Effectiveness of individualized counseling on the duration of exclusive breastfeeding: study protocol for a multicenter, randomized, parallel, and open clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Despite the benefits of breastfeeding, early weaning is a reality, so less than 50% of children worldwide and in Brazil are on exclusive breastfeeding in the sixth month of life. A strategy to counteract this scenario is breastfeeding counseling. This study aims to verify the effectiveness of individualized counseling by nurses trained in breastfeeding counseling, on the duration of exclusive breastfeeding, compared to standard care. METHODS: Multicenter, randomized, parallel, and open clinical trial, with primiparous women aged over 18 years, hospitalized in rooming-in wards at participating centers and hemodynamically stable, aware, and oriented, who had a single-fetus pregnancy and gave birth, regardless of the type of delivery, with live child, gestational age of 37 to 42 weeks and birth weight greater than 2500 g. The women will be initially approached in rooming-in wards and, upon consent to participate in the study, will be allocated through randomization by blocks composed of eight participants in two groups: intervention and control. The randomization lists will be organized by a central without involvement with the study, which will manage the allocation groups and be prepared in the Randon® program. Women allocated to the intervention group will receive breastfeeding counseling by trained nurses, and those in the control group will receive standard care at the center participating in the study. DISCUSSION: The results can contribute to breastfeeding by evidencing possible exclusivity and duration of the counseling trained nurses provide. TRIAL REGISTRATION: REBEC RBR-4w9v5rq (UTN: U1111-1284-3559) ( https://ensaiosclinicos.gov.br/rg/RBR-4w9v5rq ). Posted on March 20, 2023.

COVID-19 and pregnancy: A scoping review on pregnancy characteristics and outcomes.

AIM: The study aim was to map clinical characteristics and the evolution of pregnancies in pregnant women with confirmed diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection. METHODS: Searching four databases, studies were investigated that described the evolution of pregnancies in women diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection through laboratory tests. A scoping review was undertaken, including 35 articles published in English. Two pairs of independent researchers synthesized the data. RESULTS: Most studies were case studies or case series and had a low risk of bias. A predominance of cases was found in women over the age of 30 years who got infected in the third term of pregnancy and who had comorbidities. The prematurity index varied with the heterogeneity of the samples, and the cases of abortion occurred in combination with severe forms of infection. Caesarean section deliveries predominated, indicated mainly by respiratory decompensation caused by infection. Most women were discharged. CONCLUSION: Based on the reviewed studies, the profile and evolution of pregnant women infected with COVID-19 could be evaluated.

[Vitamin D in children and adolescents with sickle cell disease: an integrative review]. / Vitamina D em crianças e adolescentes com doença falciforme: uma revisão integrativa.

OBJECTIVE: To review the literature about the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and its consequences in children and adolescents with sickle-cell disease. DATA SOURCES: The literature survey was performed through the bibliographic databases Medline; U.S. National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health (PubMed); Literatura Latino-Americana e do Caribe em Ciências da Saúde (Lilacs), and the Cochrane Library. The keywords were selected using Medical Heading Terms (MeSH): "Vitamin D" OR "Vitamin D deficiency" AND "Anemia, Sickle Cell" AND "Child" AND "Adolescent". The search was limited to articles in English, Spanish and Portuguese, published until April 2014. DATA SYNTHESIS: Eleven articles were selected among the 18 found. In 6 of the 11 studies, serum levels of vitamin D in children and/or adolescents with sickle-cell anemia were low. The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in patients with sickle-cell anemia exceeded that of the comparison group. The low intake of vitamin D, seasonality, exposure to sun, increased metabolism associated with the hemoglobinopathy, and age increase were factors associated with the deficiency. There was an association between a significant vitamin D deficiency and bone weakness and painful crises. There was a positive correlation between increased levels of vitamin D by supplementation and functional, physical capacity. CONCLUSIONS: The vitamin D deficiency in children and adolescents with sickle-cell disease is prevalent and requires further studies to demonstrate its association with comorbidities and possible benefits of vitamin D supplementation.