scholarly journals AYURVEDA FOR PREGNANT WOMEN DURING COVID-19 ERA – A REVIEW

Author(s):  
Dr. Supriya B ◽  
Dr. Savita S. Patil

The Novel corona virus disease (COVID-19) is highly communicable viral infection caused by SARS-CoV 2. WHO mentions that pregnant women or recently pregnant women seem to have an increased risk of developing severe COVID-19. Due to physiological changes in the body and immune system, pregnant women can be badly affected by respiratory infections. It is therefore important that they take precautions to protect themselves against COVID-19. Overall, 10% of pregnant women suffered from COVID-19. Ayurveda mentions Garbhini paricharya (antenatal care of the pregnant) which recommends ahara (dietary regimen) and vihara (specific activity for physical, emotional and mental wellbeing) that is required for the safe motherhood and healthy progeny. Here is an attempt to understand how Garbhini paricharya helps in preventing corona. KEY WORDS: Garbhini paricharya, COVID-19, Pregnancy


2017 ◽  
Vol 372 (1721) ◽  
pp. 20160300 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mikiko Senga ◽  
Alpha Koi ◽  
Lina Moses ◽  
Nadia Wauquier ◽  
Philippe Barboza ◽  
...  

Contact tracing in an Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak is the process of identifying individuals who may have been exposed to infected persons with the virus, followed by monitoring for 21 days (the maximum incubation period) from the date of the most recent exposure. The goal is to achieve early detection and isolation of any new cases in order to prevent further transmission. We performed a retrospective data analysis of 261 probable and confirmed EVD cases in the national EVD database and 2525 contacts in the Contact Line Lists in Kenema district, Sierra Leone between 27 April and 4 September 2014 to assess the performance of contact tracing during the initial stage of the outbreak. The completion rate of the 21-day monitoring period was 89% among the 2525 contacts. However, only 44% of the EVD cases had contacts registered in the Contact Line List and 6% of probable or confirmed cases had previously been identified as contacts. Touching the body fluids of the case and having direct physical contact with the body of the case conferred a 9- and 20-fold increased risk of EVD status, respectively. Our findings indicate that incompleteness of contact tracing led to considerable unmonitored transmission in the early months of the epidemic. To improve the performance of early outbreak contact tracing in resource poor settings, our results suggest the need for prioritized contact tracing after careful risk assessment and better alignment of Contact Line Listing with case ascertainment and investigation. This article is part of the themed issue ‘The 2013–2016 West African Ebola epidemic: data, decision-making and disease control’.



Author(s):  
Syed Naseer ◽  
Syed Uzma Andrabi ◽  
Syed Ishfa Andrabi ◽  
Humaira Tabasum

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, is a global public health emergency. COVID-19 is a rapidly evolving situation, and there is limited data reporting its impact on pregnant women. Our study aimed to find the symptomatology, clinical courses and outcome of pregnant women with COVID-19 and to assess the vertical transmission potential of COVID-19 in pregnancy.Methods: This prospective observational study was conducted at Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Medical College, Department of Gynaecology and obstetrics, Srinagar from May 2020 to September 2020. All COVID-19 positive pregnant patients admitted in our institution were included in our study.Results: The study included 100 Covid-19 positive pregnant women. Most of them were between 30 to 40 years of age. Median gestational age was 32.8 weeks. Comorbidity was present in 18 of our patients. 7 patients had gestational diabetes and 1 with overt diabetes, 5 were hypertensive, 3 had hypothyroidism, 1 with anti-phospholipid antibody syndrome (APLA) and 1 with asthma.44 patients were primigravidae and 56 were multigravidae. 27 patients delivered preterm and 44 with term pregnancy. 47 had undergone caesarean section and 24 normal vaginal delivery.88% of our patients were asymptomatic for covid-19 disease while as 12 patients had Covid-19 disease symptoms. The main complaints reported by patients related to covid-19 disease was mild dry cough and fever (9%). Two patients developed severe covid-19 pneumonia with ARDS and were put on ventilator, expired after 20 days of illness. All neonates were subjected to RT-PCR with none producing positive results.Conclusions: Appropriate and timely management of Covid-19 positive pregnant women is a principle for safe motherhood and healthy offspring in times of global pandemic. The present data do not suggest an increased risk of severe disease among pregnant women. We encourage the breast feeding immediately after delivery as benefits overweigh any potential risks of virus transmission if any.



