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Biomedical subjects

M Barbato

Publications and source records attributed to M Barbato.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1995

Timing of conception and the risk of spontaneous abortion among pregnancies occurring during the use of natural family planning.

OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to ascertain the effects of timing of conception on the risk of spontaneous abortion. STUDY DESIGN: To assess these effects, women who conceived while using natural family planning were identified in five centers worldwide between 1987 and 1993. Timing of conception was determined from 868 natural family planning charts that recorded day of intercourse and indices of ovulation (cervical mucus peak obtained according to the ovulation method and/or basal body temperature). Conceptions on days - 1 or 0 with respect to the natural family planning estimated day of ovulation were considered to be "optimally timed," and all other conceptions were considered as "non-optimally timed." The rate of spontaneous abortions per 100 pregnancies was examined in relation to timing of conception, ages, reproductive history, and other covariates with bivariate and multivariate statistical methods. RESULTS: There were 88 spontaneous abortions among 868 pregnancies (10.1%). The spontaneous abortion rate was similar for 361 optimally timed conceptions (9.1%) and 507 non-optimally timed conceptions (10.9%). However, among 171 women who had experienced a spontaneous abortion in a prior pregnancy, the rate of spontaneous abortion in the index pregnancy was significantly higher with non-optimally timed conceptions (22.6%) as compared with optimally timed conceptions (7.3%). This association was not observed among 697 women with no history of pregnancy loss. The adjusted relative risk of spontaneous abortion among women with non-optimally timed conceptions and a history of pregnancy loss was 2.35 (95% confidence intervals 1.42 to 3.89). The excess risk of spontaneous abortion was observed with both preovulatory and postovulatory conceptions. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, there is no excess risk of spontaneous abortion among the pregnancies conceived during natural family planning use. However, among women with a history of pregnancy loss, there is an increased risk of spontaneous abortion associated with preovulatory or postovulatory delayed conceptions.

Abortion, Spontaneous↗
PubMed1994

Thiamine deficiency in patients admitted to a palliative care unit.

This study looks at the clinical and thiamine status of 50 terminally ill patients who were admitted to a palliative care unit. Thiamine levels were found to be abnormally low in 28% of the patients and borderline in a further 36%. Cognitive impairment, as measured by the mini-metal state examination (MMSE) of Folstein, Folstein and McHugh, was present in 68% of those tested and a significant correlation was found between the MMSE status and thiamine levels.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Food allergy in cystic fibrosis.

Food allergy was investigated in 20 children with cystic fibrosis (CF), who still suffered from diarrhea and failed to thrive, in spite of adequate diet and enzyme treatment (group A). The study also included two age-matched control groups, comprising 10 CF children without intestinal symptoms and/or failure to thrive (group B), and 20 healthy children (group C). Skin tests were positive and total IgE higher than the mean + 2SD respectively in 14/20 and 11/20 patients of group A, in 3/10 and 2/10 patients in group B and in none in group C. The specific IgE were present in 6/14 children in group A whose skin tests were positive and in none in group B. There was no significant difference between group A and group B (p > 0.05). The levels of specific antibodies IgG, IgA and IgM were overall higher than the mean + 2SD of the normal in 18/20 in group A, in 6/10 in group B and in none in group C. The measurement by ELISA of specific antibodies for cow milk and egg proteins showed a statistically significant difference for casein, beta-lactoglobulin and ovalbumin between the IgG (p < 0.05) and IgA (p < 0.001) levels in group A and the other groups (B and C). Symptoms improved in 90% of CF patients (group A) when the implicated foods were eliminated from the diet and in 78% the oral provocation test resulted positive. The occurrence of food allergy must be considered in CF patients who do not improve with the conventional treatment. In these patients immunological investigations, in particular the measurement of IgG, IgA and IgM specific antibodies, are useful for diagnosis and in selecting an appropriate diet leading to an improvement in nutritional status.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Fetal outcome among pregnancies in natural family planning acceptors: an international cohort study.

This international, multicenter, prospective cohort study examines the outcome of pregnancies associated with aging gametes. Comparing pregnancies conceived at or near the peak mucus phase with those occurring before or after the peak provides a means of evaluating the effect of aging gametes. The outcome criteria are (1) rates of spontaneous abortion, (2) low birth weight, and (3) congenital malformations. Preliminary analysis shows a trend toward increased spontaneous abortion with aging gametes in certain subsets (women with prior pregnancy losses) but no effect on birth weight. Too few method failures have yet been studied to make a definitive statement on congenital malformations.

Family Planning Services↗
PubMed1991

[A comparison between antigliadin antibodies and blood xylose in celiac disease].

