Dairy products intake and the risk of postpartum depression among mothers: A pilot study.

Introduction: Postpartum depression is a prevalent consequence of childbirth experienced by many women. There has been evidence linking dairy intake during pregnancy with a reduction in postpartum depression symptoms. However, there is still a lack of understanding regarding the effects of postpartum dairy consumption on postpartum depression. Objectives: To examine whether dairy products intake and calcium in dairy is associated with postpartum depression. Methods: A pilot study was conducted (n = 49 postpartum women). A food frequency questionnaire was used to evaluate the participants' consumption of calcium and dairy products during pregnancy, and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale was used to screen for postpartum depression symptoms. Results: Of 49 participants, 26 (53%) were at risk for postpartum depression (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale ⩾ 12). Consuming >1 serving of Laban per day is significantly associated with reduced risk of postpartum depression (odds ratio = 0.01, 95% confidence interval [0, 0.3]). Total dairy intake >1 serving per day is significantly associated with reduced risk of postpartum depression (odds ratio = 0.17, 95% confidence interval [0.03, 0.83]). No significant association was found between the postpartum intake of milk, cheese, yogurt, or calcium and postpartum depression. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that higher total dairy intake was associated with a lower likelihood of postpartum depression. Further assessment with a larger sample size of participants could provide additional insight into the potential of dietary dairy to mitigate postpartum depression.

Gastrointestinal manifestations of human immunodeficiency virus and coronavirus disease 2019: Understanding the intersecting regions between the two epidemics.

In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared coronavirus disease (COVID-19) a pandemic. As of February 2021, there were 107 million COVID-19 cases worldwide. As a comparison, there are approximately 38 million people living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLHIV) worldwide. The coexistence of both epidemics, and the syndemic effect of both viruses could lead to a delirious impact both at individual and community levels. Many intersecting points were found between severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of COVID-19, and HIV; among which, gastrointestinal (GI) manifestations are the most notable. GI manifestations represent a common clinical presentation in both HIV and SARS-CoV-2. The emergence of GI symptoms as a result of SARS-CoV-2 infection provides a new dynamic to COVID-19 diagnosis, management, and infection control measures, and adds an additional diagnostic challenge in case of coinfection with HIV. The presence of GI manifestations in PLHIV during the COVID-19 pandemic could be referred to HIV enteropathy, presence of opportunistic infection, adverse effect of antiretrovirals, or coinfection with COVID-19. Thus, it is important to exclude SARS-CoV-2 in patients who present with new-onset GI manifestations, especially in PLHIV, to avoid the risk of disease transmission during endoscopic interventions. Structural similarities between both viruses adds a valuable intersecting point, which has mutual benefits in the management of both viruses. These similarities led to the hypothesis that antiretrovirals such as lopinavir/Rironavir have a role in the management of COVID-19, which was the target of our search strategy using the available evidence. These similarities may also facilitate the development of an efficient HIV vaccine in the future using the advances in COVID-19 vaccine development.