Covid Affects Pregnant Mothers

Jerusalem: Pregnant women's exposure to air pollution has been identified as one possible factor for low-birth-weight in babies, which can further lead to poor health outcomes, researchers have shown. The study, published in the journal Environmental Research, also revealed that mothers who are underweight and come from lower socioeconomic backgrounds were more exposed to the possibility of being affected by air pollution. Further, the study found that the association with air pollution was stronger among female babies and first births - a fact that is thought to be due to a biological mechanism that is yet to be identified. "It is now clear that governments need to set up the infrastructure to integrate environmental and health data at the personal level," said Professor Hagai Levine of the Hebrew University (HU)-Hadassah Braun School of Public Health. The team looked at the link between air pollutant PM2.5 and the birth weight of 3,80,000 singleton babies born to mothers all over in Israel between 2004-2015. Israel, a country with the highest fertility rate among countries under OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) and high levels of the air pollutant PM2.5, made it an ideal location to look for an association between low birth weight and poor air quality. The team used personal, anonymised data and detailed high-resolution pollutant data to produce more accurate statistical analysis. The model included siblings, and it enabled the estimation of the variance in low birth weight to be accounted for by variances between different mothers, leading to more accurate estimates. The data used by the research team included: personal anonymised data on the mothers, including the area where they lived and the weight of their babies at birth; and daily air pollutant concentration over each square kilometre of Israel, derived from satellite data. The study clearly showed the association between the level of the air pollutant PM2.5 and low birth weight. The association of air pollutants with low birth weight raises the question of whether the governments should take the impact on the developing baby into account and increase its efforts to reduce pollution. (agency) Read More► 'Preventing diabetes among youth, pregnant women a challenge'

London: People bedridden for seven days or more with Covid-19 showed a higher rate of depression and anxiety, compared to those who were infected but never bedridden, according to a new study published in The Lancet Public Health. The findings suggest that, on the whole, non-hospitalised patients with a SARS-CoV-2 infection were more likely to experience depressive symptoms up to 16 months after diagnosis compared to those never infected. While symptoms of depression and anxiety mostly subsided within two months for non-hospitalised patients, those bedridden for seven days or more continued to be 50-60 per cent more likely to experience depression and anxiety upto 16-months. The quicker recovery of physical Covid-19 symptoms may explain in part why mental health symptoms decline at a similar rate for those with a mild infection. However, patients with severe Covid-19 often experience inflammation which has previously been linked to chronic mental health effects, particularly depression. "The higher occurrence of depression and anxiety among patients with Covid-19 who spent seven days or longer bedridden could be due to a combination of worrying about long-term health effects as well as the persistence of physical long Covid symptoms well beyond the illness that limit social contact and may result in a sense of helplessness," said Ingibjorg Magnusdottir, from the University of Iceland. To capture long-term mental health impacts, the researchers looked at symptom-prevalence of depression, anxiety, Covid-19 related distress, and poor sleep quality among people with and without a diagnosis of Covid-19 from 0-16 months (mean follow-up 5.65 months). The analysis drew upon data from 247,249 people in seven cohorts across Denmark, Estonia, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and the UK. Overall, participants diagnosed with Covid-19 had a higher prevalence of depression and poorer sleep quality compared to individuals who were never diagnosed. "Our research is among the first to explore mental health symptoms after a serious Covid-19 illness in the general population up to 16 months after diagnosis. It suggests that mental health effects aren't equal for all Covid-19 patients and that time spent bedridden is a key factor in determining the severity of the impacts on mental health," said Professor Unnur Anna Valdimarsdottir, from the varsity. "As we enter the third year of the pandemic, increased clinical vigilance of adverse mental health among the proportion of patients with a severe acute disease of Covid-19 and follow-up studies beyond the first year after infections are critical to ensure timely access to care." (agency) Read More► Prior Heart Defect May Up Risk for Severe Covid: Study

