PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

J Gaines

Publications and source records attributed to J Gaines.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

Menstrual patterns and fecundity among non-lactating and lactating cycling women in rural highland Bolivia: implications for contraceptive choice.

Choosing an appropriate contraceptive method, particularly one based on fertility awareness, depends in part upon the degree of a woman's cycling regularity. However, while the suppressive effect of lactation on ovarian function is well established, the potential influence of continued breastfeeding on menstrual patterns once post-partum cycling has resumed is largely unexamined. This longitudinal study in a population of non-contracepting Aymara women (n = 191 providing 665 non-truncated menstrual segments) identified conceptions and fetal loss via urine tests for hCG and classified segments accordingly to test the hypotheses that (1) cycles in lactating women are significantly different in length and regularity from those of non-lactating women, and (2) cycles in women living at high altitude are significantly different in length and regularity from those at lower altitudes. Analyses found that segments are significantly longer and regularity tends to be less common among lactating than non-lactating women; however, the rate of conception is twice as great among the former than the latter, and the distribution of conception outcomes does not differ between the two groups. Menstrual regularity is not the norm in this population, even among those who are not currently breastfeeding. High altitude per se does not appear to influence menstrual cycling as both regularity and segment length are comparable to other populations, hence women indigenous to high altitude are suitable candidates for a wide variety of contraceptive choices. In addition, these findings suggest that studies of fecundability limited to non-lactating women may be biased towards those of relatively lower fecundity.

Bolivia↗
PubMed1993

Relationship of maternal substance abuse to subsequent sudden infant death syndrome in offspring.

To assess the possible relationship between maternal drug use during pregnancy and subsequent sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), we identified 1760 cases of SIDS from a population of more than 1.2 million infants (1.45/1000) born in New York City between 1979 and 1989. The SIDS rate in drug-exposed infants was 5.83 per 1000 infants, compared with 1.39 per 1000 infants who were not drug exposed. With control for known associated high-risk variables, the risk ratio for SIDS in each individual drug group (methadone, 3.6; heroin, 2.3; methadone and heroin, 3.2; cocaine, 1.6; cocaine and methadone or heroin, 1.1) was higher than in the non-drug-exposed group. Higher rates of SIDS were found in infants exposed to opiates alone than in cocaine-exposed infants, but increasing rates of SIDS in cocaine-exposed infants toward the end of the decade suggested that "crack" cocaine may be linked to these increasing rates. Declines in the overall rate of SIDS during the decade were observed for both the drug-exposed (11.28 to 4.09 per 1000) and the nonexposed groups (1.70 to 1.05 per 1000). Differences in rates of SIDS between major racial-ethnic groups in nonexposed infants were not apparent if the mothers used drugs during pregnancy. Seasonal variation and distribution of ages at time of SIDS death did not differ between the drug-exposed group and the nonexposed group, suggesting that drug-associated SIDS may provide clues as to the cause or causes of SIDS.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Weight, length, head and chest circumference at birth in Phoenix, Arizona.

Standard percentile curves are presented for weight, length, head circumference and chest circumference at birth for a population of 27,963 singleton infants born between the gestational ages of 26 and 42 weeks at a large, private hospital in Phoenix, Arizona. At term, all four growth parameters were significantly greater in male than in female infants. These parameters were significantly reduced in infants born to mothers who smoked and increased in infants born to mothers with diabetes. Percentiles in all parameters were higher than in those of previous studies, suggesting that continued use of growth curves based on older data may result in misclassification of infants with respect to appropriateness of growth-for-gestational age.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1991

Nutrition and the homeless person.

Homeless persons include men, women, and children who are among the poorest of America's poor. A review is provided of the eating patterns of the homeless, their special nutritional problems, and controversial nutritional issues involving them. Also discussed are ways in which community health nurses (CHNs) can (a) help upgrade the nutritional standards of community-based shelters and other facilities which feed the homeless, and (b) provide suggestions to such food providers to improve the social climate during mealtimes.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

The lack of sonographic image degradation after barium upper gastrointestinal examination.

The presence of barium in the gastrointestinal tract after barium studies of the stomach and colon is thought to interfere with the performance of abdominal sonography. This notion results in delays in diagnosis and scheduling inconveniences when both studies are indicated at the same time. To determine if this belief is true, we prospectively obtained sonograms before and after biphasic upper gastrointestinal examinations in 40 patients. The 80 sonograms were randomized and blindly interpreted by two radiologists who used a scale from 0 to 4 to rate the appearance of six anatomic areas (gallbladder, pancreas, aorta, porta hepatis, and right and left lobes of the liver). The results showed no degradation of the image of these structures on the sonograms obtained after the barium meal compared with the prebarium sonograms. We conclude that barium does not interfere with sonography performed immediately after an upper gastrointestinal examination. Consequently, when both studies are needed, a sonogram can be scheduled after an upper gastrointestinal exam.

Abdomen↗
PubMed1984

A study of the consumer health interests of selected college students.

This study was part of a more extensive project begun in 1981 to update the "Student Self-Appraisal Inventory of Interests and Estimated Knowledge in Major Health Education Areas." Items included in this study were obtained from the original health interest inventory, from a review of health education literature published between 1976-1981 in health education texts and in the Journal of School Health and Health Education, and from comments received from a panel of 16 health education specialists. This project reports on the components of study specifically related to consumer health education. The data were collected from 296 subjects enrolled in elective personal health classes at a southeastern university during spring, 1983, using the revised Health Interest Inventory.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1981

Correction of respiratory motion in hepatic scintigraphy.

An analog device to correct for respiratory motion was used in 100 consecutive liver scans to determine its clinical utility. The sets of scan images generated were reviewed separately, then together, without knowledge of clinical presentation or imaging technique. When the images were reviewed separately, there was no clinical significant change in patient classification. When the images were reviewed together, 57% of the patients had detectable differences in image features, and in most instances this difference was limited to a clearer definition of organ outline or normal variants (e.g., gallbladder fossa). Of the 17 patients with focal hepatic disease, 14 had these defects better defined or additional lesions identified. Of the 18 patients with definite, diffuse, nonhomogeneous tracer distribution as seen in the uncorrected images, 12 had changes in scan appearance with motion correction. In eight patients the scan pattern became more normal, but in four the abnormal pattern was modified to that of focal defects.

Humans↗