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Childhood obesity, are mothers to blame?

22 February 20246 January 2024 by Redazione My Special Doctor

According to an Italian study carried out by researchers at the University of Padua, led by Professor Dario Gregori who works in biostatistics, epidemiology and public health, it is believed that love can somehow affect how parents, particularly mothers, view their child. The analysis on childhood obesity was published in the international journal
“Obesity,
under the title “Does love really make mothers blind? A large transcontinental study on mothers’ awareness about their children’s weight“.

The main objective of the study carried out by Prof. Gregori was to analyze the maternal misperception rate (i.e., the mother’s perception of her child being overweight or underweight). The study looked at 2720 children, ranging in age from 3 to 11 years, of both sexes and from 10 countries (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, France, Mexico, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, India and Georgia).
According to the various data, as many as 774 of the 2720 children were found to be obese or overweight, with the largest proportion in India (337 cases, 49%). In other countries, however, the situation is to be monitored, as there are many cases in Latin America, such as in Brazil (124), Chile (54), and Argentina (45). Italy, on the other hand, remains in line with the various European nations, where the proportion of overweight or obese children is 30 out of 774, or 4 percent.

Childhood obesity is a phenomenon that needs to be controlled, as Professor Gregori explains, “The proportion of overweight/obese children incorrectly perceived as such by their mothers appears to be very high. Almost all of the overweight children (89%), and half of the obese children (52%) were not perceived as such by their mothers. Stratified analysis by nation shows slight variability among the countries considered in the study. Italy represents one of the countries with the highest proportion of misperception, i.e., 80 percent of overweight/obese children, or 24 out of 30 children, were perceived by their mothers as normal weight“.

These data alarmed Prof. Gregori in no small part, who emphasized that there is a need for public health policies to fight the problem of childhood obesity, especially on parental awareness of their child’s fitness.

Health care: more than 7 million Italians have taken on debt to pay for treatment

23 February 20246 January 2024 by Redazione My Special Doctor

This year, Italians will record a record for medical spending on health care: 40 billion. This figure is the result of a study conducted by Censis in collaboration with Rbm Health Insurance. Apparently, the medical expenses of Italians are steadily increasing: suffice it to say that one of the periods examined, from 2013 to 2017, the cost of health care increased by 9.6 percent, almost double the overall consumption.

The study on the rising cost of medical care was presented by Censis and Medical Insurance and the results were shown during Welfare Day 2018, confirming that more than 44 million Italians in the past year were forced to pay for various health care services.

Private health care spending is affecting precarious households in particular greatly: between 2014 and 2016, consumption by working-class households remained almost the same, while health care costs increased by 6.4 percent, about €86 more per household. For entrepreneurs, on the other hand, the increase in health care costs goes almost hand in hand with the sharp increase in general consumption, and here again we are talking about 80€ per family. The problem is that for weak families almost all of the 13th month is directed for family health care: as much as €1100 per year, which for 7 out of 10 families has a major impact on family resources, just think that there are those who have gone into debt to pay for visits. Speaking of numbers, more than 7 million Italians took on debt in the past year alone, half of whom had to use their savings or even proceeds from the sale of a home.

While there is this great sense of difficulty in paying for and obtaining medical health care services, the flip side of the coin is quite alarming: according to the study conducted by Censis, more than 12 million Italians have managed to skip the long waiting lists in public health care through recommendations and connections. Endless waits are one of the main reasons why people complain about the health service, and along with cases of malpractice, resentment toward health care has increased, with half of Italians (about 54 percent) believing that treatment and diagnostic opportunities are not equal for all, finding agreement particularly among patients with low incomes and residents of Southern Italy.

Depression in Italy: women and the unemployed most at risk

22 February 20246 January 2024 by Redazione My Special Doctor

According to a study by Istat, depression is the most prevalent mental disorder in Italy, where it affects 2.8 million people. The disease is increasingly on the rise, especially among the
elderly
given that among the over-65s this figure soars (11.6 percent versus the European average of 8.8 percent). Despite this, Italy still remains one of the EU countries with fewer depressed people (5.5 percent Italian average vs. 7.1 percent European average).