2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (SPL1) ◽  
pp. 430-432
Author(s):  
Vaishnavi C. Ghate ◽  
Swapnil Borage ◽  
Priyanka Shelotkar

Corona virus disease (COVID-19) is an emerging disease with rapid increases in cases. COVID-19 is a single-stranded RNA virus which can produce diseases in Humans and Animals also. As COVID-19 is a developing health issue in the World, Experts also remain unsure whether pregnant women are having a higher risk of COVID-19 or not. The emergency of acute health care, it is particularly deadly in large populations and communities in which health care providers are insufficiently prepared to manage the COVID-19 infection. And cases have increased in other countries around the world day by day. It has increased the possibility of vertical transmission of the virus from the mother to the fetus—the WHO the total confirmed cases as of 12th April as 1,836,041. Total death 113,233and pregnant women having positive corona cases is 38, as of 1st April 2020. Partial suppression of the immune system in pregnancy can increase the chances of a viral infection such as flu (influenza) in pregnant women. World Health Organization (WHO) suggests that there is no specific evidence exists that pregnant women are more prone to severe COVID-19 symptoms than other general people. Physiologic and immunologic changes in pregnant women have systemic effects which in an increased risk of respiratory infections, various other changes like cardiovascular system, Respiratory system, increased heart rate and decreased lung capacity. Pregnant women become infected with two pathogenic corona virus infections, one as a severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and other one is Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS).



2021 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 117863882110394
Author(s):  
Nhyira Yaw Adjei-Banuah ◽  
Victor Abugah Aduah ◽  
Shamsu-Deen Ziblim ◽  
Martin Amogre Ayanore ◽  
Anthony Amalba ◽  
...  

Introduction: Iron deficiency anaemia is an international public health concern and pregnant women are at an increased risk. We investigated the consumption of iron rich foods and associated factors among pregnant women in a rural district from Ghana. Methods: Following a cross-sectional design, dietary intake of iron rich foods was obtained from 252 pregnant women using a 24-hour recall food check list. Nutrition knowledge, attitudes and socio-demographic characteristics were also assessed. Findings: Participants had a mean (SD) knowledge score of 54.66 (22.74)%. About 73% of the participants had heard about iron-deficiency anaemia. Only 16.3% of the participants knew foods that help the body to absorb and use iron while 9.1% knew beverages that decrease iron absorption. About 71% of the participants ate fish and/or seafood while 67.1% of them ate green leafy vegetables. Only 4.4% of the participants ate organ meat, and 29% took flesh meat. Only 22.4% of the study participants usually drank coffee or tea while 78.2% ate vitamin C-rich foods. With regards to attitudes, 88.5% of the participants perceived anaemia to be a serious disease. Nutrition knowledge was significantly associated with the consumption of iron rich foods (β = .02; 95% CI = 0.01-0.02). Conclusion: Nutrition knowledge may be an important determinant of the consumption of iron rich foods among pregnant women making it necessary for healthcare providers to continue to provide nutrition education to pregnant women during routine antenatal care.



