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Citrullinemia type 1 was diagnosed by tandem mass spectrometry in a full term male neonate who presented with an acute catastrophic collapse on the 3rd day of life. Both parents were identified to be carriers for the exon 15 p Gly390Arg mutation in the argininosuccinate synthetase gene located at chromosome 9q34.1. Chorionic villus sampling and prenatal genetic testing in the subsequent pregnancy revealed an affected fetus resulting in termination of pregnancy.

Scarabiasis is a condition where beetles temporarily infest the digestive tract and the scarabes are identified in the fly away from the anus at the time of the defecation. This article highlights this rare problem of scarabiasis in a 4 year old girl that responded to bowel cleansing and personal hygienic measures.

From August 2004 to July 2005 at Coimbatore Medical College Hospital, Tamilnadu, the process of issuing well baby certificate to 1668 babies of 1658 mothers electing to undergo puerperal sterilization within a week of delivery was analyzed. 1553 babies (93.1%) were issued well baby certificates. Certificates were deferred in 88 babies (5.3%) and it was refused in 27 (1.6%). Reasons are analyzed and discussed.

To obtain birthweight standards for south Indian babies.Prospective cohort study.A tertiary care hospital in south India.Data from 11, 641 singleton live births between 1991 and 1994 were used to calculate smoothed gestation specific birthweight centiles for four categories based on sex of the infant and birth order. Smoothed gestation specific birthweight centiles were also calculated for all births between 37-41 weeks without adjustments for sex of infant or birth order. Data for births between 37 and 41 weeks were reanalysed using non-adjusted birthweight centiles and birthweight centiles adjusted for sex and birth order to determine misclassification of data. Multiple regression analysis was used to determine the influence of various variables on birthweight.Factors influencing birthweight were gestation at birth, sex of infant, birth order and maternal height. A quadratic equation including these variables and the square of the gestational age explained 18% of variation in birthweight. Female infants were on the average 113 g (95% CI 26-200 g) lighter than male infants. Later born babies were on the average 130 g (95% CI 40-220 g) heavier than first born babies. Therefore significant misclassification of infants occurred when non-adjusted birthweight centiles were used. Babies born to women whose heights were outside the interquartile range (150-158 cm) were 81 g lighter or heavier than those born to women within this range.Birthweight centiles for gestation when used should be adjusted for birth order, sex of infant and maternal height.