The decade of 1980 was perhaps one of the most crucial period for Child
Health in India. It is during this decade that child health issues,
child health problems and child health policies were identified,
recognized and announced by the Government of India. I took over as
Editor of Indian Pediatrics in 1980 with a relatively young
committee that included Dr. Subhash C Arya, Publication Secretary, Dr RN
Srivastava, Secretary of the Committee, Dr DK Guha and Late Dr Man Mohan
as Assistant Editors, and Dr Sudershan Kumari, Dr VP Choudhary, Dr SK
Mittal, Dr I Narayanan, Dr UB Lall and Dr SN Lohe as Ex-officio members.
The composition of the team reflected my strong feeling that the journal
needed a committed dynamic team who could devote their time, energy and
ideas to taking it forward.
Changes Initiated by the Journal Committee
The first few years were very challenging as the
Journal committee had to deal with several issues relating to the
management, publication and submissions of articles by fellow members.
There was a severe financial constraint and the journal was behind
schedule by several months (had a large backlog of accepted
manuscripts), and was not indexed or included in any citation index. The
Journal Committee decided to be pragmatic and positive in decision
making, defining its priorities in publishing original research from
India concerning child health and focusing on advocating national
policies and increasing the revenue for the journal.
There was a also a change in the outlay, the style
and the cover page, printing and publication style of the Journal. All
unpublished articles were referred back to the authors for updating them
as some of these were lying unpublished for a long time. Publication
backlog was cleared by publishing two issues every month. Financial
status was improved by active fund raising through donations, increasing
advertisements and claiming arrears for member’s contribution from
Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP) Central Office. A leading
pediatrician of the time summed up the quality of the Journal by
expressing "I look forward to receiving two national publications every
month – one the India Today – a leading national weekly news
publication and the other Indian Pediatrics".
Priorities for Publication
The first task was to adopt the Vancouver style of
publication [1] which was already accepted by a group of Medical
Journals in 1978. This needed special attention and focus because
members were used to sending articles in a different format.
In the decade of seventies and in particular from
1978, Primary Health Care became a subject of international and national
area of interest. Priority was accorded to articles related to
preventable diseases such as, Diphtheria, Tetanus, Poliomyelitis,
Typhoid fever, Measles, Tuberculosis and so forth which were published
for their clinical spectrum, diagnostic methods and more importantly on
research to see the effect of vaccination by observing the
seroconversions of the various vaccines used at that time.
Malnutrition and micronutrients had continued to
engage investigators. The journal published several articles on these
and focused on diagnosis of undernutrition at the community level where
the child could not even be weighed [3]. Diarrhea and dehydration
continued to remain a major cause of childhood morbidity and mortality.
The journal published several articles on oral rehydration, so as to
sensitize the pediatric community on this major theme [4-5].
Mentally challenged, physically disabled and physical
and mentally handicapped children had drawn particular attention of the
members due to continued indifference and neglect by health planners,
community and care givers. The Journal published articles including plea
for legislation for mentally handicapped by Sinclair [6].This did find
its impact in many legislations being enacted in later years [7].
To focus attention on the unacceptably high and
almost static infant and childhood mortality in the country, the journal
published editorials, lead articles, and research work focusing on
neonatal mortality and neglect of newborn [8]. This perhaps led many
leading pediatricians and activist to hold the first convention on
newborn care and related problems in New Delhi in 1980 and made
recommendation which were published by the journal [9]. The convention
led to the foundation of National Neonatology Forum (NNF). The Journal
published the first ever recommendations of the Government of India of a
national workshop by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on
"Minimum Perinatal Care" [10].
Jacob John proposed a National policy for control of
Poliomyelitis in India which was published in the Journal [11]. This was
later to become the corner stone for eradication of Poliomyelitis
program in India. At this time the Journal was beginning to be
recognized internationally. It began receiving international research
publications which were duly published.
During this period, the number of pages in letters to
editor’s column was increased as members had become very interactive and
it had become a favored column. Sensing the mood and desire of members,
the journal published series of articles and editorials on pediatric
sub-specialties such as hematology, oncology, pharmacology, cardiology,
endocrinology and nephrology [12-17].
An interesting and significant article on reference
for childhood growth monitoring from birth to 14 years was published by
Datta Banik [18]. We had now established firm routines for the Journal
publication and related concerns and felt the need to promote research
in the country. It therefore focused on priority publication of
‘Research and research methods’ to stimulate interest and sensitize the
members to the current research and future needs [19]. A landmark
publication in 1982 was the proceedings of the "Workshop on Indian
Childhood Cirrhosis" which strongly made a persuasive case for excessive
deposit of copper in the liver as a causative / precipitating factor in
Indian childhood cirrhosis [20].
In the years 1983-84, thyroid and trace elements
deficiencies became a hot area for investigations. Articles were
published on prevalence of iodine deficiency, goiter and drugs for its
treatment [16]. The researchers focused on deficiency of thyroid in
newborn period and recommended routine screening at birth which has now
become part of routine neonatal screening program. During this period,
the government announced "Indian National Code for protection and
promotion of breast feeding" and its recommendations were published in
the journal [21].
The Journal traditionally published a Presidential
address every year. Interestingly, almost all the Presidential addresses
emphasized delivery of health care, pediatric education, research and
people’s (community) involvement. But an unusual and very illustrative
address of current status of child health in India was delivered by
Prof. BNS Walia at the National Conference of Pediatrics in Pune [22].
