-The Times of India JABALPUR: Twenty-year-old Naraini was one among nine prospective brides who were unceremoniously evicted from a government-organised mass marriage function in Betul and made to surrender their gift hampers on Friday after two women officials prodded their belly and announced them pregnant. As Naraini came out of the venue, the groom followed suit after surrendering the gifts worth Rs 10,000 given under chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's scheme for...

-The Hindu Malnutrition is responsible for nearly 45 per cent of deaths in children under-five, according to new research report published as part of The Lancet Series on maternal and child nutrition. The research shows that malnutrition is responsible for around 3.1 million deaths in children under five annually. Results estimate that stunting (reduced growth) affected at least 165 million children worldwide in 2011 while at least 52 million children were affected...

-Frontline India has persistently high rates of newborn mortality, over three lakh a year, and accounts for 29 per cent of all first-day deaths globally. MORE than one million babies die on the first day of life globally, making the first 24 hours the most dangerous day for babies in nearly every country. These are some of the key findings in Save the Children's 14th annual "State of the World's Mothers" report: Every...

-The Times of India LONDON: Iodine deficiency during Pregnancy, something rampant among Indian women, adversely affects the child's mental development. A UK study published in medical journal The Lancet on Thursday has shown that iodine - which is consumed mainly via dairy products and seafood - is essential for producing hormones made by the thyroid gland, which have a direct impact on fetal brain development. A recent Indian health ministry survey conducted in...

-The Hindu   Growth in number of women needing contraception concentrated in 69 poorest countries Poorest countries within the developing world lag far behind higher-income developing countries in meeting the demand for modern contraception, says a study. Between 2003 and 2012, the total number of women wanting to avoid Pregnancy and needing contraception increased from 716 million to 867 million, with the growth concentrated in 69 poorest countries where modern methods use was already...