ABSTRACT
Maternal smoking during pregnancy has many consequences on the fetus, and later on the child. Excluding the increase in sudden infant death and psychomotor and cognitive development disorders, we focus here on other problems. Precocious adverse disturbance of lung function favor respiratory tract infections and asthma. Growth is impaired, principally an increased risk of obesity. Certain endocrine functions (thyroid, gonad and also pancreas) seem to be dysregulated. Fears exist about hemodynamic consequences. Maternal smoking during pregnancy is a public health problem for the offspring, and the risk is more likely if exposure persists after birth.
Subject(s)
Growth Disorders/etiology , Respiration Disorders/etiology , Smoking/adverse effects , Female , Humans , Infant, Newborn , Pregnancy , Time FactorsABSTRACT
Maternal smoking during pregnancy has many consequences, manifesting prior to, during and after pregnancy, mainly: fertility difficulties; obstetrical accidents such as extrauterine pregnancy, premature labour and early placenta detachment; intrauterine growth retardation; increased perinatal morbidity; increased susceptibility to respiratory diseases in infancy and childhood; increased rate of sudden infant death; and alteration of cognitive development and behavioral disorder in childhood. Postnatal smoke exposure increases the respiratory complications in infancy and childhood. Considering the severity of these deleterious effects, the development of a large preventive policy appears necessary.
Subject(s)
Embryonic and Fetal Development , Pregnancy Complications/etiology , Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects , Smoking/adverse effects , Tobacco Smoke Pollution/adverse effects , Adult , Child , Child Welfare , Child, Preschool , Female , Health Promotion , Humans , Infant , Infant Welfare , Infant, Newborn , Male , Maternal Health Services , Pregnancy , Respiratory Tract Infections/etiologyABSTRACT
Teleconsultation is a potentially useful approach to the psychological assessment of elderly patients. We assessed the psychological impact of a videolinked psychometric consultation in a sample of hospitalized elderly people. The 15 patients, none of whom had a psychiatric history, participated in a video-consultation and a conventional face-to-face consultation. The mean age of the patients was 88 years. Each consultation consisted of a preliminary interview with a psychologist and two psychometric tests which evaluated the patient's cognitive function (the Mini-Mental State Examination and the Clock Face Test). A second psychologist, who acted as an observer, assessed the patients' attitudes to the two types of consultation. Although most patients (11 of the 15) expressed a preference for the face-to-face consultation, the video-consultations were judged to be acceptable by the patients and the psychologists. The experience of teleconsultation could be improved by practice on the consultant's part and by some technical modifications. Finally, some differences in test scores were observed and further work is required to evaluate the reliability of different psychometric tests when used by videolink.
Subject(s)
Attitude to Health , Psychometrics/methods , Remote Consultation , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Evaluation Studies as Topic , Female , Geriatric Assessment , Hospitalization , Humans , Interview, Psychological , MaleABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Evaluation of the clinical feasibility of remote psychometric consultation with elderly patients. METHODS: Remote consultation with six women and four men (average age 87) was compared with a standard consultation. An interview and two psychometric tests were used: the Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE) and the Clock Face Test (CFT), which were administered by a clinical psychologist and controlled by a psychologist observer who remained in the room with the patient. The experimental setting consisted of two rooms linked by a coaxial cable. Each room was equipped with a camera, television screen, and microphone. The clinician was able to operate the mobile camera in the patient's room by remote control. The clinician was assisted by a computer, which helped to focus on standardized points. A video camera recorded the consultation for documentation purposes. RESULTS: Decreased performance was observed in the remote versus the standard consultation for both tests (MMSE: p = 0.008; CFT: p = 0.006). Physiologic hearing loss may have been responsible for a fall in the patients' attention. CONCLUSION: Remote psychometric consultation can be applied successfully to the psychological examination of elderly patients provided that communication problems are solved.
Subject(s)
Geriatric Assessment , Remote Consultation , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Female , Humans , Interview, Psychological , Male , Psychological TestsABSTRACT
A favourable outcome of a severe Cambylobacter fetus sepsis in a neonate is reported. The transmission was probably vertical. His mother experienced diarrhoea 15 days before birth. No infecting organism was isolated from maternal stools, but maternal antibody response was significant. Such a perinatal infection with meningitis and septicemia is uncommon. Bacteriological diagnosis requires an enriched medium and a long incubation. The diagnosis should be evoked in view of an anamnestic context, a negative culture or a resistance to antimicrobial drugs.
