Background: An important factor influencing duration of breastfeeding is mother’s employment status. The nutritional, immunological, psychological and economic benefits of breastfeeding are well documented. Both UNICEF and the World Health Organization recommend mothers should breastfeed exclusively for at least 6 months.
Objectives: To determine how the employment and the employment variables (type of work, time of return to work and hours of work) influence the breast feeding practices.
Methods: A cross- sectional study was carried out on a sample of 200 employed mothers who had their last child been completed at least tow years. Data were collected using a questionnaire form. It was carried out during the period from 1st of April to 1st of September, 2000, in Baghdad city/ AL-Risafa in 6 different places where employed mothers of young children were expected to be found.
Results: The study revealed that the impact of employment status was noted on the breast feeding initiation time, breast feeding duration and complementary food initiation time. The majority of employed mothers (56.1%) who worked shorter hours breast-feed for longer durations and starts weaning after the fourth months of the infant’s age. The highest percentage of employed mothers (75.9%) with maternity leave of six months or more breast feed for a year or more and (66.1%) start weaning later than the fourth month of the infant’s life.
Conclusions: The study recognizes that employed mothers who worked shorter hours and mothers with longer maternity leaves breast feed for longer durations and start weaning later than mothers who worked long hours and mothers with shorter maternity leaves. It was concluded that most work-places lack accommodations to support breast-feeding.
Background: Pumpkin seeds are a valuable source of high-quality protein and can be utilized as functional food ingredients due to their properties, such as solubility, foam formation, and stability. This study aims to produce protein isolate and its enzymatic hydrolysates from local pumpkin seeds to study their properties. Methodology: Preparing defatted pumpkin seeds for protein extraction, followed by the enzymes’ hydrolysis using Trypsin and Pepsin enzymes separately and together in two methods. The determination of amino acids and the degree of hydrolysis was conducted; moreover, protein properties were studied, including solubility, emulsifying activity, stability index, foaming capacity, and stability. Results: A protein sample was
... Show MorePseudoephedrine (PSE) or (Sudafed) is one of the sympathomimetic group of drugs (ephedrine, PSE and amphetamines) which effects cardiovascular system, respiratory system, and gastrointestinal tract. However, only little researches had supported its effect on solid abdominal organs. This study aims to investigate the effects of different doses of Sudafed in the liver and kidney of albino mice. The current study included 18 albino mice grouped into 2 groups: control (3 mice), and acute group (15 mice). The acute group was further subdivided into 5 subgroups, each subgroup of 3mice wasgiven a lonely intaperitonial injection of 0.3ml of the following conc. (500mg/kg, 250mg/kg, 125mg/kg, 62.52mg/kg, and 31.24mg/kg) for 24hrs. After the m
... Show More4-chloro and 4- nitro substituted phenol and aniline incorporated to a carboxylic group of naproxen a well-known non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) to increase bulkiness were synthesized for evaluation as a potential anti-inflammatory agents with expected COX-2 selectivity. In vivo acute anti-inflammatory activity of these compounds (I-IV) was evaluated in rats using egg-white induced edema model of inflammation in a dose equivalent to (2.5 mg/Kg) of naproxen. All tested compounds produced a significant reduction in paw edema with respect to the effect of propylene glycol 50% v/v (control group). Moreover, compounds I and IV might show higher effect comparable to that of naproxen and to that of compounds II & III whic
... Show MoreAs major nosocomial pathogens,
In this study, 20
Salmonellosis in poultry is one of the most significant bacterial infections causing mortality, reduced production, and serious economic losses. This study aimed to study the molecular diversity among Salmonella isolates and investigate the epidemiological spread of these bacteria in broiler and layer chicken flocks in five different farms in Karbala, Iraq, using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) polymerase chain reaction (PCR). In total, 217 cloac a swabs were collected from the farms, out of which 129 and 88 swabs were taken from broiler and layer chickens. The samples were screened by PCR for S. enterica subsp. enterica using primers specific for the invA gene. Afterward, RAPD-PCR with uniplex or multiplex octamer primers was appli
... Show MoreAbstract: Background: Tribuls terrestris increases levels of various hormones in steroid family including testosterone, DEHA, and estrogen and for this reason improves sport performance, fertility in men and women, sexual function in men and women. There is, at present, lack of scientific confirmation of these supposed benefits. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the possible effect(s) of Tribuls terrestris on the mouse ovarian morphology and function, alone and in combination with other ovulation modulator agent (clomiphene citrate). Materials & Methods: A total of 49 sexually mature healthy Norway albino female mice were used in this study; 25 for pilot study and 24 for the experimental study. Experimental animals were divided
... Show MoreEffect of copper doping and thermal annealing on the structural and optical properties of Zn0.5Cd0.5S thin films prepared by chemical spray pyrolysis have been studied. Depositions were done at 250°C on glass substrate. The structural properties and surface morphology of deposited films were studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and photomicroscope (PHM) techniques. XRD studies reveal that all films are crystalline tetragonal structure. The film crystallinity are increased with 1% Cu-doping concentration and also increased for the films annealed at 300°C than the other studied cases. The lattice constant 'a' and 'c' varies with doping concentrations from 5.487Å to 5.427Å and 10.871Å to 10.757Å respectively. The grain size attained
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