Abdul Abyad, MD, MPH, MBA, AGSF, AFCHSE (Editor) Abdul Abyad, MD, MPH, MBA, AGSF, AFCHSE (Editor) Abyad Medical Center & Middle East Longevity Institute Azmi Street, Abdo Center, 2nd Floor PO BOX 618, Tripoli LEBANON Tel & Fax: 961 6 443684/5/6 Email: aabyad@cyberia.net.lb Web: www.amc-lb.com

The journal is gradually receiving more papers and is being widely read in the region. We would still like to see more papers directed toward nursing issues from our readers in the region and the world. In this particular issue we have a number of papers from Bangladesh discussing fertility, and women and children issues.

A prospective study of 80 consecutive patients with congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction, conducted from January 2005 to December 2005 at Prince Rashed Hospital. To estimate the frequency of congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction (CNLDO) and to assess the results of its management. The author concluded that spontaneous improvement of CNLDO is the natural course in most patients and probing for unresponsive cases is recommended at one year of age.

A paper from Bangladesh looked at Demand for Children in Rajshahi City, Bangladesh: A Multivariate Analysis. The main aim of the author was to estimate the factors associated with demand for children. The result of the study shows that after controlling other factors, the socio-demographic characteristics that statistically and significantly affect the probability of demand for children in the study location, like current age of respondent, age at marriage, respondent's education, husband's occupation, number of male children, number of female children and visit of health workers. Here current age and numbers of male and female children are statistically highly significant in influencing the demand for children.

Md. Mosfequr Rahman, Md. Tanvir Ahmad, Md. Aminul Hoque looked at Factors Affecting Children Ever Born in Slum Areas. Children ever born is a major counteracting force to population attrition from mortality and therefore, has significant impact as an expansionary force in population dynamics. The present study was conducted among slum areas of Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC). Education of both spouses, average monthly income and expenditure, ideal number of children, age at marriage, and reproductive life span are found to have a significant impact on children ever born to slum women in RCC.

Md. Kamruzzaman , Dr. Md. Nurul Islam, Md. Mosiur Rahman & Md. Mahfuzur Rahman looked at factors affecting age at marriage. The authors describe the factors that affect age at marriage in Bangladesh by examining the situation prevailing in two major divisions using data from the 2000 Bangladesh Demographic and Health survey (BDHS, 2000). The findings reveal that among all the variables considered, women's education is one of the most important correlates, which strongly affect for explaining the variability in age at marriage for these two major divisions.

Although the average level of education is very low, education still has a strong positive relationship with age at first marriage. The husband's education has come out to be a strong determinant of age at marriage. Childhood residence is also quite important; affecting age at marriage through education and work participation, though the direct effect is not as high as it was for education.

Md. Abdul Goni looked at the Effect of Women's Education and Some Socio- Economic Variables on Fertility and Contraceptive Use in Bangladesh: The purpose of this study was to present the fertility and contraceptives levels in different regions of Bangladesh and to determine the most important determinants of fertility and contraceptive use of Bangladeshi women. It utilizes mainly the BMMS 2001 and Bangladesh District-Level Socio-Demographic and Health care Utilization Indications that covers all geographic areas of the Country. Using some statistical techniques such as cross tabulation, correlation coefficients, important relationships between fertility and several demographic, socio-economic, and spatial variables, are explored. In an attempt to understand fertility behavior of Bangladeshi women, a multiple regression analysis was utilized. It is found that woman's education and working status are apparently the most important determinants of fertility behavior and contraceptive use. It is also found that some variables, specifically child mortality, land ownership, household with TV, NGO involvement and the geographic region, are significant determinants of fertility and contraceptive use in Bangladeshi women. Finally, the study was able to present few suggestions and recommendations.