Alcohol consumption in pregnancy. How much is safe?

Nine hundred and seventy-three white women attending an antenatal clinic completed a questionnaire on parity, social class, smoking habits, and consumption of alcohol and coffee. Forty-nine per cent said they were non-drinkers and none of their babies had a major congenital abnormalities; whereas 1.2% of the babies of the women who did consume alcohol had major abnormalities. The babies of women who said they drank more than an average of 20 ml alcohol a day had significantly smaller head circumferences than the babies of non-drinkers in some gestational age groups. Maternal serum gamma-glutamyltransferase levels predicted abnormal fetal outcome in the 3 women in whom they were raised. There is no safe level of alcohol consumption in pregnancy and even moderate ''social'' drinking is associated with abnormal fetal outcome.     

Response from lieberman and colleagues

Respond on comments on Lieberman's article: Cyclosiloxanes Produce Fatal Liver and Lung Damage in Mice. Environ Health Perspect 107:161-165     

Trichinella infection and clinical disease

Trichinellosis is caused by ingestion of insufficiently cooked meat contaminated with infective larvae of <it>Trichinella</it> species. The clinical course is highly variable, ranging from no apparent infection to severe and even fatal disease. We report two illustrative cases of trichinellosis. Returning to Denmark a few days after having eaten roasted pork in the Republic of Serbia, a female patient suffered from severe vomiting, epigastric pain, diarrhoea, and later myalgia, generalized oedema, and prostration. A biopsy showed heavy infestation with <it>Trichinella spiralis</it>, 2000 larvae/g of muscle. Life-threatening cardiopulmonary, renal and central nervous system complications developed. The patient recovered after several months. Her husband, who also ate the pork, did not have clinical symptoms, but an increased eosinophil count and a single larva in a muscle biopsy confirmed infection. The epidemiology, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of trichinellosis are reviewed.      

Hepatitis B Immunisation in Health Care Workers

Background

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is an important occupational risk in health care workers (HCW). In spite of HBV vaccine availability in Armed Forces, the high prevalence of HBV infection in HCW continues to be a problem. The study was undertaken to study the HBV vaccine-compliance among HCW.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital. HCW were requested to fill up the pre set questionnaire to assess the HBV vaccination coverage.

Result

Amongst 254 HCW, only 57.7% were vaccinated against HBV. The vaccine compliance was lowest among housekeeping professionals. The mean age at vaccination was high (30.5 years). Amongst the vaccine non-compliant subjects, 34.3% were above 30 years of age. 32.2% HCW completed primary vaccination after spending more than 10 years in the profession. Accessibility of HBV vaccine, knowledge and perception of HBV risk were important factors in vaccine non-compliance.

Conclusion

Due to low and delayed HBV vaccine-compliance, HCW continue to be at the risk of occupational HBV. Health education highlighting occupational risk of HBV, accessibility of vaccine and mandatory vaccination of HCW is recommended to increase HBV vaccine compliance among HCW.Key Words: Health care workers, Hepatitis B virus, Occupational risk, Hepatitis B vaccine