A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Paternal Intimacy Problems, Stress Levels, and Satisfaction from Families with Children Born with Mucoviscidosis

There is an increasing interest in father–child interactions and their effects. Due to the rising number of working mothers, marital interruptions, divorces, and child custody arrangements, paternal duties and the relevance of fathering continue to be re-evaluated. As there are rising expectations for men to undertake more childcare and household responsibilities, it was hypothesized that the presence of a disabled or chronically ill child would have a significant impact on the couple’s future family situation, marital conduct due to paternal dissatisfaction, and increased stress levels. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine paternal intimacy problems, stress levels, and couple satisfaction inside families that have children with cystic fibrosis. The study followed a cross-sectional design with five questionnaires that were answered by a total of 107 fathers of children with cystic fibrosis from the “cases” group as the reference group, and 124 fathers of healthy children from the “control” group. The statistically significant findings of the current study show that men who were taking care of their child with mucoviscidosis engaged less frequently in sexual activity. A significantly higher number of these respondents were smokers. A higher proportion of them reported marital distress (OR = 2.54) and inhibited sexual desire (OR = 2.02), all in association with a higher number of men taking psychiatric medication (7.5% vs. 1.6%). More than 40% of all respondents declared high levels of general stress and parenting distress, while the most frequently used coping mechanism for stress was avoidance-oriented (45.8% vs. 25.8%). Other important findings were the high levels of dissatisfaction and lower levels of marital quality on the SII scale, equivalent to the intimacy problems on the MIQ scale. It is likely that paternal stress is higher when parenting children with cystic fibrosis, and the lack of intervention in this vulnerable group seem to be associated with intimacy problems, couple dissatisfaction, and maladaptive coping mechanisms. It is recommended that these concerns should not only be raised for the mothers of children with mucoviscidosis, but also for the child’s father or the male caretaker partner since they might experience the same problems as the opposite gender

Analysis of Vaginal Microbiota Variations in the Third Trimester of Pregnancy and Their Correlation with Preterm Birth: A Case-Control Study

This study conducted a detailed analysis of the vaginal microbiota in pregnant women to explore its correlation with preterm birth (PTB) outcomes. The primary objective was to identify microbial variations associated with increased PTB risk. Secondary objectives included investigating how changes in microbial composition relate to the local immune environment and PTB. Utilizing a retrospective case–control design, the study involved pregnant women with liveborn infants between 2019 and 2023. In total, 89 women who delivered preterm and 106 term deliveries were included. Data collection focused on third-trimester vaginal cultures. Statistically significant differences were observed between the preterm and full-term groups in several areas. The median white blood cell count (10.2 × 103/mm3 vs. 7.6 × 103/mm3, p = 0.009) and neutrophil count (7.2 × 103/mm3 vs. 5.1 × 103/mm3, p p p = 0.001) as indicated by the Nugent Score. The study noted a significant association of PTB with the presence of Candida spp. (OR = 1.84, p = 0.018), Gardnerella vaginalis (OR = 2.29, p = 0.003), Mycoplasma hominis (OR = 1.97, p = 0.007), and Ureaplasma urealyticum (OR = 2.43, p = 0.001). Conversely, a reduction in Lactobacillus spp. correlated with a decreased PTB risk (OR = 0.46, p = 0.001). The study provides compelling evidence that specific vaginal microbiota components, particularly certain pathogenic bacteria and an altered Lactobacillus profile, are significantly associated with PTB risk. These findings highlight the potential of targeting microbial factors in strategies aimed at reducing PTB rates. Further research is necessary to fully understand the complex interplay between microbial dynamics, host immunity, and PTB outcomes

Antibiotherapy in Children with Cystic Fibrosis—An Extensive Review

In cystic fibrosis (CF), the respiratory disease is the main factor that influences the outcome and the prognosis of patients, bacterial infections being responsible for severe exacerbations. The etiology is often multi-microbial and with resistant strains. The aim of this paper is to present current existing antibiotherapy solutions for CF-associated infections in order to offer a reliable support for individual, targeted, and specific treatment. The inclusion criteria were studies about antibiotherapy in CF pediatric patients. Studies involving adult patients or those with only in vitro results were excluded. The information sources were all articles published until December 2021, in PubMed and ScienceDirect. A total of 74 studies were included, with a total number of 26,979 patients aged between 0–18 years. We approached each pathogen individual, with their specific treatment, comparing treatment solutions proposed by different studies. Preservation of lung function is the main goal of therapy in CF, because once parenchyma is lost, it cannot be recovered. Early personalized intervention and prevention of infection with reputable germs is of paramount importance, even if is an asymmetrical challenge. This research received no external funding

A Cross-Sectional Study of the Marital Attitudes of Pregnant Women at Risk for Cystic Fibrosis and Psychological Impact of Prenatal Screening

