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The operational, economic, and cultural obstacles to pre‐school nutrition programs outlined in the first half of this paper have arisen largely because few nationwide programs have as yet gone beyond the thinking of a nutrition program as being more than the mere distribution of food. Reaching the pre‐school child is often perceived only as a logistic exercise in delivery and distribution, and the success of the program is thus judged solely on the basis of the speed, economy and efficiency of distributive systems. Under those circumstances, available resources are not used to their fullest potential and program effectiveness, in terms of demonstrable nutritional benefits to the recipient and institution building, continues to be disappointing when weighed against the cost and effort involved. The per capita cost of reaching the pre‐school child, given the difficulty of distribution via an inadequate number of scattered and ill‐attended centers, will probably continue to be exorbitant in most places as long as pre‐school feeding programs are regarded as exactly comparable with school feeding in all respects except the age of the beneficiary.

Current research indicates that early protein‐calorie malnutrition, which in some developing countries may affect 20% of all pre‐schoolers, is a serious deterrent to social and economic development because of its deleterious effect on the health, education, and productivity of the adult. Chronic undernourishment, though its manifestations are less apparent, may be equally damaging. Benefits expected from the ‘Green Revolution’ certainly cannot reach most of the world's population at need soon enough to prevent the erosion of human resources, and the existence of malnutrition must be recognized as a threat to national development, not merely a moral problem whose solution is thought of in medical or public health terms. Unfortunately however, national nutrition programmes undertaken in developing countries have thus far, by and large, shown disappointing results.

WE are happy to publish a very interesting and practical little article on a simplified system of borrowers' registration. Such a question may seem to have been settled long ago and not to deserve further discussion, but Miss Wileman makes it quite clear that there is still a little more to be said. Not all librarians will agree with her on one point, although recently it seems to be accepted by some librarians that the numbering of borrowers' tickets is unnecessary, and especially the decimal numbering of them. This matter has been discussed at various meetings of librarians who use these numbers, and they arc, we understand, unanimous in their desire to retain them. They are not intended for a single library such as is at present in operation at Hendon, from which our contributor writes. They are for a system of many branch libraries with a central registration department, and where there is telephone charge and discharge of books. The number is simply intended to give an accurate and rapid definition of an actual person. This we have said several times before, we think, and to dismiss a method which has been found successful with the statement that it is surely unnecessary rather implies that the writer has not fully understood the question. That, however, does not reduce the value of our article.

The purpose of the study is to investigate the factors responsible for the utilisation of safe motherhood practices under the Government of India (GOI)-run maternal health programme Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY).

Data for the survey were collected from 435 expectant mothers registered under JSY from seven districts of western Uttar Pradesh, India. Based on the existing theories of behaviour change and the social marketing framework, a model of antecedents of adoption of safe motherhood practices was tested out empirically.

The results suggested that controlling for demographic variables such as age, education, number of children, intention to follow safe motherhood practices, maternal health self-efficacy, attitude towards safe motherhood, life satisfaction and facilitating conditions all contributed towards the adoption of safe motherhood practices. However, facilitating conditions moderated the relationship between intention to follow safe motherhood practices and adoption of safe motherhood practices.

The study focused only on maternal health, excluding child health under JSY.

The study findings suggest that social marketers should focus on the individual (micro)- as well as programme (macro)-level factors to bring about systemic behaviour change.

The adoption of safe motherhood practices will result in a reduction of the maternal mortality rate. This will improve the overall health of mother and child.

The JSY programme is targeted at promoting safe motherhood practices among poor women in the reproductive age group from India. The adoption of safe motherhood practices will result in less maternal mortality and contribute to the well-being of the family.