2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (39) ◽  
pp. 28-34
Author(s):  
Sabiha Armin ◽  
Kenneth Nugent

Women develop important changes in their cardiovascular and respiratory systems during pregnancy. They also have important changes in their immune system which are necessary to tolerate foreign fetal tissue. These expected alterations can increase the likelihood of poor outcomes with certain respiratory infections, especially viral infection. There is extensive literature describing COVID-19 in pregnant women, and there is evidence that this virus can infect the placenta, raising implications for maternal-fetal transmission. Women who contract COVID-19 during pregnancy are at increased risk of preterm labor and other perinatal complications when compared to non-pregnant women. Trials on the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines during pregnancy are in progress; several reproductive societies have recommended that women who are planning to get pregnant or are pregnant should get vaccination since there are few reports of adverse events in pregnant women who have received vaccines. Healthcare providers will need to address concerns of infertility, the possibility of vertical transmission, and neonatal infection with women regarding timely vaccination against this disease and other necessary precautions. Keywords: coronavirus, COVID-19, pregnancy, placental pathology, vertical transmission



Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 3317
Author(s):  
Neo K. Morojele ◽  
Sheela V. Shenoi ◽  
Paul A. Shuper ◽  
Ronald Scott Braithwaite ◽  
Jürgen Rehm

The body of knowledge on alcohol use and communicable diseases has been growing in recent years. Using a narrative review approach, this paper discusses alcohol’s role in the acquisition of and treatment outcomes from four different communicable diseases: these include three conditions included in comparative risk assessments to date—Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)/AIDS, tuberculosis (TB), and lower respiratory infections/pneumonia—as well as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) because of its recent and rapid ascension as a global health concern. Alcohol-attributable TB, HIV, and pneumonia combined were responsible for approximately 360,000 deaths and 13 million disability-adjusted life years lost (DALYs) in 2016, with alcohol-attributable TB deaths and DALYs predominating. There is strong evidence that alcohol is associated with increased incidence of and poorer treatment outcomes from HIV, TB, and pneumonia, via both behavioral and biological mechanisms. Preliminary studies suggest that heavy drinkers and those with alcohol use disorders are at increased risk of COVID-19 infection and severe illness. Aside from HIV research, limited research exists that can guide interventions for addressing alcohol-attributable TB and pneumonia or COVID-19. Implementation of effective individual-level interventions and alcohol control policies as a means of reducing the burden of communicable diseases is recommended.



2021 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 365-370
Author(s):  
A. O. Torosyan ◽  
E. V. Loginova ◽  
C. G. Gagaev

Iron (Fe) deficiency and hyperglycaemia are both widely found throughout the world among pregnant women. According to the latest data from the American Diabetes Association (ADA), the prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) has increased and reaches 15–20%. Nowadays, there is growing evidence that a link between Fe metabolism and glucose homeostasis exists. The study of changes in the indicators of Fe metabolism in the serum of pregnant women with glucose intolerance and GDM plays an important role in expanding the understanding of the pathogenesis of these conditions. The hypothesis that excess Fe increases the risk of developing GDM has prompted us to review and evaluate the potential relationship between elevated Fe levels and the risk of developing GDM. The aim is to integrate all available data on the correlation between GDM and Fe status in the body. It is increasingly being recognised that excess Fe accumulation in the body is associated with an increased risk of diabetes. There is no available data on the relationship between serum ferritin and GDM in the Russian population, while early identification of the risk of GDM development will be of great importance for its related health effects and prevention. The role of Fe status as a GDM biomarker in high-risk populations is of interest, both for prognostic and diagnostic measures, and for therapeutic interventions. For a better understanding of whether an excess of Fe increases the risk of developing GDM, studies are needed to reveal the role of Fe in the mechanisms of GDM development.



2020 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lars Brodowski ◽  
Niels Rochow ◽  
Efrah I. Yousuf ◽  
Fabian Kohls ◽  
Constantin S. von Kaisenberg ◽  
...  