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is one of the most frequent genetic disorders in those with Northern European ancestry. Prenatal testing for cystic fibrosis may be used to plan and prepare for the birth of a child with the disease or to determine whether to terminate the pregnancy. The accessibility of prenatal detection for women with a high genetic risk of delivering a child with cystic fibrosis is determined by CF carriers and those affected by the disease. Moreover, prenatal testing for CF is mainly dependent on invasive diagnostic tests that can influence the mental health of the pregnant woman, and it is assumed that the birth of a CF child will have a serious influence on the couple’s subsequent family planning and marital behavior. The purpose of this research was to examine the marital attitudes of women at risk for cystic fibrosis and the psychological effect of screening for CF among pregnant women. The study followed a cross-sectional design with five questionnaires comprising Prenatal Attachment Interview (PAI), Maternal Antenatal Attachment Scale (MAAS), Pregnancy-Related Anxiety Questionnaire (PRAQ-R2), the Prenatal Psychosocial Profile (PPP), and the Marital Intimacy Questionnaire (MIQ). A total of 84 pregnant women were included in the “carriers” group for CFTR and 91 in the “non-carrier” group. CFTR-carrier mothers were likely to be more affectionate to the fetus, with better maternal–fetal quality and intensity of attachment. The same group of pregnant women was less scared of giving birth or worried about bearing a physically or mentally handicapped child compared to women who were expecting the prenatal diagnosis test for being at risk of delivering a newborn with malformations. CFTR-carrier pregnant women did not score significantly different results in the Prenatal Psychosocial Profile regarding stress levels, social support, and self-esteem. It was also found that intimacy and consensus problems inside the marriage were significantly more often experienced by CFTR carriers. Based on the current findings, it is likely that CFTR-carrier mothers have a better perception of the possible pregnancy outcomes by knowing their abnormal gene carrier status. Therefore, the psychological impact of invasive diagnostic tests is lower in this category compared with those who are unaware of the possible pregnancy outcomes. However, we promote a future analysis for pregnant women with moderate risk of giving birth to a child with single-gene mutations such as cystic fibrosis or other congenital malformations that undergo noninvasive prenatal diagnosis tests, as they become more accurate and might cause lower pre-diagnosis stress levels

Comparative Analysis of Hematological and Biochemical Changes in Neonates among Women with and without COVID-19 Infection during Pregnancy

The aim of this study is to evaluate the test results of neonates delivered by COVID-19-positive mothers during pregnancy with those of neonates born to unvaccinated mothers who are COVID-19-free. A cohort study was conducted on 367 pregnant women who gave birth at Premiere Hospital, Timisoara, Romania, between May 2021 and February 2022. Two groups were established: Group 1, with 167 pregnant women infected with COVID-19, and Group 2, with 200 pregnant women who were not affected by COVID-19 during pregnancy. Maternal laboratory examination did not exhibit significant variations except for platelet count. In neonatal blood tests, WBC had a significantly lower median value in the group born to COVID-19-free mothers. Neonatal anemia and leukocytosis showed slightly higher prevalence in Group 1, but the differences were not statistically significant. This study suggests that maternal COVID-19 infection during pregnancy does not have significant associations with most maternal and neonatal characteristics

A Prospective Analysis of Vitamin D Levels in Pregnant Women Diagnosed with Gestational Hypertension after SARS-CoV-2 Infection

The great majority of existing studies suggests that the prognosis and outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 infections are improved with adequate vitamin D levels, with or without supplementation. Simultaneously, whether vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy lessens the chance of developing gestational hypertension is controversial. The objective of the present research was to evaluate whether vitamin D levels during pregnancy differ substantially among pregnant women who develop gestational hypertension following SARS-CoV-2 infection. The current research was designed as a prospective cohort following the pregnant women admitted to our clinic with COVID-19 until 36 weeks of gestation. Total vitamin D (25(OH)D) levels were measured in the three study groups in which pregnant women with COVID-19 during pregnancy and a diagnosis of hypertension after 20 weeks of gestation were considered the group of cases (GH-CoV). The second group (CoV) included those with COVID-19 and no hypertension, while the third group (GH) included those with hypertension and no COVID-19. It was observed that 64.4% of SARS-CoV-2 infections in the group of cases occurred during the first trimester, compared to 29.2% in the first trimester among the controls who did not develop GH. Normal vitamin D levels were measured at admission in a significantly higher proportion of pregnant women without GH (68.8% in the CoV group vs. 47.9% in the GH-CoV group and 45.8% in the GH group). At 36 weeks of gestation, the median values of 25(OH)D in the CoV group was 34.4 (26.9–39.7) ng/mL compared to 27.9 (16.2–32.4) ng/mL in the GH-CoV group and 29.5 ng/mL (18.4–33.2) in the GH group, while the blood pressure measurements remained over 140 mmHg among the groups who developed GH. There was a statistically significant negative association between serum 25(OH)D levels and systolic blood pressure (rho = −0.295; p-value = 0.031); however, the risk of developing GH was not significantly higher among pregnant women with COVID-19 if the vitamin D levels were insufficient (OR = 1.19; p-value = 0.092) or deficient (OR = 1.26; p-value = 0.057). Although insufficient or deficient vitamin D among pregnant women with COVID-19 was not an independent risk factor for the development of GH, it is likely that an association between first-trimester SARS-CoV-2 infection and low vitamin D plays a key role in developing gestational hypertension