Effect of Different Maternal Positions on Comfort of Antenatal Mothers and Fetal Parameters During Nonstress Test

Providing comfort to an antenatal mother is one of the critical components of the nonstress test (NST). An experimental study was conducted on 450 antenatal mothers beyond 34 weeks, who were randomly allocated into three groups – supine, left lateral, and semi?fowler’s position, to explore the association of selected maternal positions on NST results and to find the impact of these positions on the comfort level of antenatal mothers. The fetal parameters were assessed by observing and recording biophysiological measurements from the NST and the maternal comfort of different positions by the Verbal Numerical Rating Scale. The data analyzed reveal a significant association between maternal positions and fetal parameters at P < 0.05 level. Antenatal women who were in semi?fowler’s position exhibited more comfort and fetal NST reactivity as noted by significant variation in the baseline fetal heart rate, beat?to?beat variability, acceleration, deceleration, and fetal movements.

Maternal periodontal disease as a significant risk factor for low birth weight in pregnant women attending a secondary care hospital in South India: A Case-control study.

Context: Periodontal disease (PD) is a common infection in the community; however, its relationship with low birth weight (LBW) has not been well‑established. Aims: The aim was to determine the association between maternal PD and LBW. Settings and Design: A case–control (1:1) study. Materials and Methods: The study population comprised of women who delivered at the hospital during the study period (September 2011 to February 2012).Women between 18 and 35 years of age, who delivered singleton, live infants during study period with at least 18 teeth were enrolled. Those with pregnancy induced hypertension, gestational diabetes, blood‑borne viral infections, periodontal treatment within the past 6 months and valvular heart disease were excluded. Control population was parity matched to the cases. Statistical Analysis Used: Chi‑square test, t‑test and univariant and multivariant logistic regression were used to analyze various study findings, and level of significance was set at 5% (P < 0.05). Results: PD was independently associated with LBW (odds ratio: 4.94, 95% confidence interval: 1.03–23.65, P=0.045). Additionally, conventional risk factors such as maternal height (P=0.029), secondary schooling (<8 years of schooling) (P = 0.001), socio‑economic status (P = 0.046), type of family (joint) (P = 0.008), number of ante‑natal visits (P = 0.028) and gestational age at birth (<37 weeks) (P = 0.045) showed significant association with LBW. Conclusions: There seems to be an association between PD and LBW independent of conventional risk factors. Women who had PD were 5 times more likely to deliver LBW infants.