Depression affects women and the unemployed more : when looking at the data by gender, the percentage of female depression is almost double that of men (9.1 percent versus 4.8 percent). Regarding work, among people aged 35 to 64, those who report suffering from anxiety and depressive disorders are 8.9 percent of the unemployed, while the rate increases among the inactive (10.8 percent) and plummets with the employed (3.5 percent). The analysis was carried out by Istat in the report “Mental health at various stages of life – years 2015-2017” where, however, another very disturbing fact is highlighted: pupils with disabilities in Italian schools are steadily increasing, especially those with mental health disorders who have now exceeded the 170,000 mark. In the 2016-2017 school year alone, the analysis states that “pupils with disabilities account for about 3 percent of pupils in schools of all grades, and those with intellectual disabilities account for 2 out of every 3 pupils with disabilities.” Out of 100 pupils who are granted support, 8.8 percent have various sensory disabilities, 11.6 percent have motor disabilities, and 19.4 percent have language disorders, although the dominant share are intellectual disabilities: 23.9 percent have a global psychological developmental disorder, 45.4 percent have an intellectual disability, and 17.3 percent suffer from behavior and attention disorders, and finally 16.5 percent have affective-relational disorders.

Another factor that Istat has paid attention to is drug addiction, which is reported as a “major manifestation of mental sphere disorder.” In 2016 alone, “hospitalizations for drug-related diagnoses are 108 per million residents, 10 percent higher than in 2015, and increasing in the last three years especially among 15-34 year olds.”

Sports and summer, practical tips to stay in shape

23 February 20246 January 2024 by Redazione My Special Doctor

Physical activity is the best way to maintain perfect form in anticipation of the arrival of colder weather. Obviously, if you want to practice sports during certain times you have to pay attention to several things, first and foremost the diet, which must be able to provide all the useful substances for your muscles, without forgetting to drink plenty of water.

Sports and nutrition, a winning combination

Sitting at the table is never easy, especially in high temperatures, which is why in order not to strain the digestive mechanisms too much, one must try to assimilate all the necessary nutrients, ranging from vitamins to carbohydrates and from proteins to fats.
To perform sports in the summer, one must always keep blood sugar in mind to avoid hypoglycemic surges that can destabilize one’s body. For a summer diet, we recommend a breakfast of a cup of milk or 125 grams of low-fat yogurt, coffee (preferably barley), a few cereal biscuits and a few teaspoons of honey, finishing with a pineapple juice or orange juice. At lunch you have more choices, but to stay light, salads rich in vegetables are ideal, especially with various mixes such as cheeses or nuts, all to be paired with white meats such as chicken or turkey, dressed only with extra virgin olive oil. If you wish to have snacks, fresh fruit salad is the perfect meal, without added sugar, while for dinner the choice often falls on oily fish, with a side of vegetables.

Physical activity results in significant fluid loss, and in the summer months the situation worsens, and it is recommended not only to drink plenty of water but also to take various minerals to maintain perfect functioning of one’s body. When hydrosaline levels drop dramatically, you risk the notorious heat stroke, which can seriously endanger anyone’s health. For this reason, sportsmen and women during the summer must continually supplement fluids and minerals by drinking at least 2 liters of water daily, paying special attention during training. A healthy way to assimilate all the fluids needed to maintain perfect
physical fitness
in the summertime is to eat plenty of fruit, which provides fructose and various vitamins. If needed, supplements can be purchased to rebalance all the hydrosaline levels that are lost through sweating and protect against cramping and muscle weakness.

If you enjoy jogging, tennis, cycling or outdoor sports, try to avoid the hot hours of the day, which could lead to heat stroke or sunstroke: you may experience severe nausea, fever and intense sweating, headache and shortness of breath. Finally, be very careful not to change your lifestyle too much-if, for example, you start exercising during the evening hours, this could affect the quality of your sleep.

Medicine too expensive, Italians give up medical care

22 February 20246 January 2024 by Redazione My Special Doctor

In 2018, about 539 thousand Italians could not afford some
medical care
and adequate medications because they did not have sufficient income. The number rises staggeringly to 13 million if we talk about people who have decreased their visits, and all of this is documented in the 2018 Report sponsored by the non-profit Banco Farmaceutico Foundation and BFResearch, “Donate to Cure: Health Poverty and Drug Donation.”
The numbers in the report show a disturbing truth: poverty and inequality in Italy are increasing, and they also have an impact on health. The example is that poor families use 2.5 percent of their total spending to receive medical care, compared with 4.5 percent (almost double) for a normal family.