We have compared serum antigliadin antibodies (AGA) with xylose absorption test in diagnosis and follow-up of pediatric celiac disease. Three groups of children were investigated: celiacs, affected by other gastrointestinal disease, healthy controls. On gluten diet AGA IgA, IgG and xylose test were abnormal in all celiac children. After only three months of gluten-free diet, abnormal AGA IgA values were found in 3%, AGA IgG in 63%, xylose test in 28% of children. Normal values for AGA IgA and IgG and for xylose test were found between 7 and 20 months. On challenge, after 1-4 months of gluten diet, abnormal AGA IgA and IgG values were found in 90% of cases, xylose test only in 27%. As far as the children with other gastrointestinal disease are concerned, 2% had abnormal values for AGA IgA, 22% for AGA IgG and 42% for xylose test. All healthy children had normal AGA IgA, IgG values and xylose test. Our date show AGA IgA the most specific laboratory test, among these investigated, for diagnosis and follow-up of celiac disease.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

[Hemicrania and food allergy in children].

Ninety-two children affected by migraine were studied, of which 49 had positive skin tests to one or more foods. Forty of those who tested positive (87%) improved after following an elimination diet for 4-6 weeks and were positive for at least one challenge test for the same types of foods which resulted in positive skin tests. Thirty-one children were cured following the elimination diet and 9 improved. At two years, despite the reintroduction of the suspected food or foods 6 to 12 months after the start of the elimination diet, these results remained unchanged.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

[Cohen syndrome. Description of a new case and study of the central nervous system using nuclear magnetic resonance].

The Cohen syndrome is characterized by dysmorphic face, obesity, narrow hands and feet and mild mental retardation. So far only 42 cases have been described in literature. The Authors describe a patient who presented some cerebral anomalies at the MRI examination. In particular the MRI showed a large sellar cavity compared to the size of the hypophysis.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗
PubMed1988

Pregnancy outcome associated with natural family planning (NFP): scientific basis and experimental design for an international cohort study.

Although natural family planning (NFP) is a form of contraception without ostensible maternal risks (other than pregnancy), potential fetal risks could exist if aging gametes are involved in inadvertent fertilization. In the following report, we first review animal studies firmly establishing that aging sperm and aging oocytes (delayed fertilization) cause chromosomal abnormalities in mammals and other species. We next review human studies associating decreased coital frequency with trisomy and studies of NFP populations that generally show no increased frequency of anomalous offspring or spontaneous abortions. Our rationale for initiating an international cohort study is presented, along with the experimental design selected. Preliminary findings indicate that the experimental design chosen will indeed provide information allowing NFP safety to be assessed definitively.

Aging↗
PubMed1988

IgG autoantibody to IgE in atopic patients.

An IgG type of antibody directed against IgE has been studied in serum from healthy and allergic individuals. The technique used is based on a solid phase paper radioimmunoassay in which the discs were sensitized with purified IgE myeloma. After incubation with patients' serum, human IgG labeled with iodine 125 was added. The anti-IgE antibodies were partially blocked by endogenous IgE in the serum and heating the serum samples at 56 degrees C disrupted the immune complexes (ie, IgG-aIgE:IgE), thereby increasing the detectable levels of IgG anti-IgE. The specificity of anti-IgE autoantibody was confirmed by both competitive inhibition and absorption experiments, using IgG, IgM, IgA, IgE, and rabbit anti-human IgG. Significantly raised levels of anti-IgE autoantibody were found in patients suffering from atopic disorders in comparison to the controls. These observations may suggest that the anti-IgE autoantibody could play a certain role in the modulation of IgE-mediated immune system and the pathogenesis of atopic diseases.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Natural methods for fertility control: a prospective study--First Part.

This study describes 4 years of verification of effectiveness and applicability of BBT and symptothermal methods. The couples chosen had to undergo a 6-month-long study phase, and be psychologically motivated and well trained in NFP. During this period, particular emphasis was given to the motivational factor, which was expanded in its anthropological, relational, pedagogical and, sometimes, moral contents. Four hundred and sixty couples entered the program, for a total of 8,140 cycles, in which BBT, cervical mucus, and intercourse were charted. The Pearl Index for unplanted pregnancies was 3.6. Twenty-five unplanned pregnancies occurred in couples using NFP for spacing, and no pregnancies were reported in limiters.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Right hand superiority in serial recall of tactile stimuli.

The fingertips of right and left hand of normal subjects (right-handed male) were stimulated at random. After intervals of 0.3, 1.0, 3.0 and 6.0 seconds, an acoustic or tactile signal set off the response of the subject. The response was the ordered reproduction of the tactile sequence given to the subject. The results show a greater efficiency of right hand, a better recall of the first serial positions and of the last one but no difference depending on whether the recall signal is acoustic or tactile. The results are discussed and new hypotheses are formulated.

Adult↗