The Use of TORCH Titers

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1983 ◽  
Vol 72 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diane Leland ◽  
Morris L. V. French ◽  
Martin B. Kleiman ◽  
Richard L. Schreiner
Keyword(s):  
Herpes Simplex ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Infants And Children ◽  
Serologic Tests ◽  
Test Use

Of 603 patients undergoing serologic tests for Toxoplasma, syphilis, rubella, cytomegalovirus, and herpes simplex (TORCH tests) during a 4-year period, 381 (63%) were infants younger than 6 months and 110 (18%) were either the mothers of those infants or pregnant women. The remaining 112 (19%) were older infants and children, male adults, or nonpregnant female adults. Of 381 infants less than 6 months of age who were tested, 323 (85%) had only a single TORCH test. Of 35 (9%) infants who had follow-up titers, 16 (46%) had a specific titer requested whereas in 19 (54%) the entire TORCH battery was repeated. Follow-up titers were infrequently (25%) requested when initial titers were elevated. Infection with a TORCH agent was not confirmed serologically in any of the 603 patients. The pattern of TORCH test use has a poor diagnostic return.

Awareness of Pregnant Women for COVID-19 Infection

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erhan Okuyan ◽  
Emre Gunakan ◽  
Sertaç Esin
Keyword(s):  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Respiratory Diseases ◽  
Prospective Observational Study ◽  
Information Source ◽  
Home Birth ◽  
Patient Characteristics ◽  
Emotional Status ◽  
Prevention Method ◽  
And Behavior

Covid outbreak has been getting worse and spread affected all over the world. Pregnant patients are also vulnerable to respiratory diseases. We aimed to evaluate the awareness, emotional status, and behavior of pregnant during the COVID outbreak. This study's main benefit is to analyze the knowledge and understanding of pregnant women about the pandemic and draw attention to the prevention issues that need improvement. This research is a prospective observational study that 199 patients subjected to a questionnaire including 29 questions about patient characteristics, pregnancy information, knowledge about COVID19-infection, behavioral and emotional changes. 130 (65.3) of the patients stated an above-average knowledge level. Television was the most frequent information source (75.4%, n:150) and was the only information source for 90 (45.1%) of the patients. Sixty-nine patients used more than one information source. More than one prevention method uses by 149 (75%) of the patients. Washing hands (n:183, 92.0%) and cleaning the house (n:122, 61.3%) were the most preferred methods. Only 55 (27.6%) of the patients used a mask for prevention. 88(44.2%) of the patients stated that they preferred a shorter hospital stay, and 75 (37.7%) of the patients indicated that they postponed or avoided the pregnancy follow-up visits due to the COVID-19 issue. Pregnant women seem to be aware and stressed of COVID-19, but knowledge of what to do seems insufficient. Patients informed of risks of COVID infection, unplanned hospital admission, and chances of avoiding necessary visits and home birth demands.

scholarly journals Identifying Patterns of Symptom Distress in Pregnant Women: A Pilot Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (12) ◽  
pp. 6333
Author(s):  
Ching-Fang Lee ◽  
Fur-Hsing Wen ◽  
Yvonne Hsiung ◽  
Jian-Pei Huang ◽  
Chun-Wei Chang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
First Trimester ◽  
Symptom Distress ◽  
Teaching Hospitals ◽  
Lower Back ◽  
Distress Symptoms ◽  
Related Symptom ◽  
Experienced Symptom

During pregnancy, a woman’s enlarged uterus and the developing fetus lead to symptom distress; in turn, physical and psychological aspects of symptom distress are often associated with adverse prenatal and birth outcomes. This study aimed to identify the trends in the trajectory of these symptoms. This longitudinal study recruited 95 pregnant women, with a mean age of 32 years, from the prenatal wards of two teaching hospitals in northern Taiwan. Symptom distress was measured by a 22-item scale related to pregnancy-induced symptoms. The follow-up measurements began during the first trimester and were taken every two to four weeks until childbirth. More than half of the pregnant women experienced symptom distress manifested in a pattern depicted to be “Decreased then Increased” (56.8%). Other noticeable patterns were “Continuously Increased” (28.4%), “Increased then Decreased” (10.5%) and “Continuously Decreased” (4.2%), respectively. It is worth noting that most pregnant women recorded a transit and increase in their symptom distress, revealed by their total scores, at the second trimester (mean 22.02 weeks) of pregnancy. The participants’ major pregnancy-related distress symptoms were physical and included fatigue, frequent urination, lower back pain, and difficulty sleeping. The mean scores for individual symptoms ranged from 2.32 to 3.61 and were below the “moderately distressful” level. This study provides evidence that could be used to predict women’s pregnancy-related symptom distress and help healthcare providers implement timely interventions to improve prenatal care.

