Data from our study show that prematurity and intrauterine growth retardation are associated with low neonatal vitamin A levels. Several factors like lack of ANC, lower maternal Hb levels and reduced placental weight further affect vitamin A status of the newborn rendering them highly susceptible to vitamin A deficiency. We therefore, suggest further studies on vitamin A supplementation in pregnant women and preterm neonates.

Neonatal adrenal abscess is a rare condition. Bilateral adrenal abscess are extremely rare. We present this case focusing on the usefulness of needle aspiration under ultrasonographic guidance. The bilateral suprarenal cystic masses are identified by ultrasonography and different sequences of magnetic resonance imaging.

Introduction: Thalassaemia Major patients require frequent blood transfusion leading to iron overload. Excessive iron gets deposited in vital organs and leads to dysfunction of the heart, liver, anterior pituitary, pancreas, and joints. Our body has limited mechanism to excrete iron, so patients with iron overload and its complications need safe and effective iron chelation therapy. Aim:To assess the efficacy of Deferasirox (DFX) as an iron chelator, with specific reference to reduction in serum ferritin level. Materials and Methods:This is a prospective; observational study done in 45 multitransfused Thalassaemia Major Children receiving DFX therapy at registered Thalassaemia society Raipur Chhattisgarh. DFX was given in an initial dose of 20 mg/kg/day and according to response increased to a maximum of 40 mg/kg/ day. Serum ferritin level was estimated at time of registration and at every three monthly intervals (four times during study period). The primary end point of the study was change in serum ferritin level after 12 months of DFX therapy. Results:The mean serum ferritin before DFX therapy of all cases was 3727.02 ng/mL. After 12 months of mean dose of 38 mg/kg/ day of DFX, the mean decline in serum ferritin was 1207.11 ng/ mL (drop by 32.38%, p-value <0.001).Conclusion: DFX monotherapy has a good safety profile and effectively chelates total body iron in Thalassaemia major patients.Shikha Jaiswal et al., Efficacy of Deferasirox as an Oral Iron Chelator in Paediatric Thalassaemia Patients www.jcdr.net

With the recent pandemic of novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), hospitals had an influx of COVID-19-positive mothers who were preparing for delivery. Due to the worldwide spread of COVID-19, information on adverse pregnancy outcomes has emerged in the literature, such as preeclampsia, preterm delivery, miscarriage, intrauterine fetal demise, and neonatal death [1]. The main binding receptor for SARS-CoV-2 on host cell is angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor. ACE2 is expressed in the placenta [2] and is found in the syncytiotrophoblast, cytotrophoblast, endothelium, and vascular smooth muscle from both primary and secondary villi [3]. Innovative methodical research found evidence that ACE2 is expressed in various gynecologic organs such as the ovary, uterus, and vagina. Overall, ACE2 expression has been seen in numerous tissues in direct relation with developing pregnancies that could be associated with adverse maternal-fetal outcomes. Congenital infection can be challenging to characterize since pathogen detection usually requires specific methods. The placenta represents a highly specialized organ that maintains optimal environment for fetal development. Placental evaluation after delivery provides useful information such as the identification of disease processes in the mother or infant that requires diagnoses to deliver a specific explanation for an adverse outcome related to disease [4]. It is well recognized that analysis of the placental histopathological changes can provide valuable information, considering that a variety of pathological agents, counting infectious ones, are associated with characteristic morphological findings [5]. The intention of present research work was to evaluate a successive series of placentas delivered at our institution from COVID-19-positive mothers [6]. Materials and MethodsTwenty-five placentas were collected by the Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics (Pt. JNM Medical College, Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India) at the time of delivery, from SARS-CoV-2-infected women during the period of January 2021 to June 2021. Placental samples were then submitted to the Department of Pathology at the same institution for further analysis. Due to the infectious nature of the tissue, fixation for 48 h was performed prior to dissection. Typical sections were fixed in formalin, processed into paraffin blocks, and stained with the The placenta is a captivating multifunctional organ of fetal origin and plays an essential role during pregnancy by intimately connecting mother and baby. This study explicates placental pathology and information about 25 placentas collected from the mothers infected with novel coronavirus (SARS-COV-2). So far, congenital transmission of SARS-CoV-2 seems to be remarkably uncommon in spite of many cases of COVID-19 during pregnancy. Out of the 25 placental tissue samples collected, none has shown gene expression of SARS-CoV-2 when confirmed by RT-PCR. At the same time, nasal and throat swab samples collected from newborns of SARS-CoV-2-positive mothers correspon...

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