The Journal of Middle East and North Africa Sciences

5-11

Authors: Maria Carolina Beeter; Ortiz Juan Fernando; Feiyang Tao; Jazmin Carolina Cozar; Marcos A. Sanchez-Gonzalez

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by a new beta coronavirus (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, or SARS-CoV-2) and has resulted in a worldwide pandemic. Although previous research on other beta coronaviruses has found detrimental effects on pregnant women and neonates, it is uncertain whether vertical transmission of SARS-CoV-2 exists. We conducted a literature review to explore the association between confirmed COVID-19 infection during the pregnancy and potential vertical transmission of the virus. We searched PubMed using the following medical subject headings (MeSH): ("Coronavirus"[MeSH]) AND "Pregnancy"[MeSH]; ("Coronavirus"[MeSH]) AND "Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical"[MeSH]. Inclusion criteria were full articles, female study objects, English language, papers published within one year, and human studies. Non-English papers, animal studies, meta-analysis, clinical trials, literature reviews, and systematic reviews were excluded from our data collection. Sixteen articles were eventually selected for this review. By July 2020, two cases have demonstrated high chances of vertical transmission, but definitive evidence is lacking; these women were nearly all infected in the second or third trimester, and most underwent cesarean delivery. The virus's effects earlier in pregnancy are mainly unknown; no neonates have been delivered from women infected in the first trimester of pregnancy. More research and data are needed to assess the presence and potential consequence of vertical transmission of SARS-CoV-2. The preferred approach to investigating a possible intrauterine viral infection is to detect the virus in the placenta, amniotic fluid, cord blood, or neonatal pharyngeal swab samples collected immediately after birth.

15-32

Authors: Hussin J. Hejase; Ale J. Hejase; Ghada M. Chehimi; Joumana A. Younis

This study aims to compare reading habits between Lebanon and France by identifying the reading habits among a sample of both residents in general and the educated populace in particular. A quantitative research approach is adopted relying on a survey questionnaire administered to equal samples of 130 persons, selected conveniently based on their willingness to participate, and belonging to different age categories and sexes. Results show that Lebanon has a lower average of reading time. Furthermore, 62.8% of the Lebanese versus 49.2% of the French dedicate 1 to 4 hours per week of reading time as compared to 3.1% of the Lebanese who dedicate 8 to 11 hours per week of reading time versus 21.5% of the French. Both dedicate below the world figures knowing that India occupied the first place with an average of 10.42 hours of reading per week. Lebanon and France are among the group that includes USA and Portugal where the majority of the people mainly read to get informed, keep updated, research a topic, and to be well developed. Lebanon is among the countries which are suffering from a decline in reading and readers though it occupies as well as France high position among the countries of high reading rates where a Lebanese reads an average of 20 books per year versus 25 by the French, a fact that puts Lebanon’s rank better than Spain, USA, Mexico, Portugal and Canada, but less than France; further, an estimated 11.5% of the Lebanese residents and 3.8% of the French do not read when looking at the general reading habits. Outcomes may help add scope and direction to policy makers in the government, to universities and other teaching and learning institutions and the nongovernment organizations which are concerned.

40-47

Authors: Venkatesh Babu; Abhipsa Roy

Aim: To evaluate the feeding behaviors in nighttime bed-sharing children between zero to four years old and its correlationto their oral health. Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted in a simple randomly selected sample of 200 children who were between 0-4-year old and their mothers. A printed questionnaire was given to the mother that enquired about child demographics, mother demographics, the total family income, whom the child lives with, who took care of the child during the day, birth order, birth maturity, medical problems, and child temperament. The data also included information on nighttime feeding behaviors that were used by the parent to help the child to sleep. Dental caries was recorded according to WHO criteria 2013. Results: Most of the children participating in this study bed shared with their mothers every night of the week and were mostly below two years old, lived with both parents, were perceived to be stubborn and were more likely to either breast feed throughout the night, or breastfeed or bottle feed to help them sleep. Also, they had a higher incidence of caries rate than the children who did not bed share with their mothers every night of the week. Conclusion: This study is important since it shows few practices that are associated with nighttime bed sharing habit which consequently places the child at a higher risk for developing caries. The dentists should inquire about the feeding habits (especially the night time feeding practices) as well as the night time bed sharing habits of the mother-children dyads so that adequate counseling can be provided to the mother, if needed and preventive strategies can be made targeted especially at mothers and children who bed share at night.