scholarly journals Design of a prospective follow-up study on early parenthood and smoking behaviour during pregnancy in Finnish primary healthcare

2021 ◽  
pp. 140349482110224
Author(s):  
Mikael O. Ekblad ◽  
Hanna P. Wallin ◽  
Marjukka Pajulo ◽  
Päivi E. Korhonen
Keyword(s):  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Study Design ◽  
Primary Healthcare ◽  
Routine Data ◽  
Smoking Behaviour ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Health Clinic ◽  
Follow Up Study ◽  
Study Population

Aims: The primary aim of the study is to explore different factors affecting parents’ smoking behaviour, and especially how smoking may be connected with individual differences in the psychological process of becoming a parent. In the current paper, we present the study design together with basic information on the study population. Methods: The Central Satakunta Maternity and Child Health Clinic (KESALATU) Study is an ongoing prospective follow-up study in primary healthcare of the Satakunta region of southwest Finland. Families were recruited during their first maternity clinic visit between 1 September 2016 and 31 December 2019, and participation will continue until the child is 1.5 years of age. The study combines different sources and types of data: e.g. routine data obtained from primary healthcare clinic records, specific parental self-report data and data from a new exhaled carbon monoxide meter indicating maternal smoking. The data are collected using frequently repeated assessments both during pregnancy and postnatally. The methods cover the following areas of interest: family background factors (including smoking and alcohol use), self-reported parental–foetal/infant attachment and mentalization, self-reported stress, depression and quality of life. Results: 589 pregnant women and their partners were asked to participate in the study during the collection time period. The final study population consisted of 248 (42.1%) pregnant women and 160 (27.1%) partners. Conclusions: The new methods and study design have the potential to increase our understanding about the link between early parenting psychology, prenatal psychosocial risk factors and parental health behaviour.

scholarly journals Plasma Amyloid-β in Relation to Antibodies Against Herpes Simplex Virus, Cytomegalovirus, and Chlamydophila pneumoniae

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Karin Lopatko Lindman ◽  
Bodil Weidung ◽  
Jan Olsson ◽  
Maria Josefsson ◽  
Anders Johansson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Herpes Simplex Virus ◽  
Herpes Simplex ◽  
Antimicrobial Properties ◽  
Amyloid Β ◽  
Chlamydophila Pneumoniae ◽  
Immunosorbent Assays ◽  
Simplex Virus ◽  
Ig G ◽  
Xmap Technology

Background: Amyloid-β (Aβ), the key constituent of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) plaques, has antimicrobial properties. Objective: To investigate the association between plasma Aβ and antibodies against the AD-related pathogens herpes simplex virus (HSV), cytomegalovirus (CMV), and C. pneumoniae. Methods: Plasma from 339 AD cases, obtained on average 9.4 years (±4.00) before diagnosis, and their matched controls were analyzed for Aβ40 and Aβ42 concentrations with Luminex xMAP technology and INNOBIA plasma Aβ-form assays. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays were utilized for analyses of anti-HSV immunoglobulin (Ig) G, anti-HSV1 IgG, anti-HSV2 IgG, anti-CMV IgG, and anti-C. pneumoniae IgG. Follow-up samples were available for 163 of the cases. Results: Presence and levels of anti-HSV1 IgG, anti-HSV2 IgG, anti-CMV IgG, and anti-C. pneumoniae IgG did not correlate with concentrations of Aβ42 or Aβ40 in cases or controls. Conclusion: Levels of plasma Aβ were not associated with antibodies against different AD-related Spathogens.

scholarly journals Cesarean delivery on maternal request and its influencing factors in Chongqing, China

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruibin Deng ◽  
Xian Tang ◽  
Jiaxiu Liu ◽  
Yuwen Gao ◽  
Xiaoni Zhong
Keyword(s):  
Logistic Regression ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Cesarean Delivery ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Primiparous Woman ◽  
Personal Factors ◽  
Maternal Request ◽  
Primary Indication ◽  
Vaginal Deliveries