The Journal published a timely review as an editorial on 7th plan by
Prof Walia and subsequently other related articles on planning which
pointedly drew attention to the lacunae in provisions for child health
in earlier and 7th National Five year plans and also published his
suggestions for the 7th five year plan [23]. These publications strongly
recommended measures for setting goals and funds for meeting the
preventive and curative needs for children of the country.
The incessant efforts and perseverance of proactive
advocacy by the members of IAP across the country and their views and
efforts expressed through their publications in the journal caused the
government to do a re-think on its child health policies and priorities.
These had immediate as well as long term impact in formulation of
National Child health programs in successive years - the National Policy
on Health setting national goals on Maternal and Child Health indicators
to be achieved by 2000 AD; legislation on Mental Health, Rehabilitation,
Persons with disabilities; Indian National Code for protection and
promotion of breast feeding and others.
Acknowledgments: It is very difficult to express
my gratitude and appreciation to the contributors, members of the
Journal committee, readers, my peers, colleagues, friends and
advertisers who supported the journal during its difficult period and
later. Nevertheless, I would like to specially mention the constant help
and support from Prof. R.N. Srivastava, Dr Subhash C Arya, late Dr. Man
Mohan and Dr. U.B. Lall; my teachers late Dr. J.N. Pohowalla, late Dr.
P.N. Taneja and my mentor Dr. Shanti Ghosh whose teaching, philosophy
and commitment to maternal and child health, for national issues,
national concerns, research and specially to reach colleagues in
community shaped several of my policies and priorities while leading the
journal committee. I also deeply appreciate the critical comments and
support from Dr. B.N.S. Walia, Dr. A.B. Desai, Dr. D.G. Benakappa, Dr.
K.K. Kaul, Dr. N.R. Bhandari, Late Dr S.M. Merchant, Late Dr J.R.
Srivastava, Late Dr R.S.Dayal, Late Dr O.P.Ghai and others. I am
grateful to my former colleagues at Safdarjang Hospital, Dr. H.P.S.
Sachdev, Dr. S. Ramji, Ms. Madhuri Gupta, staff of the journal Mr. O.P.
Assija, Mr.Sant Lal, late Mr.Puran Giri, the publisher of the Journal Mr
Rajesh Sardana and Mr Bhaskar Singh from the New Delhi Birth Cohort for
his help and research for this publication.
1. Srivastava RN. Indian Pediatrics: style and
content. Indian Pediatr.1980;17:399.
2. Government of India, National Rural Health
Mission: Mission Document. New Delhi: MOHFW; 2005.
3. Mohan M, Ghosh S, Ramanujacharyulu. Assessment of
malnutrition by mid arm circumference and its ratio to head
circumference. Indian Pediatr.1980;17:503-6.
4. Ghai OP, Bhan MK. Complications of commercial
rehydration packets. Indian Pediatr.1984;21:591-3.
5. Sachdev HPS, Bhargava SK, Gupta BD, Narula S,
Daral TS, Mohan M. Oral rehydration of neonates and young infants with
dehydrating diarrhea. Indian Pediatr.1984;21:195-9.
6. Sinclair S. Legislation for the mentally
handicapped. Indian Pediatr.1981;18:19-21.
7. Mental Health Act, 1987. Bare act with short
comments; Commercial Law Publishers, Delhi, 2007.
8. Bhargava SK. Neonatal care: a newborn’s right and
not a luxury. Indian Pediatr.1981;18:687-90.
9. Bhakoo ON. Announcement: National Neonatology
Forum. Indian Pediatr.1980;17:639.
10. Bhargava SK. Regional perinatal care – paediatric
aspects. Indian Pediatr.1982;19:291-8.
11. Jacob John T. Towards a national policy on
poliomyelitis. Indian Pediatr.1981;18:503-6.
12. Bhargava M. Pediatric haematology: A neglected
speciality. Indian Pediatr.1982;19:467-8.
13. Gandhi RK. Cancer in childhood-Need for a planned
approach. Indian Pediatr.1981;18:363-4.
14. Mehta S. Developmental pharmacology. Indian
Pediatr.1982;19:391-2.
15. Sanyal SK. Non-invasive evaluation of the heart
in children: state of the art. Indian Pediatr.1982;19:3-5.
16. Desai MP. The Rationale of levothyroxine therapy
in hypothyroidism. Indian Pediatr.1983;20;3-4.
17. Srivastava RN. The challenge of irreversible
renal failure in children. Indian Pediatr.1983;20:79-81.
18. Datta Banik ND. Semi-longitudinal growth
evaluation of children from birth to 14 years in different
socio-economic groups. Indian Pediatr 1982; 19: 353-9.
19. Merchant SM. The research priorities. Indian
Pediatr. 1982;19:199-200.
20. Bhargava SK. Indian childhood cirrhosis. Indian
Pediatr.1982;19:961-2.
21. Indian National Code for Protection and Promotion
of Breast-feeding. Indian Pediatr. 1984;21:259-64.
22. Walia BNS. XX National Conference of Indian
Academy of Pediatrics. Indian Pediatr. 1983;20:885-91.
23. Walia BNS. Child health in the 7th Plan 1985-90, India. Indian
Pediatr.1983;20:631-5.