Self-care means a person's ability to undertake self-care requisites or needs for preserving health and well-being. During pregnancy, the rapidly rising hormones change the maternal body and may cause some symptoms in the mother called as minor disorders. Aim of this study was to compare between primigravida and multigravida regarding women's self-care practices for management of selected minor discomfort. Research Design for this study was correlational descriptive. Setting of this study was conducted in the keebly MCH at Menofya governorate in Egypt. Subjects and methods: convenient sample was used to collect data in a period of six months, two days / week (Monday and Wednesday) and started from March 2016, until August 2016, and the total number was 300 pregnant women for three trimesters (90 primigravida and 210 multigravida), two tools for data collection was structured first; interviewing questionnaire sheet, and second; minor discomforts assessment sheet. Results of the study revealed that (33.3%) of the primigavida had moderate education compared to (21.4%) among multigravida. Less than half of the primigravida (42.9%) attempts to manage nausea and vomiting by avoid food smelling compared to (26.3%) among multigravida. Additionally, more than half of both groups (55.3%primi, 54.1% multi) avoid fried, spicy, and fatty food as a one method to manage their heartburn. Relatively two thirds (65.5%) of the primigravida avoid standing for long time for managing back pain compared to (46.1 %) among multigravida. Conclusion:There was no significant difference between primigravida and multigravida women's self-care practices for management of (constipation, heartburn, backache, and leucorrhea). Recommendations: Establishing educational program for all pregnant women's about minor discomforts & its correct self-care practices intended for increasing their knowledge.

Background: Inadequate sleep is a common problem among women, in part as a result of a deficiency of information about its influence on health; particularly, the effect of sleep deprivation during pregnancy on labor outcomes (maternal and fetal). Objective: To study the correlations between sleep duration and labor outcomes among women in late pregnancy. Method/ Material: A prospective descriptive study was conducted at four settings in the Menoufiya Governorate of Egypt. A convenience sample technique was used. The study sample involves 200 pregnant women. Data collection extended from April 2013 to January 2014. Result:The results revealed that: a) most of the women in the studied sample (50%) suffered from sleep disturbance in late pregnancy at gestational age above 37 weeks and b) that only 24% suffered sleep disturbance between 28-32 weeks. It takes 30-60 min for majority of the women in the research sample (42.5%) to fall asleep at night; only (10%) take <5 min to fall asleep at night. No significant difference between the total hours of sleep and birth duration was found in this study. Conclusion:The study concluded that healthcare providers should advise women during pregnancy to get adequate sleep duration of at least eight hours and provide prenatal assessments include the sleep quantity and quality because they both affect the duration of labor and type of delivery.

Folate in Nervous System DevelopmentFolate (Vitamin B-9) is a key contributor to normal nervous system development [1,2]. Folate is bio-available in its reduced form and is present in many foods, including legumes, leafy greens, and fruits. The naturally occurring form is methylated, while the synthetic version in most vitamin capsules is the oxidized form, folic acid. Folate is necessary for neural tube formation and closure in the human embryo and plays an essential role in fetal brain development [3][4][5]. Insufficient folate can is implicated in many developmental conditions, including spina bifida in the newborn [6,7]. To reduce such complications, prenatal vitamins contain Vitamin B-9, typically in its stable, oxidized form, rather the reduced form. Most individuals can convert sufficient folic acid to folate. However, about 10% of the population is limited in absorbing folate into the brain due to the presence of an autoantibody to the folate receptor [8]. The Folate Receptor Antibody (FRA) blocks high affinity folate receptors, preventing folate from crossing the blood brain barrier [8,9]. Clinical studies have shown that blood levels of FRA can be reduced by changes in diet, particularly elimination of dairy products [10]. If levels of FRA are reduced or eliminated, this may allow sufficient folate to enter the brain. While FRA is present in a small subsection of the population, clinical tests find that about 70% of ASD children have FRA [11]. Meta-analysis from multiple studies show that ASD children are 20 times more likely to have FRA [12], pointing to a likely genetic component that restricts brain absorption of Vitamin B-9. While FRA can be reduced with significant change in diet [10], a symptom of ASD is resistance to dietary change. Thus, the dietary factors contributing to FRA are self-perpetuating due to this change resistance, as FRA causes reduction of folate entering the brain. Those with FRA have a reduced amount of folate reaching their brain, creating Cerebral Folate Deficiency (CFD). This CFD can be countered by supplementation with elevated levels of the natural version of folate, in the form of methyl-folate or folinic acid (but not with folic acid) [8,9,13]. These reduced forms of folate cross the blood brain barrier via a low-affinity transport, necessitating larger blood levels to obtain sufficient cerebral levels of folate. In multiple clinical trials, it has been found that ASD children who have FRA have improvement in their communication when

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