Abstract Background A high rate of cesarean delivery has become a cause of global concern. Although the rate of cesarean delivery has declined over recent years, it remains at a high level largely because of cesarean delivery on maternal request (CDMR). Unnecessary cesarean delivery has limited significance in benefiting maternal and infant physical health; in some ways, it might pose potential risks instead. With the implementation of the “Two-child Policy” in China, an increasing number of women plan to have a second child. Accordingly, how to handle the CDMR rate in China remains an important issue. Methods Data were collected from a longitudinal follow-up study conducted in Chongqing, China, from 2018 to 2019. A structured questionnaire was administered to subjects for data collection. Basic information, including demographic characteristics, living habits, medical history, and follow-up data of pregnant women, as well as their families and society, was collected. Additionally, delivery outcomes were recorded. Logistic regression was performed to analyze the factors influencing CDMR. Results The rate of cesarean delivery in Chongqing, China was 36.01 %, and the CDMR rate was 8.42 %. Maternal request (23.38 %), fetal distress (22.73 %), and pregnancy complications (9.96 %) were the top three indications for cesarean delivery. Logistic regression analysis showed that older age (OR = 4.292, 95 % CI: 1.984–9.283) and being a primiparous woman (OR = 6.792, 95 % CI: 3.230-14.281) were risk factors for CDMR. In addition, CDMR was also associated with factors such as the tendency to choose cesarean delivery during late pregnancy (OR = 5.525, 95 % CI: 2.116–14.431), frequent contact with mothers who had undergone vaginal deliveries (OR = 0.547, 95 % CI: 0.311–0.961), and the recommendation of cesarean delivery by doctors (OR = 4.071, 95 % CI: 1.007–16.455). Conclusions “Maternal request” has become the primary indication for cesarean delivery. The occurrence of CDMR is related to both the personal factors of women during pregnancy and others. Medical institutions and obstetricians should continue popularizing delivery knowledge among pregnant women, enhancing their own professional knowledge about delivery, adhering to the standard indications for cesarean delivery, and providing pregnant women with adequate opportunities for attempting vaginal delivery.

scholarly journals Cohort profile: the Chinese Pregnant Women Cohort Study and Offspring Follow-up (CPWCSaOF)

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. e044933
Author(s):  
Tianchen Lyu ◽  
Yunli Chen ◽  
Yongle Zhan ◽  
Yingjie Shi ◽  
Hexin Yue ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cohort Study ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
First Trimester ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Environmental Data ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Obstetric Outcomes ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Link Type

PurposeA multicentre prospective cohort study, known as the Chinese Pregnant Women Cohort Study (CPWCS), was established in 2017 to collect exposure data during pregnancy (except environmental exposure) and analyse the relationship between lifestyle during pregnancy and obstetric outcomes. Data about mothers and their children’s life and health as well as children’s laboratory testing will be collected during the offspring follow-up of CPWCS, which will enable us to further investigate the longitudinal relationship between exposure in different periods (during pregnancy and childhood) and children’s development.Participants9193 pregnant women in 24 hospitals in China who were in their first trimester (5–13 weeks gestational age) from 25 July 2017 to 26 November 2018 were included in CPWCS by convenience sampling. Five hospitals in China which participated in CPWCS with good cooperation will be selected as the sample source for the Chinese Pregnant Women Cohort Study (Offspring Follow-up) (CPWCS-OF).Findings to dateSome factors affecting pregnancy outcomes and health problems during pregnancy have been discovered through data analysis. The details are discussed in the ‘Findings to date’ section.Future plansInfants and children and their mothers who meet the criteria will be enrolled in the study and will be followed up every 2 years. The longitudinal relationship between exposure (questionnaire data, physical examination and biospecimens, medical records, and objective environmental data collected through geographical information system and remote sensing technology) in different periods (during pregnancy and childhood) and children’s health (such as sleeping problem, oral health, bowel health and allergy-related health problems) will be analysed.Trail registration numberCPWCS was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov on 18 January 2018: NCT03403543. CPWCS-OF was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov on 24 June 2020: NCT04444791.

