Women’s attitude towards umbilical cord blood banking in Poland

Introduction: Umbilical cord blood (UCB) is considered as a valuable potential source of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells. A process of collecting and storing UCB in the immediate period after the birth is called UCB banking

Adverse outcome of T3-predominant maternal Grave’s disease during pregnancy in the mother and the offspring

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Difficulties in the management of hypokalemia in a pregnant patient with Gitelman syndrome

Gitelman syndrome (GS) is a rare renal disorder, and little is known about its impact on pregnancy. We report the successful outcome of pregnancy in a patient with GS that was managed with aggressive oral and intravenous potassium supplementation

The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on reproductive intentions among the Polish population

Objectives: The study was conducted in order to determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the fertility intentions among the Polish population. Material and methods: A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based online study was carried out among Polish adults in order to determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the reproductive plans of the Polish society. A total of 984 participants correctly completed the survey. Results: The pandemic has affected the reproductive intentions of 22% (n = 216) of the respondents, most of them want to have a child later than they previously planned (74.1%). The relationship between the change in reproductive intentions and the concerns about the pandemic was found. Most of those who changed their plans were afraid that the access to prenatal care and delivery services could be limited (86.6%) or were afraid about giving birth at the hospital (81%). More than half (51.9%) of those who changed reproductive plans were afraid of losing their income and 40.3% had already experienced a decrease in their income. The change in partner’s emotional relationships was also observed. More than half of respondents (56.7%) admitted that during the pandemic they had developed a deeper emotional relationship with their partners or felt more emotionally supported (56.6%). Most participants responded that the frequency of their sexual intercourses was not affected (66.7%) and that they had not experienced limited access to contraceptives (95.1%) during the pandemic. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected Polish people’s reproductive intentions. Concerns related to healthcare access and the economic difficulties have the most significant impact

Pregnant Women’s Knowledge of and Attitudes towards Influenza Vaccination during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Poland

Pregnant women are more susceptible to influenza virus infections due to the immunological and physiological changes in the course of pregnancy. Vaccination during pregnancy is a safe and effective method for protecting both the mothers and the infants from influenza and its complications. This study was conducted in order to determine the knowledge and attitudes of Polish pregnant women towards influenza vaccination during the COVID-19 pandemic. A questionnaire-based and self-administered study was carried out fully online and a total of 515 women participated. A total of 52% (n = 268) of surveyed women answered that vaccination against influenza during pregnancy was safe. However, only 21% (n = 108) were vaccinated against influenza during their current pregnancy and 17.5% (n = 90) intended to be vaccinated. The participants indicated many concerns about getting vaccinated during pregnancy, but also many benefits that come with the vaccination. General knowledge about influenza, its complications, and vaccination was quite high in the study group