Another disturbing finding is that, having to cut spending on their own medical care, more and more families are using their health care expenditures almost exclusively for the use of medicines, because spending on preventions is being cut drastically. The case of dental services is demonstrative: poor families spend about €30 a year compared to more than €300 for the rest of Italians.
The insistence on saving money at all costs, even on health care, is a habit that is catching on in our country and is confirmed by data from the triennium 2014-16: affluent families have been able to increase their preventive care with checkups and examinations, while poor families have always gone on the cheap, deeming various treatments “not urgent” or “unnecessary.”

Several anomalies have also been recorded regarding the number of deaths, as Gian Carlo Blangiardo says, a demographer at the University of Milan Bicocca and the next president in pectore of Istat: “From the most recent demographic balance sheet released by Istat, there were 649,000 deaths in Italy in 2017, 34,000 more than in 2016. In 2015, there were 50 thousand more deaths than in 2014. In the last century, only during World War II (1941-44) and 1929 were similar peaks recorded.” Finally, Sergio Daniotti spoke, the president of the non-profit Banco Farmaceutico Foundation, who had his say on Italians’ spending on medical care: “There are far too many people who do not have enough income to afford the bare minimum to survive. The data published this year in the Health Poverty Report show that the phenomenon has been substantially consolidated over time and is not expected to decrease significantly in the coming years.”

Vaccines, it is alarm throughout Italy

22 February 20246 January 2024 by Redazione My Special Doctor

The situation in Italy regarding the
vaccines: almost in all regions there is less than 95 percent coverage, a threshold that does not guarantee herd immunity. The past few days have seen yet another outbreak, this time of measles, at Bari Children’s Hospital. “Since 2006, prophylaxis has been steadily declining in Italy, and coverage is not as a developed country. In 2016 the measles vaccination rate was lower than Ghana and Sierra Leone. In Mexico there are no indigenous cases of measles, recently there have been three infections, all Italian patients,” says Professor Roberto Burioni, a renowned immunologist who has received press attention for his fight against the no vax movement.

Data in hand, in Italy, only in Lazio has exceeded the safe threshold with 95.3 percent prophylaxis against the exanthematous disease, while in other regions the percentage stands at 90 percent, not counting areas that support the movement no vax: “The worst, unbelievably, is the province of Bolzano, where, moreover, health care is well organized. Then there are areas where no vax people are particularly vibrant, such as Rimini and Pesaro, where activists scare parents,” says Dr. Burioni. It happened to see a small plane with an “Everyone in school, freedom of choice” banner flying over the beaches of Romagna in support of an anti-vaccine campaign.

“When attention is slackened on some infectious diseases and only revived in cases of death, it is not a good sign. We reiterated in the Health Commission hearing that easing the vaccination requirement at this stage is a mistake. So better to leave it and then, as the law requires, reevaluate in light of the results, but only when we are safe. And now we are not.”, Ricciardi argues.

Confirming this are the numbers: each year about 1 percent of parents do not vaccinate their children, so that creates 80 to 100 thousand children who will not perform prophylaxis by choice. As Dr. Burioni has already mentioned, the vaccine situation is tragic in some cities, such as Bolzano, where there is only 71 percent coverage for measles, 85 percent for polio and diphtheria, and only 67 percent for anti-meningococcal C. Several South Tyrolean parents wanted to enroll their children at Austrian schools to escape prophylaxis. “We need to make it mandatory and make people understand that not vaccinating endangers their children and also those close to them.”

Drug abuse

18 February 20246 January 2024 by Redazione My Special Doctor

Abuse can involve both medicinal and nonmedicinal substances that affect organ functions. Drugs are classified according to their effect: stimulants, sedatives, and hallucinogens.

What to do?

Check vital signs.
Call the emergency room or a poison control center.
Try to identify the substance taken, the amount and the time of intake.
If the subject is vomiting it is necessary to put him on his left side and prevent him from falling asleep on his back.
Do not leave the person alone and try to reassure them.
Do not try to argue with a violent person.

Source: Mediserve‘s Pocket Guide to First Aid.

Shingles: find out more about it

19 February 20246 January 2024 by Redazione My Special Doctor

The St. Anthony’s Fire, also called St. Anthony’s rash or Herpes zoster according to scientific nomenclature, is a viral disease that affects individuals who have contracted chickenpox in the past, as it represents a reactivation of the virus that is generally not completely eliminated from the body, but remains dormant in certain parts of the nervous system. This virus owes its particular name to the ancient tradition, which originated in the Middle Ages but was especially present in the modern age, of invoking St. Anthony the Abbot to ask for healing from illness. Shingles can also affect young people, but it occurs more frequently from age 40 and up.