Impact of the Israeli Ministry of Health Cytomegalovirus Guidelines on the Local Pregnancy Outcome

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Marina Pekar-Zlotin ◽  
Anat Alufi Naim ◽  
Perry Eliassi Revivo ◽  
Nadav Kugler ◽  
Yaakov Melcer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Telephone Survey ◽  
Pregnancy Termination ◽  
Maternal Serum ◽  
Cmv Infection ◽  
Ministry Of Health ◽  
Newborn Outcomes ◽  
Fetal Infection ◽  
Postnatal Outcome

<b><i>Objective:</i></b> In 2011, the Israeli Ministry of Health (MOH) published standard guidelines for the follow-up of pregnant women infected by CMV, recommending that amniocentesis be performed in cases of maternal serum viral seroconversion or abnormal sonographic findings suggestive of CMV, in order to prove fetal infection before electing for pregnancy termination. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> A retrospective cohort study was performed, describing 448 pregnant women from 2006 to 2017. We collected data from all women that elected to continue their pregnancies after seroconversion and also of those who chose to undergo pregnancy termination. Subsequently, a telephone survey was then conducted to record outcomes of the newborns of women with CMV seroconversion during pregnancy. <b><i>Results:</i></b> 325 (73%) women chose to continue their pregnancy, while 123 (27%) opted for termination of pregnancy. We found that pregnancy termination due to CMV infection was reduced by 7%, from 72 cases (32%) to 51 cases (25%) after the implementation of the MOH guidelines in 2011. In addition, 182/305 (60%) of women responded to our telephone questionnaire regarding newborn outcomes. Of these women, 45/305 (14%) reported complications, and no correlation was found between the prenatal findings and postnatal outcome among those who have responded to our survey. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> Implementation of the new MOH guidelines has reduced the rate of pregnancy termination, without increasing the rate of neonatal complications in Israel with a similar outcome of complication rate as reported in the literature.

scholarly journals Effect of nutrition education by health professionals on pregnancy-specific nutrition knowledge and healthy dietary practice among pregnant women in Asmara, Eritrea: a quasi-experimental study

2021 ◽  
pp. bmjnph-2020-000159
Author(s):  
Lidia Ghirmai Teweldemedhin ◽  
Helen Gebretatyos Amanuel ◽  
Soliana Amanuel Berhe ◽  
Ghidey Gebreyohans ◽  
Zemenfes Tsige ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Study ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Nutrition Education ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Nutritional Knowledge ◽  
Dietary Practice ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Knowledge And Practice

BackgroundHealthy pregnancy and birth outcomes are greatly influenced by the intake of adequate and balanced nutrition. Pregnant women’s nutritional knowledge and practice have been identified as an important prerequisites for their proper nutritional intake. The antenatal period with the opportunities for regular contact with health professionals appears to be the ideal time and setting to institute the intervention which could maximise pregnant women’s outcome and that of their baby by motivating them to make nutritional changes.ObjectiveTo assess the effect of nutrition education on the appropriate nutritional knowledge and practice of pregnant women.MethodologyA facility-based single-group pre–post quasi-experimental study design was employed in five health facilities providing antenatal care (ANC) service in Asmara on 226 pregnant women. A predesigned and pretested questionnaire was used to collect data regarding nutritional knowledge via interview by trained data collectors during the pretest, immediate post-test and 6 weeks later. The practice was assessed at pre-intervention and 6 weeks later only. Repeated measures analysis of variance and paired t-test were used to make comparisons in knowledge and practice scores, respectively, using SPSS (V.22).ResultsTraining provided to pregnant women resulted in a significant increase on the mean scores of their knowledge from 29.01/47 (SE=0.35) pre-intervention to 42.73/47 (SE=0.24) immediate post-intervention. However, the score declined significantly from immediate after intervention to 6-week follow-up by 1.79 (SE=0.22). Although the score declined, knowledge at 6-week follow-up was still significantly greater than that of pre-intervention (p<0.0001). Health professionals (70.2%) were the primary source of information for pregnant women. The pregnancy-specific dietary practice score at 6-week follow-up (M=13.13/16, SE=0.09) was significantly higher than that of pre-intervention (M=12.55/16, SE=0.16). There was no significant interaction between the categories of demographic characteristics and change in practice and knowledge.ConclusionThis study has shown that the nutrition messages given to pregnant women by trained health professionals using a holistic approach in a sustained manner played a huge role in increasing their knowledge and in introducing positive dietary practices among them. Thus, ANC clinics must play a leading role in coordinating the effort of awareness creation regarding nutrition during pregnancy.

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