Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes Associated With COVID-19 Infection in Pregnant Mothers Admitted in Tertiary Care Hospital in Central State of India.

In spite of various reports on perinatal outcomes of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) during pregnancies, the effects of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) on unborn babies and pregnant mothers are still mysterious. The goal of our research is to examine the perceived fetomaternal outcomes of COVID-19 during pregnancy. A total of 396 pregnant women were admitted to the Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Pt. JNM Medical College, Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India, during the period from July 20, 2020 to January 6, 2021. The presence of SARS-CoV-2 in different biological samples was recorded via positive quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test results. All the newborns delivered from the infected pregnant mothers were tested as RT-PCR negative. Negative findings of RT-PCR for respiratory swabs of newborns, amniotic fluid, placental tissue, breast milk, vaginal swabs, and cord blood indicated no transmission of the virus from mother to baby. However, maternal outcomes, such as hospitalization (46.96%), preeclampsia (13.88%), pre-term birth (14.39%), prelabor rupture of membranes (PROM) before 34 weeks (3.78%), PROM before 37 weeks (2.77%), vaginal bleeding (4.29%), postpartum hemorrhage (2.52%), pregnancy-induced hypertension (1.51%), and neonatal outcomes such as low birth weight ≤1.5 kg (6.59) and 1.6-2.4 kg (39.34%), intrauterine deaths (IUD) (0.50%), fetal distress (22.33%), NICU admission (5.58%), meconium-stained liquor (14.46%), diarrhea (0.25%), and low APGAR score 4-6 at 1 min (20.54%), were observed. The results of the present study indicate that SARS-CoV-2-induced complications during pregnancy must be taken seriously. Intrauterine fetal deaths occurred at lower rates. There is no substantial proof of vertical perinatal transmission of the virus, as none of the neonates had tested positive for COVID-19.

Placental Histopathology in COVID-19-Positive Mothers.

The placenta is a captivating multifunctional organ of fetal origin and plays an essential role during pregnancy by intimately connecting mother and baby. This study explicates placental pathology and information about 25 placentas collected from the mothers infected with novel coronavirus (SARS-COV-2). So far, congenital transmission of SARS-CoV-2 seems to be remarkably uncommon in spite of many cases of COVID-19 during pregnancy. Out of the 25 placental tissue samples collected, none has shown gene expression of SARS-CoV-2 when confirmed by RT-PCR. At the same time, nasal and throat swab samples collected from newborns of SARS-CoV-2-positive mothers correspondingly tested negative by RT-PCR. The shielding properties of placental barriers against viral infections from mothers to newborns remains a mystery. Major histopathological findings have been recorded as choriodecidual tissue with necrosis, intramural fibrin deposition, chorionic villi with fibrosis, and calcification. Moreover, although recent findings are insufficient to prove direct placental transmission of COVID-19, the abundance of angiotensin-converting enzymes-2 (ACE-2) on the placental surface could potentially contribute to unpleasant outcomes during pregnancy as SARSCoV-2 gains access to human cells via ACE-2. Finally, the significance of these findings is vague and needs further study.

Efficacy of Deferasirox as an Oral Iron Chelator in Paediatric Thalassaemia Patients.

INTRODUCTION: Thalassaemia Major patients require frequent blood transfusion leading to iron overload. Excessive iron gets deposited in vital organs and leads to dysfunction of the heart, liver, anterior pituitary, pancreas, and joints. Our body has limited mechanism to excrete iron, so patients with iron overload and its complications need safe and effective iron chelation therapy. AIM: To assess the efficacy of Deferasirox (DFX) as an iron chelator, with specific reference to reduction in serum ferritin level. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a prospective; observational study done in 45 multitransfused Thalassaemia Major Children receiving DFX therapy at registered Thalassaemia society Raipur Chhattisgarh. DFX was given in an initial dose of 20 mg/kg/day and according to response increased to a maximum of 40 mg/kg/day. Serum ferritin level was estimated at time of registration and at every three monthly intervals (four times during study period). The primary end point of the study was change in serum ferritin level after 12 months of DFX therapy. RESULTS: The mean serum ferritin before DFX therapy of all cases was 3727.02 ng/mL. After 12 months of mean dose of 38 mg/kg/day of DFX, the mean decline in serum ferritin was 1207.11 ng/mL (drop by 32.38%, p-value <0.001). CONCLUSION: DFX monotherapy has a good safety profile and effectively chelates total body iron in Thalassaemia major patients.

Nonsurgical management of bilateral adrenal abscess in newborn with therapeutic aspiration under ultrasonographic guidance.

Neonatal adrenal abscess is a rare condition. Bilateral adrenal abscess are extremely rare. We present this case focusing on the usefulness of needle aspiration under ultrasonographic guidance. The bilateral suprarenal cystic masses are identified by ultrasonography and different sequences of magnetic resonance imaging.

Factors affecting serum vitamin A levels in matched maternal-cord pairs.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationship of various maternal and neonatal factors with serum vitamin A concentration in matched mother-newborn pairs. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study on 100 neonate-mother pairs at a tertiary care center at Raipur, C.G., India. Gestational age, birth weight and sex of the neonates as well as maternal parity, hemoglobin (Hb) levels, access to antenatal care (ANC) and presence of toxemia of pregnancy were recorded. Cord and maternal serum vitamin A levels were assayed. RESULTS: Maternal serum vitamin A levels were not significantly affected by maternal age, parity, Hb level and presence of toxemia. Higher trend of maternal vitamin A concentrations (P=NS) and statistically higher values of cord serum vitamin A levels (P<0.05) were seen in mothers who had received ANC. Significantly higher cord vitamin A levels were seen with increasing weight of the placenta, birth weight of the newborn as well as its gestational age and maturity. Weak but significant positive correlation was present between maternal and cord serum vitamin A levels. CONCLUSION: Data from our study show that prematurity and intrauterine growth retardation are associated with low neonatal vitamin A levels. Several factors like lack of ANC, lower maternal Hb levels and reduced placental weight further affect vitamin A status of the newborn rendering them highly susceptible to vitamin A deficiency. We therefore, suggest further studies on vitamin A supplementation in pregnant women and preterm neonates.