Maternal and neonatal risk factors for autism spectrum disorder: A case-control study from Egypt.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been increasing steadily in Egypt and worldwide. Detecting risk factors for ASD could help initiate screening and risk prevention approaches. Herein, this study aimed to detect several maternal and neonatal risk factors for ASD in Egypt. METHODS: In this case-control study, mothers of children with ASD who were visiting Beni-Suef University Hospital in Egypt (n = 268) were compared to mothers of children without ASD attending one primary school with a kindergarten (n = 504) regarding their preconception, conception, and postconception characteristics. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire. The odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to investigate the possible associations between the collected data and the odds of ASD. RESULTS: In the multivariable-adjusted models, urban residence: OR (95% CI) = 2.33 (1.60-3.38), relative father: 2.63 (1.74-3.96), history of diabetes: 5.98 (1.99-17.97), previous abortion: 2.47 (1.20-13.38), assisted fertility: 4.01 (1.20-13.38), family history of ASD: 7.24 (2.00-26.24), multiple pregnancy: 11.60 (2.54-53.07), exposure to passive smoking during pregnancy: 2.95 (1.86-4.68), vaginal bleeding during pregnancy: 3.10 (1.44-6.67), hypertension with pregnancy: 3.64 (1.06-12.51), preterm labor: 2.64 (1.26-5.57), neonatal convulsions: 14.88 (5.01-44.20), and admission to neonatal intensive care unit 2.13: (1.21-3.74) were associated with the increased odds of ASD. On the other hand, the intake of vitamins during pregnancy: 0.09 (0.06-0.16) and C-section: 0.44 (0.27-0.70) were associated with the decreased odds of ASD. CONCLUSION: This study detected several maternal and neonatal risk factors for ASD in Egyptian children.

Mattering perception, work engagement and its relation to burnout amongst nurses during coronavirus outbreak.

AIM: To assess the mattering perception, feelings of burnout and work engagement amongst nurses during coronavirus outbreak. DESIGN: Cross-sectional research design. METHODS: It conducted at Zagazig fever hospital and chest hospital on 280 nurses. A self-administered questionnaire containing four parts; characteristics, mattering at Work Scale, Burnout scale and Engagement scale. RESULTS: The present study reported that more than half of studied nurses had moderate mattering level and more than one-quarter of them had low mattering. More than two-fifth of studied nurses had moderate level and slight less than one-third of them had low engagement. More than two-fifth of studied nurses had moderate level of burnout, whilst slight less than one-third of them had high burnout, and one-quarter of them had low burnout.

Depressed, anxious, and stressed: What have healthcare workers on the frontlines in Egypt and Saudi Arabia experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic?

INTRODUCTION: As the Novel Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) was declared by the world health organization a pandemic in March 2020, thousands of healthcare workers (HCWs) worldwide were on the frontlines fighting against the pandemic. Herein, we selected two Middle East countries; Egypt and Saudi Arabia to investigate the psychological impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on their HCWs. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, a Google survey was used to access HCWs in many hospitals in Egypt and Saudi Arabia between the 14th and 24th of April 2020. The survey assessed HCWs regarding their sociodemographic and occupational features, sleeping hours, and psychological impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21). RESULTS: This study included 426 HCWs (48.4% physicians, 24.2% nurses, and 27.4% other HCWs). Of them, 69% had depression, 58.9% had anxiety, 55.9% had stress, and 37.3% had inadequate sleeping (<6 h/day). Female sex, age ≤30 years, working in Egypt, attending emergency and night shifts, watching/reading COVID-19 news ≥2 h/day, and not getting emotional support from family, society, and hospital were associated with a high likelihood of depression, anxiety, stress, and inadequate sleeping. LIMITATIONS: the cross-sectional design restricted our ability to distinguish between preexisting and emerging psychological symptoms. CONCLUSION: HCWs on the frontlines in Egypt and Saudi Arabia experienced depression, anxiety, stress, and inadequate sleeping during the COVID-19 pandemic.