A comparative study of suckling acceptance between previous cup-fed and bottle-fed newborn.

A randomized double blind clinical trial was carried out at Siriraj Hospital in order to compare the suckling acceptance between previous cup-fed and bottle-fed newborn. Eight health term newborns were randomly assigned to one of the two studied groups. The first group received cup feeding, the other received bottle feeding for at least 24 hours after delivery. After returning to their mothers, newborn’s acceptance on breast feeding at the first time was observed while the previous method of feeding was blinded to the mother and the interviewer. The characteristics of both studied groups were comparable. No nipple confusion were found in all newborns that were cup-fed, 6 newborns (15%) from the bottle-fed group were found to have mild nipple confusion but all of them could be corrected by breast feediny training. Cup feeding should be employed in case of delayed breast feeding because of better suckling acceptance for breast feeding later on.

Mean platelet volume of normal pregnant women and severe preeclamptic women in Siriraj Hospital.

This study only shows that MPV in severe preeclamptic women is statistically greater than in normal pregnant women. The increase in MPV occurs while there are still no changes in platelet number. MPV may be better and more sensitive than platelet number in detecting changes in platelets. This may be useful in high risk patients. The study neither reveals that increase in MPV antecedes the development of preeclampsia nor can it predict the severity of the disease. There should be further prospective studies on MPV in the future both in preeclamptic women and normal pregnant women.

A study of the mean age of women at menopause based on women attending the Out-patient-clinic at Siriraj Hospital.

This study aimed to establish the mean age of menopausal in Thai women. One thousand women, aged 40-69 years, were interviewed with a structured questionnaire at the Out-Patient Department, ceased to menstruate. The mean age with standard deviation among this group of women was 51.24 + 3.79 years by Probit analysis. However, among these 596 women 514 could recall their actual age at menopause. This mean age with standard deviation was 48.68 + 2.31 years. Thus, there is a statistically significant difference between the two values (P<0.01).

Organochlorine compoundes in perinatal blood samples ; maternal and neonatal measurements at Siriraj Hospital.

Seventy four percent of 50 normal term pregnant woman, delivered at labour room Siriraj Hospital during August to October 1993, were found to be contaminated by organochlorine compounds in their blood samples. The main contaminants were p,p’ –DDE, α –BHC, heptachlor, γ –BHC, dieldrin, p,p’ –DDT, o,p’ – DDE and hepta-opex. The mean blood level were 10.15, 1.21, 1.61, 0.80, 6.95, 3.56, 1.03 and 1.47 ppb respectively. The main contaminants, found in 54 percent of the newborns, were α –BHC, p,p’ –DDE and dieldrin and the mean blood level were 0.62, 5.05 and 1.24 ppb respectively. However, the contaminants found were below the acute toxic level in both groups.

Carpal tunnel syndrome during pregnancy: prevalence and blood level of pyridoxine.

The prevalence of CTS in third trimester pregnant women in the study in 28 per cent. With the use of NCS it was able to detect nearly 80 per cent of them who had no symptoms or signs. There was no association between the level of vitamin B6 or B6 deficiency and CTS. Since CTS may result in a permanent disability if undiagnosed or left untreated it is essential to make an early diagnosis and treat it especially older women and those who are edematous.