Nocturnal hypertension and left ventricular hypertrophy in pediatric renal transplant recipients in South India.

HTN after renal transplantation is associated with cardiovascular morbidity. ABPM allows diagnosis of masked HTN and isolated nocturnal HTN. Longitudinal ABPM data in children post-transplant are limited.

Exclusive breastfeeding practices among mothers in urban slum settlements: pooled analysis from three prospective birth cohort studies in South India.

Background: The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends six months of exclusive breastfeeding. Despite documented health, social and economic benefits, the practice of exclusive breastfeeding is quite low and information on influencing factors is limited especially from slum settlements. Our goal is to assess the prevalence and evaluate factors associated with early cessation of exclusive breastfeeding in the first six months of life among mothers in urban slums of Vellore, Southern India.

Natural History of Cryptosporidiosis in a Birth Cohort in Southern India.

Background: Cryptosporidium is a leading cause of moderate to severe childhood diarrhea in resource-poor settings. Understanding the natural history of cryptosporidiosis and the correlates of protection are essential to develop effective and sustainable approaches to disease control and prevention.

Methods: Children (N = 497) were recruited at birth in semiurban slums in Vellore, India, and followed for 3 years with twice-weekly home visits.

Measuring Poverty in Southern India: A Comparison of Socio-Economic Scales Evaluated against Childhood Stunting.

Introduction: Socioeconomic status (SES) scales measure poverty, wealth and economic inequality in a population to guide appropriate economic and public health policies. Measurement of poverty and comparison of material deprivation across nations is a challenge. This study compared four SES scales which have been used locally and internationally and evaluated them against childhood stunting, used as an indicator of chronic deprivation, in urban southern India.

Molecular Identification of Hookworm Isolates in Humans, Dogs and Soil in a Tribal Area in Tamil Nadu, India.

Background: Hookworms (Necator americanus and Ancylostoma duodenale) remain a major public health problem worldwide. Infections with hookworms (e.g.

Comparison of fieldworker interview and a pictorial diary method for recording morbidity of infants in semi-urban slums.

Background: Cohort studies conducted in low-income countries generally use trained fieldworkers for collecting data on home visits. In industrialised countries, researchers use less resource intensive methods, such as self-administered structured questionnaires or symptom diaries. This study compared and assessed the reliability of the data on diarrhoea, fever and cough/cold in children as obtained by a pictorial diary maintained by the mother and collected separately by a fieldworker.

The first 1000 days of life: prenatal and postnatal risk factors for morbidity and growth in a birth cohort in southern India.

Objective: To estimate the burden and assess prenatal and postnatal determinants of illnesses experienced by children residing in a semiurban slum, during the first 1000 days of life.

Design: Community-based birth cohort

Setting: Southern India

Participants: Four hundred and ninety-seven children of 561 pregnant women recruited and followed for 2 years with surveillance and anthropometry.

Main Outcome Measure: Incidence rates of illness; rates of clinic visits and hospitalisations; factors associated with low birth weight, various illnesses and growth.