Preeclamptic toxemia in chlamydia pneumoniae seropositive pregnant women

Women who develop preeclampsia may have an intense inflammatory response which may be caused by a concurrent or preceding inflammatory stimulus such as infection. This study was conducted to test the hypothesis that there is an association between Chlarnydia pneumoniae [C.pneumoniae] immunoglobulin [Ig] G seropositivity and development of preeclampsia in pregnant women. A prospective observational study was carried out on 355 healthy pregnant women attending the outpatient clinic at Ain Shams University Maternity Hospital. All women were normotensive primigravidae after 20 weeks of gestation. A single venous blood sample was collected from each of these women and tested for the presence of C.pneumoniae specific IgG antibodies using microimmunofluorescence technique [MIF]. Subsequently, women were classified as either seropositive or seronegative. Women in both groups were followed-up to detect the development of preeclampsia. A total of 248 women continued follow-up till delivery and were enrolled in the study. Seropositive group had a higher incidence of development of preeclampsia; 10% [11 cases developed preeclampsia of 107 seropositive women], compared to seronegative group; 2.8% [4 cases of 141,] and this difference was statistically significant using Chi-square test [p<0.05]. The longitudinal data of this study suggest a possible association between C.pneurnoniae seropositivity and preeclampsia and also support the evidence on infection hypothesis for the development of preeclampsia

Identifying harmful birth attendant and home care practices during the antenatal, peripartum and postpartum period in Egypt

Harmful practices by birth attendants during and shortly after birth, and poor practice in the home during the first week of life, may contribute to high neonatal mortality rates in Egypt. Inability of birth attendants and mothers to identify neonatal danger signs is also an issue. In this study 217 recently-delivered mothers were interviewed about their delivery and home care practices. Some good delivery care practices were identified, including routine hand-washing by most birth attendants, sterile umbilical cord care in most cases, and postnatal visits from the birth attendant in most cases. However, a number of deficits in care and potentially harmful practices were found: poor aseptic procedures, delivery of one-third of women with complications in the home; pulling on the umbilical cord to hasten delivery of the placenta and hanging the neonate upside-down by the legs during resuscitation. Some postnatal care practices were in also accord with generally agreed-upon standards of care, such as prompt initial feeding, feeding of colostrums and most bathing practices. Substandard care practices among mothers were: a lack of hand-washing before neonatal care; lack of exclusive breastfeeding including supplemental feeds to half of newborns at the first feeding; and a lack of aseptic cord care. The mothers' assessment of the health of their newborns was in good agreement with the incidence of signs of potentially serious illnesses, suggesting that advice they received has been appropriate. Based on these findings, priorities for future investigation are proposed