AbstractObjectivesDuring the last decade obesity has been continuously rising in adults in industrial countries. The increased occurrence of perinatal complications caused by maternal obesity poses a major challenge for obstetricians during pregnancy and childbirth. This study aims to examine the association between parity, pregnancy, birth risks, and body mass index (BMI) of women from Lower Saxony, Germany.MethodsThis retrospective cohort study examined pseudonymized data of a non-selected singleton cohort from Lower Saxony’s statewide quality assurance initiative. Mothers were categorized according to BMI as normal weight (18.5 to <25 kg/m2) or obese (≥30 kg/m2).ResultsMost of the mothers in this study population were either in their first (33.9%) or second pregnancy (43.4%). The mean age of women giving birth for the first time was 28.3 years. Maternal age increased with increasing parity. The proportion of pregnant women with a BMI over 30 was 11% in primiparous women, 14.3% in second para, 17.3% in third para and 24.1% in fourth para or more women. Increasing parity was positively correlated with the incidence of classical diseases related to obesity, namely diabetes mellitus, gestational diabetes, hypertension, pregnancy-related hypertension and urinary protein excretion. An increased risk of primary or secondary cesarean section was observed in the obese women, particularly during the first deliveries.ConclusionsThere is a positive and significant correlation between parity and increased maternal BMI. The highest weight gain happens during the first pregnancy. The rate of operative deliveries and complications during delivery is increased in obese pregnant women.



Author(s):  
Tami H Skoff ◽  
Amanda E Faulkner ◽  
Jennifer L Liang ◽  
Meghan Barnes ◽  
Kathy Kudish ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Little is known about pertussis among pregnant women, a population at increased risk for severe morbidity from respiratory infections such as influenza. We used the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Enhanced Pertussis Surveillance (EPS) system to describe pertussis epidemiology among pregnant and nonpregnant women of childbearing age. Methods Pertussis cases in women aged 18–44 years with cough onset between 1 January 2012 and 31 December 2017 were identified in 7 EPS states. Surveillance data were collected through patient and provider interviews and immunization registries. Bridged-race, intercensal population data and live birth estimates were used as denominators. Results We identified 1582 pertussis cases among women aged 18–44 years; 5.1% (76/1499) of patients with a known pregnancy status were pregnant at cough onset. Of the pregnant patients with complete information, 81.7% (49/60) reported onset during the second or third trimester. The median ages of pregnant and nonpregnant patients were 29.0 and 33.0 years, respectively. Most pregnant and nonpregnant patients were White (78.3% vs. 86.4%, respectively; P = .09) and non-Hispanic (72.6% vs. 77.3%, respectively; P = .35). The average annual incidence of pertussis was 7.7/100000 among pregnancy women and 7/3/100000 among nonpregnant women. Compared to nonpregnant patients, more pregnant patients reported whoop (41.9% vs. 31.3%, respectively), posttussive vomiting (58.1% vs. 47.9%, respectively), and apnea (37.3% vs. 29.0%, respectively); however, these differences were not statistically significant (P values &gt; .05 for all). A similar proportion of pregnant and nonpregnant patients reported ever having received Tdap (tetanus toxoid, reduced diphtheria toxoid, and acellular pertussis vaccine; 31.6% vs. 32.7%, respectively; P = .84). Conclusions Our analysis suggests that incidence of pertussis and clinical characteristics of disease are similar among pregnant and nonpregnant women. Continued monitoring is important to further define pertussis epidemiology in pregnant women.



1991 ◽  
Vol 66 (04) ◽  
pp. 453-458 ◽  
Author(s):  
John T Brandt

SummaryLupus anticoagulants (LAs) are antibodies which interfere with phospholipid-dependent procoagulant reactions. Their clinical importance is due to their apparent association with an increased risk of thrombo-embolic disease. To date there have been few assays for quantifying the specific activity of these antibodies in vitro and this has hampered attempts to purify and characterize these antibodies. Methods for determining phospholipid-dependent generation of thrombin and factor Xa are described. Isolated IgG fractions from 7 of 9 patients with LAs were found to reproducibly inhibit enzyme generation in these assay systems, permitting quantitative expression of inhibitor activity. Different patterns of inhibitory activity, based on the relative inhibition of thrombin and factor Xa generation, were found, further substantiating the known heterogeneity of these antibodies. These systems may prove helpful in further purification and characterization of LAs.



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