ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Vaccination is a quick, safe, and effective way to avoid contracting hazardous diseases, but it often causes pain and discomfort. Various pharmacological and non-pharmacological pain management techniques are used to treat pain. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of breastfeeding, musical therapy, and oral sucrose in infant's pain relief during pentavalent vaccination. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A quasi-experimental posttest-only research design was used. A total of 150 infants were enrolled using the purposive sampling technique (50 in the breastfeeding, 50 in the musical therapy, and 50 in the oral sucrose groups) coming for the first, second, and third doses of pentavalent vaccination. The data were collected using observation and the Neonatal Infant Pain Scale (NIPS). The results were calculated by descriptive and inferential statistics. RESULTS: The study revealed that half of the infants in the breastfeeding group felt severe pain, whereas the majority of infants in the musical therapy and oral sucrose groups felt severe pain during pentavalent vaccination. The median pain score in breastfeeding, musical therapy, and oral sucrose was 4.50, 6, and 7, respectively. Breastfeeding was significantly different from both musical therapy and oral sucrose in terms of pain scores. However, no significant difference was observed between musical therapy and oral sucrose. Overall, the results indicate that breastfeeding had a distinct impact on pain relief during pentavalent vaccination compared with the other interventions, while musical therapy and oral sucrose did not differ significantly in their effectiveness. CONCLUSION: The study concluded that breastfeeding is a safe, reliable, cost-effective, and easily accessible method to relieve an infant's pain during pentavalent vaccination. It is a simple method to alleviate pain among infants during vaccination.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The prevalence of anemia is a significant public health challenge. Approximately half of all pregnant women in India experience anemia during pregnancy. This study aims to determine the prevalence of anemia and perinatal outcomes among anemic and nonanemic pregnant mothers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The quantitative research approach was adopted using a descriptive comparative design. The study was conducted in the Obstetrics and Gynecology and Pediatric departments of a tertiary care hospital. Hemoglobin (Hb) was recorded using antenatal records of pregnant mothers in their III trimester. Based on their Hb level, subjects were divided into two groups, anemic and nonanemic as per World Health Organization criteria. The subjects were followed up until the first week after birth. RESULTS: The prevalence of anemia was 48% [N = 410]; 70.6% had mild, 13.7% had moderate, and 15.7% had severe. The anemic group had a significantly higher incidence of low birthweight (30.9% vs 10.3%, P = 0.001) and preterm births (24.2% vs 3.2%, P = 0.001) compared to the nonanemic group. Additionally, there were significant differences in various quantitative perinatal parameters such as weight (P = 0.001), length (P = 0.001), head circumference (P = 0.001), chest circumference (P = 0.034), APGAR score at one minute (P = 0.022), and APGAR score at five minutes (P = 0.001) between the anemic and nonanemic. CONCLUSION: The maternal anemia is associated with increased risk of unfavorable perinatal outcomes. Identifying and managing anemia among pregnant women is critical to minimize adverse outcomes. Adequate antenatal care can play a significant role in preventing avoidable complications associated with anemia during the third trimester.
ABSTRACT
Dandy-Walker Syndrome (D-WS) is a rare disorder with an incidence of 1%-2% of all central nervous system anomalies. The diagnosis can be challenging, especially in the prenatal period. Here, we present an extremely rare case of D-WS associated with bilateral congenital cataracts. A 36 weeks and 6 days old male baby presented with a Dandy-Walker variant associated with bilateral congenital cataract. Ophthalmological examination revealed microphthalmos and congenital cataracts present in both eyes with sclerocornea, iris coloboma, and zone 3 retinopathy of prematurity involving only the right eye. However, the right eye was salvageable. Skull transillumination was negative with no cranial bruit. He was admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit with breathing difficulties, maintained SpO2 with oxygen through prongs, and noninvasive continuous positive airway pressure for 7 days. He had two episodes of hypoglycemia with hypothermia. There was no significant finding in sepsis evaluation. The abdominal ultrasonography was normal. Echocardiogram was suggestive of patent foramen ovale. Mother's torch panel tested positive for cytomegalovirus immunoglobulin G antibodies. Magnetic resonance imaging brain suggested variant D-WS with dilation of cerebellar fossa and occipital lateral ventricle horn and lack of usual corpus callus structure. Intravenous antibiotics cefotaxime and amikacin were administered along with fluid supplementation. He was shifted to mother feed. The neonate was referred to the pediatric surgery department for further management.
