Background: Pregnancy is a physiological condition that affects the general and oral health.It is also associated with an increase in oxidative stress, which may presispose to oral diseases including dental caries. Aim of the study: This study aimed to measure salivary protein carbonyl, glutathione peroxidase and selenium levels of women who are pregnant and their association with dental caries in comparison to non-pregnant women, and to find out the mostly affected biomarker of oxidative stress during pregnancy. Subjects, materials and methods: A cross-sectional research was performed for a samples of 30 pregnant and 30 non-pregnant women who were chosen from city of Baghdad's Primary Healthcare Centers. Both groups aged 25-30 years. In unstimulated salivary samples protein carbonyl and glutathione peroxidase were determined colorimetrically using spectrophotometer by utilizing ready-made assay kits. Salivary selenium level was obtained by atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Plaque index had been used to determine the thickness of dental plaque. Caries was recorded using the Decayed, Missing, and Filled (DMF) index. described by WHO in 1997. Data was statistically analyzed using descriptive statistics method and Student's t-test, Wilcoxon sum rank test and Spearman’s correlation in addition to Receiver Operating Characteristics Curve (ROC test) (α=5%). Results: The plaque index and salivary protein carbonyl values were significantly higher among pregnant while salivary selenium and glutathione peroxidase recorded significantly lower levels among pregnant women. Dental caries parameters were higher among pregnant with significant difference for MS fraction only. ROC area for protein carbonyl equal one with highest sensitivity and specificity. Conclusion: Pregnant women recorded higher dental caries severity with higher salivary protein oxidation but lowers salivary antioxidant defense mechanisms. Salivary protein carbonyl is more ideal, valid and mostly affected biomarker in revealing the oxidative stress status during pregnancy
In their cross-sectional study, Al-Rubaye et al studied the extent of vitamin D (VD) deficiency/ insufficiency, factors affecting its degree, and the adverse outcomes of the altered VD status among a group of mothers and their neonates from Baghdad, Iraq. They found that 96.6% of the mothers had VD deficiency/ insufficiency compared to 86.4% in their neonates. Maternal VD levels and neonatal weights were significantly correlated with neonatal VD levels. We believe that the study results need to be revised. This is based two points listed in this letter to editor
Background: Vitamin D deficiency/ insufficiency is common in different age groups in both genders especially among pregnant women and neonates where it is associated with several adverse outcomes including preeclampsia and preterm delivery. Objectives: To assess the extent of vitamin D deficiency/ insufficiency among mothers and their neonates and some factors related to it and identify some adverse outcomes of the deficiency/ insufficiency on neonates (preterm birth and low birth weight). Subject and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 88 Iraqi pregnant women and neonates admitted to “Al-Elwiya teaching hospital for maternity” in Baghdad- Al-Rusafah from 1st of June 2019 to 31st of August 2019. Dat
... Show MorePurpose: To identify the risk factors of urinary incontinency for menopausal women.
Methodology: A descriptive analytic study was conducted to identify the risk factor for urinary incontinency
and selected non-probability sample (purposive sample) from (200) menopausal women (45-65) who have
urinary incontinence as visitors and caregiver women who attend at Hila surgical teaching hospital during the
period 1/11/2010-30/3/2011. Questionnaire format used for data collection was designed and constructed
after reviewing related literatures and previous studies and consists of the following variables: Demographic
and reproductive characteristics of menopausal women who suffers from urinary incontinence
Results: The study
Objectives: Umbilical cord blood can be taken at birth and largely gives indication of fetal and maternal conditions. The aim of the study was to investigate the relation between sex hormones in cord blood and birth weight of newborns and pregnancy complications. Methods: Fifty cord blood samples were collected from newborns at labor room of Baghdad Teaching Hospital between May and October 2018. Blood was withdrawn from their mothers for lead analysis. Five milliliters (ml) of cord blood was taken, 3 ml was used for testosterone and estradiol analysis (using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) and 2 ml for lead measurement by lead care analyzer. Newborns weight and head circumference were measured. Delivered women were divided into four gro
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The current research aims to identify the perceptual speed of the university students as well as to identify the differences in the level of perceptual speed for the university students according to the variables of (male, female) specialization (scientific, human) university (Baghdad, Mustansiriya). Additionally, the research aims to identify the prevalence of emotional pattern and to identify the relationship between perceptual speed and the emotional patterns among university students. The researcher designed a questionnaire to measure the Emotional Patterns based on Jerome Freedman perspective. As for perceptual speed, the researcher adopted French, Extrom and Price scale (1963), which was tran
... Show MoreBackground: left ventricular hypertrophy is independent risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The presence of diabetic complications such as autonomic neuropathy and retinopathy may predict cardiac structural changes in diabetic patients. Objective: To explore the chance of occurrence of left ventricular hypertrophy in diabetic patients and whether it is related to the presence of other diabetic complications. Methods: ninty seven (97) normotensive diabetic patients (57) type II with mean duration of diabetes of (12±6 y) and forty (40) type I with mean duration of (8±6 y) were studied by echocardiography and compared with 41 patients as control. Results: The LVMI was significantly higher in type II diabetics compared
... Show MoreVitamin E, having the well known antioxidant activity through scavenging free radicals و it occurs in several isomeric forms , these isomers have relatively different functions . One of these actions is related to its ability to inhibit platelets aggregation and hence thrombosis. The present study included a total number of apparently healthy 62 males . 11of them served as standard group , treated with 100 mg aspirin /day for more than one month . Another 31 subjects were randomly grouped into 5 groups that received different daily doses of α – tocopherol : 400 IU , 800 IU and 1200 IU for 2-6 months.The remainder ( 20 ) subjects served
... Show MoreBackground: Folic acid (vitamin B9) is one of the important vitamins that are necessary for growth and development of the embryo and preventing the occurrence of congenital malformations which are one of the important health problems in the developing countries and the world as it has a direct effect on the affected babies, their families and the community. It affects an estimated 3% of newborns worldwide.Periconceptional supplementation with folic acid (before conception and during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy) was found to decrease many important types of these anomalies. Objectives: The aim of this study is to assess knowledge, attitude and practice of periconceptional use of folic acid in pregnant women who are attending antenatal
... Show MoreBackground: Investigating dental health knowledge among children is important. Knowing what behaviors are right in relation to dental health does not guarantee that children will practice those behaviors. However, lack of knowledge and misconceptions about dental health may lead to behaviors that are harmful to teeth and gum. Baseline data on knowledge levels are required to determine which particular areas of dental health education are in need of improvement for high-risk children living in different geographical areas. This research was conducted to study the oral health status, dental knowledge and behavior in relation to two different cities, among children in Baghdad and Thamar (republic of Yemen) governorate. Materia
... Show MoreBACKGROUND: COVID-19 is resulted from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, which initiated in China in December 2019. Parasites are efficient immune modulators because their ability to stimulate an immune response in infected persons. AIM: This study aims to detect if there is a probable relationship between intestinal parasitic infections and COVID-19. METHODS: Ninety patients consulted at Al-Kindy Teaching Hospital (Al-Shifa center) from October 2020 till April 2021, confirmed infection with COVID-19 by PCR. Stool examination was done for detecting intestinal parasites. RESULTS: From 90 patients, males were 63 (70%), with median age 32 years, while females were 27 (30%), with age 24–44 years. Asymptomatic pati
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