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Aim and Objective: To determine the efficacy of antenatal corticosteroids given in the late preterm period. Methodology: We conducted a retrospective case–control study on patients with singleton pregnancies who were at a risk of delivering in the late preterm period (34 weeks to 36 weeks 6 days). A total of 126 patients who had received antenatal corticosteroids (prenatal administration of either betamethasone or dexamethasone, minimum one dose) during the late preterm period were taken as cases, and 135 patients who had not received steroids antenatally due to various reasons, for example, who were clinically unstable, presented with active bleeding, non-reassuring foetal status that obligated an imminent delivery and those in active labour were included as controls. The various neonatal outcomes like APGAR score at one and five minutes, incidence of admission and duration of stay in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), respiratory morbidity, requirement of assisted ventilation, intraventricular haemorrhage (IVH) necrotizing enterocolitis, transient tachypnea of the newborn, respiratory distress syndrome, use of surfactant, neonatal hypoglycaemia, hyperbilirubinemia requiring phototherapy, sepsis and neonatal mortality were compared between the two groups. Results: The baseline characteristics of both groups were comparable. There was a lower incidence of admissions to neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) (15% vs. 26%, p = 0.05), respiratory distress syndrome (5% vs. 13%, p = 0.04), requirement of invasive ventilation (0% vs. 4%, p = 0.04) and hyperbilirubinemia requiring phototherapy (24% vs. 39%, p = 0.02) in the babies of the group that received steroids compared to the control group. The rate of overall respiratory morbidity in the neonates was lowered after giving steroids (16% vs. 28%, p = 0.04). The incidence of neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis, hypoglycaemia, IVH, TTN, sepsis and mortality between the two groups was not significant (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Antenatal corticosteroids administered to patients between 34 and 36 weeks 6 days of gestation reduce respiratory morbidity, requirement of invasive ventilation, respiratory distress syndrome, hyperbilirubinemia requiring phototherapy and the incidence of NICU admissions in the newborns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study was conducted to determine whether antenatal mothers in Sikkim have adequate knowledge about awareness, attitude, and preventive practices regarding HIV infection. Methods: Cross-sectional study using structured questionnaire. 220 Antenatal mothers attending the outpatient department of Central Referral Hospital of Sikkim were taken for the study for a period of 1 year from April 2011 to April 2012. Questionnaire form filled by pregnant women during their first antenatal visit was the source of data for this study. Systematic sampling technique was used where every alternate pregnant women registering for ANC visit were voluntarily recruited into the study. Results: 2.27 % (5) women had not heard about HIV. 84 % (38) women had the knowledge that HIV was related to STI, while 50 % (110) did not. Television was the best method of increasing the knowledge (48 %). 68 % (150) of the women were aware about mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV during antenatal period. Only 2.66 % (6) women knew that HIV can be transmitted to child through breast milk. 90 % (198) knew that HIV is spread by having unsafe sex, 48 % (106) women knew using condoms would protect against it. 69.4 % (153) women wanted partner testing, and 84 % (185) of women consented that all pregnant women should be tested for HIV. Conclusions: The current study revealed high levels of knowledge, positive attitude, and preventive practices regarding HIV; however, this population lacked knowledge about MTCT and its prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]