Studies to date demonstrated the relatedness of mid‐upper arm circumference (MUAC) measurement of pregnant women to their anthropometry/weight. Hence, the objective was to determine whether maternal MUAC at different gestational age predicted birthweight, and if so, to identify which cut‐offs provided the best prediction of low birthweight (LBW) in pregnant women cohort. A total of 928 pregnant women, free of any obstetrical and medical complications known to affect fetal growth, were followed from 20 to 24 weeks' gestation till delivery. Weight, height, and MUAC were determined for the pregnant women, and gestational age along with newborns anthropometry was collected. The mean birthweight was 2.6 ± 0.460 kg. Maternal age, height, weight, MUAC (three time points), gestational age at delivery, and post‐natal weight showed positive correlation with birthweight, crown heel length, and head circumference of the neonates. The cut‐off limit with the best sensitivity–specificity (54.0 and 59.8, respectively) for MUAC was 23 cm, whereas maternal weight of 55 kg had sensitivity and specificity of 62.5 and 59.9 for predicting LBW. Maternal weight of 55 kg and MUAC value of 23 cm had almost similar sensitivity and specificity for predicting LBW. MUAC (≤23 cm) can be considered as a potential indicator of LBW where weighing of pregnant women is not feasible or when presentation for antenatal care is late, especially where pre‐pregnancy weights are not available.

Background and Aims: In the past decade, unmanned aerial systems (UASs), commonly known as drones, have found applications not only in military and agriculture but also in the transportation of medical supplies. Purpose: The present study was conducted to assess the practicality of utilizing drones as a mode for the delivery of vaccines to combat the challenges. Study Design: An exploratory study. Methodology: Due to the COVID‐19 pandemic restrictions and paucity of availability of rules and regulations related to drones in India in 2021, this study was conducted as a exploratory study for which number of regulatory approvals are obtained and it involves five drone missions within the premises of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur, India on a confined airstrip of 3 km ² to transport simulated vaccine vials using a multi‐rotor top‐load UAS in the normal weather conditions in daylight where dummy vaccine vials (COVID‐19) were packed with cool packs to maintain the temperature. Study was conducted to explore feasibility to carry vaccines through drones and any environmental impact on the vaccine vials while its transportation. Results: The drones demonstrated a maximum flight endurance of 31 min while carrying a payload of up to 4.5 Kg, covering an aerial distance of 17 km at an average speed ranging at 12 m per second. Notably, the vaccine carrier box was able to maintain a recommended temperature of 3°C–4°C throughout the transportation process, and there is no impact of vibration on the physical integrity and leakage of the vaccine vials during flight. Conclusions: These findings signify the potential for the drone‐based medical supply deliveries across confined and controlled environment conditions. This study provides the insights that there is no environmental impact such as humidity, temperature, wind etc on the drone and no impact on vibrations on the physical integrity and leakage of the dummy vaccine vials. There were few regulatory barriers that required special approvals from concerned authorities. The study was not designed to assess for cost‐effectiveness, also it was conducted in defined geography so all sorties were VLOS. Study has various limitations such as using simulated vaccine vials, regulatory barriers, operational barriers etc. Conducting the study in a controlled environment at IIT Kanpur limits generalizability. In spite of these limitations this study provides valuable insights and may explore a diverse environment that can help in strengthening health services especially in difficult terrains.

WHO's International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) has 17 primary registries that collect the information on the minimum set of items of trial information that appear in the register and these registries are also endorsed by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors. The objective of this study is to describe the profile of all the primary registries including Clinical Trial Registry‑India (CTRI), through features such as magnitude, domain of registration, flagging, audit trail, language, mandatory requirements, and result disclosure. The profiling of all registries was based on countries and zones, year of establishment, registrant, flagging, conflict of interest, language, documents, result disclosure, type of study, mode of registration, mandate of registration, quality check method, individual patient data statement and translation of content facility. The mode of search used was online which included advanced search, basic search and also from the audio/video manual on their website. There are 17 primary registries of ICTRP, the first one International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number (ISRCTN) of England being initiated in year 2000 and the most recent being Lebanese registry, in September 2019. The trials registered with these registries range from 301 in Cuba to 53972 in European union's EU Clinical Trials Register. The primary registries in WHO registry network are diverse in functionalities and practices. The characteristics of online registers vary in content and features and to achieve coordinated level of data quality, across all the different registries and to keep a balance in standards of the data collected and validation of that data, the registries are adhering to the minimum data set items laid down by ICTRP. The very process of registering the clinical studies helps in promoting the research methods and also raising the standards of research, especially among young researchers. It also helps in reducing the duplicity of research.

Background/Objectives: Globally, the COVID-19 pandemic and its prevention and control policies have impacted maternal and child health (MCH) services. This study documents the challenges faced by patients in accessing MCH services, and the experiences of health care providers in delivering those services during the COVID-19 outbreak, explicitly focusing on the lockdown period in India. Methods: A cross-sectional study (rapid survey) was conducted in 18 districts from 6 states of India during March to June, 2020. The sample size included 540 MCH patients, 18 gynaecologists, 18 paediatricians, 18 district immunisation officers and 108 frontline health workers. Bivariate analysis and multivariable analysis were used to assess the association between sociodemographic characteristics, and challenges faced by the patients. Results: More than one-third of patients (n = 212; 39%) reported that accessing MCH services was a challenge during the lockdown period, with major challenges being transportation-related difficulties (n = 99; 46%) unavailability of hospital-based services (n = 54; 23%) and interrupted outreach health services (n = 39; 18.4%). The supply-side challenges mainly included lack of infrastructural preparedness for outbreak situations, and a shortage of human resources. Conclusions/Recommendations: A holistic approach is required that focuses on both preparedness and response to the outbreak, as well reassignment and reinforcement of health care professionals to continue catering to and maintaining essential MCH services during the pandemic.

Background: Perinatal mortality (PM) is linked to maternal and neonatal healthcare and the socioeconomic and bio-demographic attributes of the mother and family. Aim: This study assesses the trends and risk factors of PM in India from 2005 to 2021. Materials and Methods: Analysing the data from three rounds of National Family Health Surveys (NFHS), the study examined socio-demographic and biological predictors of Perinatal for children who died within 7 days of birth after 28 weeks of gestation. Results: India’s Perinatal rate (PNMR) declined by 33.3%, from 48 per 1000 live births in NFHS-3–32 per 1000 in NFHS-5. States such as Goa, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan showed reductions exceeding 50%, while Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Meghalaya experienced increase in PMR. The key risk factors for PM included advancing maternal age (>28 years, odds ratio [OR] = 2.27), higher birth order (≥3, OR = 1.45) and short birth intervals (<2 years). Protective factors included higher maternal and paternal education, wealthier socioeconomic status and birth intervals of 2–3 years. Conclusion: India has witnessed a gradual decline in PNMR over the two decades; however, disparities persist across socio-economic groups and states, with slower declines in empowered action group and north-eastern states. Strengthening maternal and neonatal healthcare, improving the quality of antenatal and intrapartum care and focused efforts to enhance access to quality healthcare services, particularly among vulnerable populations, are essential to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal targets of single-digit PMR by the year 2030.