यरूशलेम: शोधकर्ताओं ने बताया है कि गर्भवती महिलाओं पर वायु प्रदूषण का जोखिम उनके शिशुओं वजन पर असर डालता है, जो आगे चलकर खराब स्वास्थ्य परिणामों को जन्म दे सकता है। पर्यावरण अनुसंधान पत्रिका में प्रकाशित अध्ययन में यह भी पता चला है कि कम वजन वाली और निम्न सामाजिक आर्थिक पृष्ठभूमि से आने वाली माताओं को वायु प्रदूषण से प्रभावित होने की संभावना अधिक थी। हिब्रू विश्वविद्यालय (एचयू)-हदासाह ब्रौन स्कूल ऑफ पब्लिक हेल्थ के प्रोफेसर हागई लेविन ने कहा कि यह अब स्पष्ट है कि सरकारों को व्यक्तिगत स्तर पर पर्यावरण और स्वास्थ्य डेटा को एकीकृत करने के लिए बुनियादी ढांचे को स्थापित करने की आवश्यकता है। टीम ने वायु प्रदूषक पीएम 2.5 और 2004-2015 के बीच पूरे इजराइल में पैदा हुए 3,80,000 सिंगलटन शिशुओं के जन्म के वजन के बीच संबंध को देखा। टीम ने अधिक सटीक सांख्यिकीय विश्लेषण तैयार करने के लिए व्यक्तिगत, अज्ञात डेटा और विस्तृत उच्च-रिजॉल्यूशन प्रदूषक डेटा का उपयोग किया (एजेंसी) यह भी पढ़े► बड़ों की तुलना में बच्चों में गाते और बोलते समय कम श्वास कणों का प्रवाह

Unfortunately, the widespread coronavirus pandemic has ruled our lives for the past two years. The constant arrival of new variants is posing demanding challenges for organisations and posing difficult scenarios for them to resume full-fledged operations. Expecting the workplace to return to their daily office routine is akin to wishing for a life on the moon. Being adaptable in terms of workplace norms is currently the best option, and thus the hybrid work environment has become the new normal. While there is always a silver lining to every cloud, technology has removed the stress of uncertainty from the heads of the bosses, and everyone has adjusted to working from their desks at home with online meetings and working scenarios. While we've all gotten used to the hybrid work environment, we can't ignore the impact it's having on us, both mentally and physically. Working online does not reduce stress in fact, it increases it in many ways. It is substantial to focus on our health while putting in our best foot forward towards our work. Let us look at some tips to remain healthy while working from home or from the office. Keep Yourself Hydrated: As much as we take this point casually, we should keep drinking water and maintain our fluid intake throughout the day to keep ourselves hydrated through all the exhaustion. The body gets dehydrated even when you're sitting inside the house, so you must develop a habit of keeping a water bottle with you and keep sipping the water. You must also include the intake of other healthy fluids like coconut water, buttermilk, lemon water, infused and detox water in your daily routine. If you are someone who has a habit of forgetting, you also have the option of setting drinking water alarms on your phone to remind you of the same. Eat Nutritious Food: While working we tend to munch on snacks but we must keep in mind that the importance of the three main meals should not be disregarded and one should have a proper balanced breakfast, lunch and dinner while working from both home and office. Skipping meals can be extremely harmful to the body and can cause severe gastric issues. A meal packed with proteins, carbs, fibres and other crucial nutrients keep you energized for the day and saves you from issues like bloating, gastric attacks and fatigue. Mid-Meal Snacking: As significant as it is to have a nutritious meal it is also necessary to snack in between to satisfy your hunger pangs. You must always keep a few healthy snacking options handy like roasted makhana, roasted peanuts, fruits, unsweetened nut butter, protein bars, and other healthy snacks so that it keeps you away from munching on unhealthy food items which have a high content of sugar and salt and are low on nutrition. They can cause bloating, weight gain and other health issues. Breathing Exercises: It is no secret that breathing exercises can calm you down, relax your mind and increase your focus. Breathing exercises enhance the oxygen flow in your blood and boost your energy. Deep breathing can help you fight anxiety and decrease your stress levels. Practising these exercises on a daily basis can keep your brain fresh and ready to take all the workload with a positive mindset. Stretching: When you're sitting on your work table with your laptop for extended hours you must take a break after every 30 minutes to 60 minutes where you get up and stretch your body. Stretching maintains the relaxation of the body and rejuvenates it to promote your strength and flexibility. Sitting in one place gives rise to backaches and pain in the knee joints. Stretching helps maintain the blood flow and keeps you fit. Wear Computer Glasses: You should be mindful of your screen time and wear computer glasses to avoid the blue light affecting your eyesight. With the increased work-from-home hours, you are forced to sit in front of the screen, and then even on your break, you use your mobile phone which takes your screen time to almost 18 hours a day causing red eyes, decreased eyesight, and watering of eyes. This can be hazardous in the long run hence one should take precautions and wear computer glasses to avoid any further complications to the eyesight. We must collectively aim to reduce mental and physical strain on our body and mind to keep ourselves healthy by keeping these significant tips in mind and being mindful of our own well being. (Aayushi Lakhapati, Cofounder & Chief Health Officer of Upnourish) Read More► Prior Heart Defect May Up Risk for Severe Covid: Study