[Midwives and psychologists as profesionals to screen and prevent pregnancy-specific stress.] / Matronas y profesionales de Psicología ante el screening y prevención de estrés específico del embarazo.

Events that occur during fetal and perinatal life can have consequences on the health and disease of the offspring. The pioneering work on the "Fetal Programming Hypothesis" focused on pregnant women exposed to a great famine that occurred in the Netherlands at the end of World War II. The intrauterine environment of the babies during that famine caused them to low birthweight and determined the appearance of cardiovascular diseases in themselves when they reached adulthood, a risk that was transmitted even to the following generation. In addition to the general stress that a pregnant woman may suffer as a result of the death of a family member, suffering a war or natural disaster such as the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, there is another specific type of stress that refers exclusively to the pregnancy process; this is the pregnancy specific-stress. Pregnancy-specific stress is capable of sensitively predicting negative maternal and neonatal outcomes. This type of stress refers to the specific stress of pregnant women related to medical problems, the health of the newborn, the changes that the pregnancy will produce in their social relationships, prematurity, physical changes of pregnancy and fear of labor and birth. The objective of this article was to offer an updated information on pregnancy-specific stress and its consequences for maternal and neonatal health. Thus, we also proposed to offer strategies that midwives and psychologists can use to reduce pregnancy-specific stress levels. In conclusion, midwives and psychologists can work together to reduce pregnancy-specific stress levels.

Los eventos que ocurren durante la vida fetal y perinatal pueden tener consecuencias sobre la salud y la enfermedad del neonato y del adulto. Los trabajos pioneros sobre la "Hipótesis de la Programación Fetal" se centraron en embarazadas expuestas a una gran hambruna que ocurrió en Holanda al final de la Segunda Guerra Mundial. El ambiente intrauterino de los bebés durante esa hambruna condicionó que nacieran con un bajo peso y determinó la aparición de enfermedades cardiovasculares en ellos mismos al llegar a la edad adulta, riesgo que se trasmitió incluso a la siguiente generación. Además del estrés general que pueda sufrir una embarazada como consecuencia de la muerte de un familiar, sufrir una guerra o un desastre natural como la pandemia por el coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, existe otro tipo de estrés concreto y referido exclusivamente al proceso de embarazo: el estrés específico del embarazo. El estrés específico del embarazo es capaz de predecir de manera sensible resultados negativos maternos y neonatales. Este tipo de estrés se refiere al estrés concreto de las embarazadas en referencia a problemas médicos, la salud del recién nacido, los cambios que el embarazo va a producir en sus relaciones sociales, la posibilidad de un parto prematuro, los cambios físicos del embarazo y el miedo al parto y nacimiento. El objetivo de este artículo fue ofrecer información actualizada sobre el estrés específico del embarazo y sus consecuencias para la salud materna y neonatal. Así mismo, nos propusimos ofrecer estrategias que los profesionales sanitarios (incluidas las matronas) y los profesionales de la Psicología pudieran usar para reducir los niveles de estrés específico del embarazo. Como conclusión, afirmamos que las matronas y los profesionales de la Psicología pueden trabajar conjuntamente para reducir los niveles de estrés específico del embarazo.

Contamination by oil crude extraction - Refinement and their effects on human health.

The harmful effects of oil on various species of flora and fauna have been studied extensively; however, few studies have studied the effects of oil exposure on human health. The objective of this research was to collect information on the acute health effects and serious psychological symptoms of the possible consequences of such exposure to crude oil. Some studies focused on the composition of different chemicals used in the extraction process, and wastes generated proved to be highly harmful to human health. Thus, studies have shown that individuals who live near oil fields or wells - or who take part in activities of cleaning oil spills - have presented health conditions, such as irritation to the skin, eyes, mucous membranes, kidney damage, liver, reproductive, among others. In Ecuador, this reality is not different from other countries, and some studies have shown increased diseases related with oil crude and oil spills, like skin irritation, throat, liver, lung, infertility, and abortions, and it has been linked to childhood leukemia. Other studies suggest a direct relationship between DNA damage because of oil resulting in a genetic instability of the main enzymes of cellular metabolism as well as a relationship with some cancers, such as leukemia.

Can myofascial techniques modify immunological parameters?

OBJECTIVES: The objective was to determine the effect of myofascial techniques on the modulation of immunological variables. DESIGN: Thirty-nine healthy male volunteers were randomly assigned to an experimental or control group. INTERVENTIONS: The experimental group underwent three manual therapy modalities: suboccipital muscle release, so-called fourth intracranial ventricle compression, and deep cervical fascia release. The control group remained in a resting position for the same time period under the same environmental conditions. OUTCOME MEASURES: Changes in counts of CD3, CD4, CD8, CD19, and natural killer (NK) cells (as immunological markers) between baseline and 20 minutes post-intervention. RESULTS: Repeated-measures ANOVA revealed a significant time × groups interaction (F(1,35)=9.33; p=0.004) for CD19. There were no significant time × group interaction effects on CD3, CD4, CD8, or NK cell counts. Intrasubject analyses showed a higher CD19 count in the experimental group post-intervention versus baseline (t=-4.02; p=0.001), with no changes in the control group (t=0.526; p=0.608). CONCLUSION: A major immunological modulation, with an increased B lymphocyte count, was observed at 20 minutes after the application of craniocervical myofascial induction techniques.