Marriage related acts in India

Marriages can be registered under various acts including the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, Special Marriage Act, 1954 and Indian Christian Marriage Act, 1982.

The Hindu Marriage Act, 1955
Under the act, bride groom and bride of any caste under the Hindu religion are eligible to get married. The bridegroom must complete 21 years and bride must be over 18 years.

The Special Marriage Act, 1954
Special marriages will be registered after submission of an application to the registering office and they will put up a notice in his office. If there is no objection received within 30 days, the marriage can be registered.

The Indian Christian Marriage Act, 1982
Christian marriages can be registered under this act and the priests in the churches who are appointed by the government act as registers under the Indian Christian Marriage Act, 1982.

For registration

• Proof of marriage such as wedding invitations should be submitted
• Residence proof includes voter’s identification card, driving license and passport should be submitted
• Age proof includes birth certificate, school certificate or passport should be submitted Passport size photo of bride and bridegroom should be submitted.

To be noted: 
There is no time limit for registering the marriages under the Hindu Marriage Act. But it may vary in state wise, for example, under the Tamil Nadu Registration of Marriage Act, 2009; marriages should be registered within 90 days. If it exceeds 90 days, fine will be charged. Registration will not be done after a period of 150 days of marriage.

DIABETES MELLITUS

DIABETES MELLITUS- Types, Symptoms, Management
It is a disorder that involves the hormone producing part of the pancreas, leading to a partial or complete deficiency of insulin.

Types

• Type 1 diabetes mellitus

It is much less common in India (<5% of the total number of diabetic patients) and is associated with a near total lack of insulin. It is usually common among those who below the age of 30 years.

• Type 2 diabetes mellitus

It usually comes on after the age of 30 years and is associated with urbanization, modern life style and obesity where the body’s own insulin doesn’t function properly.

Symptoms of Diabetes Mellitus

Management of diabetes mellitus
This involves a crucial triad of DED (Diet, Exercises and Drugs).

Diet involves high protein, low fat and low carbohydrate foods such as plant based proteins, fish, chicken, milk products and soy products.

People with diabetes mellitus are encouraged to do exercises daily for better blood sugar control and to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases. It is recommended that an aerobic exercises can be planned for 30 minutes daily and the intensity and duration of exercise can be planned individually under physician’s guidance.

The recommended drugs are Biguanides, Sulphonylureas, Metaglinides, Alphaglycosidase Inhibitors, Thiazolidinediones (avoid in liver diseases) and Insulin therapy. The diabetic patients who are on drugs should be cautious about the side effects such as hypoglycemia and weight gain. They should always carry some sweet foods to counter hypoglycemic attack.

The Medical Termination of pregnancy - India

Unsafe abortions are taking a huge toll on lives of women, as these victims opt for backroom procedures. Here, I am posting about MTP Act in India to inculcate awareness among the public about "how can abortion legally be done?".

It extends to all states in India except Jammu and Kashmir. It lays down,

• The conditions under which a pregnancy can be terminated.
• The persons who can perform such terminations.
• The place where such termination can be performed.

·       The conditions under which a pregnancy can be terminated:

There are five conditions that have been identified in the Act, where the pregnancy might endanger mother’s life or cause injury to mother’s physical or mental health, where there is a risk of child being born with serious handicaps, where the pregnancy is the result of rape, where actual or reasonably foreseeable environments could lead to risk of injury to the health of the mother and an unwanted pregnancy resulting from a failure of any contraceptive devices.

·       The persons who can perform abortion:

If the length of pregnancy doesn't exceed 12 weeks, a Registered Medical Practitioner having experience in gynecology and obstetrics can perform abortion but, if pregnancy exceeds 12 weeks and is not more than 20 weeks, the opinion of two Registered Medical Practitioners is necessary to terminate the pregnancy.

·       Where abortion can be done:

Termination of pregnancy can be made at a hospital maintained by government or a place approved for the purpose of this Act by government. It should be done in hospitals in strict confidence. 

The written consent of the guardian is necessary before performing abortion in women under 18 years of age, and in case of lunatics even if there are older than 18 years.

Iron Deficiency Anemia

It is a condition in which hemoglobin is lower than the normal range, as a result of insufficient dietary intake and poor absorption of iron, loss of iron from bleeding.

Hb levels gm/dl

It is common among women of child bearing age,during pregnancy, lactation and young children.

Causes

It may be due to inadequate intake of iron or poor availability of iron or due to excessive loss of iron from bleeding (during menstruation). Other factors leading to anemia are malaria and hook worm infestation.

Signs and symptoms

It is characterized by pallor of mucus membranes (conjunctiva), fatigue, lightheadedness and weakness. In severe anemia, dyspnoea (trouble breathing) may occur.

Treatment

If the hemoglobin is between 10-12 gm/dl, iron and folic acid tablets are advised. For mothers, 100mg of elemental iron (300mg of ferrous sulphate) and 0.5mg of folic acid should be given daily, up to 2-3 months. For children 6-60months, 20mg of elemental iron(60mg of ferrous sulphate) and 0.1mg of folic acid should be given daily for 100 days. For children 6-10years old, 30mg of elemental iron and 0.25mg folic acid per day should be given for 100 days.

If the anemia is severe, high doses of iron tablets or blood transfusion may be preferred.

Iron rich food items

Iron rich foods are organ meat (e.g. liver or heart), shell fishes, red meat, dried fishes, sprouted oil seeds, green leafy vegetables and dried fruits. It is essential to include Vitamin C rich foods in daily diet such as amla, guava, lemon, papaya and tomato for good availability of iron.

Xerophthalmia

What is Xerophthalmia:

A medical condition in which lacrimal glands fails to produce lacrimal fluid or tears in the eyes.

It leads to dryness of the eyes with thickening of conjunctiva and cornea.

Xerophthalmia is not congenital, develops over a period of years due to Vitamin A deficiency. It is usually seen in children less than nine years of age.

Xerophthalmia

Treatment:

To treat symptoms, artificial tears and eyeglasses can be used when in outdoors.
To treat deficiency, Vitamin A supplements and Vitamin A rich foods such as apricots, cabbage, carrot, lettuce, mango, spinach, sweet potato, tomato, whole milk and cod liver oil can be given.

Prophylaxis (Recommended by WHO):

• Children at 9 months:  Give 100,000 IU Vitamin A, repeat 200,000 IU orally up to 6 years of age in every 6 months.
• Children who are not breast fed:  Give 50,000 IU Vitamin A orally before the age of six months.
• Children weighing less than 8 kg: Give 100,000 IU Vitamin A orally in every 3 to 6 months.