydroxyproline was found to be significantly raised in post menopausal women. Thus hydroxyproline maybe used as the earliest indicator in the prognostic assessment of postmenopausal women of their risk of developing osteoporosis and fracture.

Vaginal birth of conjoined thoracopagus--a rare event.

An extremely rare case of vaginal birth of preterm conjoined thoracopagus twins diagnosed after delivery is being described and brief review of literature discussed.

Multicystic encephalomalacia.

Antepartum death of a fetus in a multiple gestation can be associated with mortality or major morbidity in the survivor. This article reports a rare case of multicystic encephalomalacia that occurred in the survivor twin with antepartum death of its co-twin. Its pathology and pathogenesis are discussed with review of literature.

Burden of chronic severe anemia in obstetric patients in rural north India.

There were 5124 deliveries during January to December 2000 and of these 386 patients (7.53%) were severely anemic (Hb < 6.0 g/dl). 1083 units of blood were transfused to these patients, a mean of 2.80 units to each patient. There were 2 maternal deaths due to severe anemia. Of the 386 patients, 246 could be interviewed in detail and their demographic details were compared with 100 normal pregnant women with haemoglobin levels of 10 g/dl or more. In the anemic group 81.7% were illiterate, 62.1% had no antenatal check, 78.8% had no access to safe drinking water 90.65% had no toilet facilities and used open fields for defaecation, 63.1% reported having diarrhoea and pain in abdomen off and on. 20.73% reported history of passage of worms in the stools. History of previous menorrhagia was present only in 1.2%. The comparable figures in the non-anaemic group were 34% illiterate, 24% no antenatal checkup, 55% no toilet facilities, 38% unsafe drinking water, 6% diarrhoea, 2% (worms in stools) and 5% menorrhagia. Hence it is concluded that along with prophylaxis with iron and folic acid sufficient consideration should be given to sanitation facilities, safe drinking water, recurrent gastrointestinal infection etc.