Symptomatology and contagion

The specific cause that triggers shingles is not yet known: the immune system should suppress the reactivation of the latent virus, however in many cases this does not happen, especially in people with weak immune systems, due to old age, psychological stress and other risk factors. Shingles infection can only occur through direct contact and not through the air, but what is actually transmitted is the varicella-zoster virus (VZV), which precisely triggers chickenpox in individuals who have never had it. The first symptoms of the virus, such as headache and fever, are very general and therefore can be mistaken for a simple flu. Specific symptoms of shingles such as burning, tingling, itching, and severe pain appear later, especially for people of advanced age, and after a few days a reddening of the skin(skin rash) followed by the appearance of blisters. Depending on the area affected by the virus, there may be additional complications: in the case where it affects the eye area, it is called ophthalmic herpes, while if it affects the ear area, one can contract Ramsay Hunt Syndrome type II.

Treatments and vaccination

The
vaccine
against chickenpox, which has become mandatory in Italy, obviously also helps to ward off the risk of shingles; however, according to some studies, since an adult in contact with a child who has contracted chickenpox develops immunity for shingles, the spread of the vaccine helps in a sense to spread the latent virus. There is also a specific vaccine for shingles (Zostavax), aimed at adults who have contracted chickenpox in the past, which according to some U.S. studies reduces the risk of being affected by the virus by 50-70%. For those who have already contracted the virus, however, treatment with prescription antivirals can help reduce the duration and intensity of symptoms until complete regression of the infection, which generally occurs after 2-4 weeks.

Bruises: what to do?

15 February 20246 January 2024 by Redazione My Special Doctor

Contusions form when a blunt object strikes certain parts of the body, rupturing subcutaneous blood vessels. There is no discharge of blood, and usually the bruises are swollen and painful, limiting the function of the affected body part.

What to do?

Apply an ice pack for 20 minutes, avoiding putting it directly on the skin. Protect the victim’s skin by placing a wet garment between the ice and the skin.
If arms or legs are involved, apply an elastic bandage with many gauze pads.
Check whether a fracture is present.
Keep the arm or leg injured, above the level of the heart, in order to reduce pain and swelling.
Transfer the patient to the emergency department if bruising appears for no apparent reason or if a fracture or internal bleeding is suspected.

Source: Mediserve‘s Pocket Guide to First Aid.

Angina pectoris: diagnosis and treatments

7 February 20246 January 2024 by Redazione My Special Doctor

Angina pectoris expresses myocardial ischemia, and its diagnosis is based primarily on the evaluation of patient-reported complaints. Angina can be related to exercise. There can be many different causes: it can be chronic atherosclerosis, but coronary artery spasm is also possible in the absence of atherosclerotic lesions. The main diagnostic question lies in the correct interpretation of anginal pain. In the absence of appropriate diagnostic tools, initial suspicion can be confirmed by regression of anginal pain after sublingual administration of nitroglycerin.

Symptomatology and diagnosis

The pivotal symptom is the pain, which can take on connotations that vary from case to case. The reaction patient’s instinct is to remain motionless. Other symptoms include pallor and skin sweating, atrial gallop, abnormal pulse rate, paradoxical splitting of the second tone and increased pressor values.

As for the instrumental diagnosis the main examination to be done is the electrocardiogram, from perform under stress. Radioisotopic investigations should also be done and coronarography.

Principles of therapy

Therapy involves taking nitroglocerin sublingually at the onset of anginal pain. In case of ineffectiveness, isosorbide dinitrate can be used. For chronic treatment one can use: nitroderivatives, calcium channel blockers, beta blockers, antiplatelet agents.

Source: Medical Guard Handbook edited by Piercarlo Salari (Mediserve)

Milk scab (or childhood seborrheic dermatitis): what it is and what needs to be done

2 February 20246 January 2024 by Redazione My Special Doctor

Seborrheic dermatitis is one of the most common skin conditions: it can resolve in the first year of life or instead have a chronic relapsing course (and thus recur over the years).

At the root of seborrheic dermatitis is an inflammation of the skin involving the areas of the body richest in pilo sebaceous glands (i.e., very small glands connected to the hair and producing a substance called sebum). This inflammation causes reddening of the skin and the formation of scales, which can be dry or yellowish and greasy.

Genital herpes

2 February 20246 January 2024 by Redazione My Special Doctor

Genital herpes is a sexually transmitted disease caused by human herpes virus 1 or 2. Causes ulcerative genital lesions. Diagnosis is clinical with laboratory confirmation by culture tests, PCR (polymerase chain reaction), or serological tests. Treatment is with antiviral drugs.

Genital herpes is the most prevalent sexually transmitted ulcerative disease in developed countries. It is caused by human herpes viruses 1 (herpes simplex virus-1) or 2 (herpes simplex virus-2), which are two of the 8 types of herpesviruses that infect humans.

After initial infection, the herpes simplex virus remains dormant in nerve ganglia from which it can periodically reactivate. When the virus emerges, it may or may not cause symptoms (i.e., genital lesions). Transmission can occur through contact with lesions or, more often, through skin-to-skin contact with sexual partners when lesions are not obvious (called asymptomatic shedding).

What is it and how does epidermolysis bullosa manifest itself?

2 February 20246 January 2024 by Redazione My Special Doctor

Epidermolysis bullosa is the generic name given to a group of genetic diseases in which the skin and mucosal lining tissues (epithelia) undergo, either spontaneously or as a result of minimal trauma, dislodging and blistering. Severity varies widely: there are mild forms that allow near-normal life and very severe forms, which can be lethal in neonatal or prenatal life. The first symptoms usually occur in the first few months of life. Based on the depth of the lesions, bullous epidermolysis is divided into three classes: simple, junctional, and dystrophic. In the simple forms, the epidermis (the most superficial layer of skin) is involved, while the mucous membranes are rarely affected; boils heal without scarring, and the main complication is infection of the lesions. In the junctional forms, the lesions are deeper (between the epidermis and the dermis), and the boils are extensive and often involve the mucous membranes; lethal epidermolysis bullosa (Herlitz type) belongs to this group.

Epithelioma: causes and symptoms

2 February 20246 January 2024 by Redazione My Special Doctor

Epitheliomas, although malignant tumors, rarely produce metastases. Thus, their malignancy is mainly expressed in the area of onset, and their surgical removal is almost always resolving. They are divided into Basaliomas (basal cell carcinoma) and Spinaliomas (spinocellular carcinomas).

Their occurrence is closely related to sun exposure (long and sustained) and prefers fair-skinned subjects, photo-exposed areas, and subjects who for work or play activities are exposed to the sun for a long time. Inevitably, a genetic predisposition is always present.

Herpes simplex virus infections

4 February 20246 January 2024 by Redazione My Special Doctor

Herpes simplex viruses (human herpes virus types 1 and 2, HHV-1 and 2) commonly cause a relapsing infection affecting skin, mouth, lips, eyes, and genitalia. Common serious variants include encephalitis, meningitis, neonatal herpes, and disseminated infections in immunocompromised patients. Mucocutaneous infections manifest as clusters of small, painful, erythematous-based blisters. Diagnosis is clinical; laboratory confirmation can be obtained through culture tests, PCR (polymerase chain reaction), direct immunofluorescence, or serologic tests. Therapy is symptomatic; antiviral treatment with acyclovir, valacyclovir, or famciclovir is useful in severe infections and, if started early, in primary or recurrent infections.

Hydrosadenitis suppurativa: a rare dermatologic disorder

4 February 20246 January 2024 by Redazione My Special Doctor

Furunculosis – What is it?

2 February 20246 January 2024 by Redazione My Special Doctor

Furunculosis is a deep infection of hair follicles generally caused by the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus and mainly affecting the face.

Furunculosis is a deep infection of hair follicles generally caused by the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus And mainly affecting the face. I furuncles, which can occur either singly or in groups, present as a raised, reddened lesion with a hard, painful nodular central part; over time, the furuncles may enlarge and pus formation may occur at the top of them.

Furuncles can form due to excess production of sebum by the sebaceous glands of the epidermis (due to genetic or hormonal reasons), such that they clog the pores of the skin and interact with the resident microbial microflora: thus an inflammatory reaction is generated, resulting in lesion formation. In some cases, however, the formation of furuncles may be related to the presence of an ingrown hair or foreign body in the hair follicle.

Mycosis: the fungi of the skin

4 February 20246 January 2024 by Redazione My Special Doctor

Mycoses are infections generated by fungi that, like bacteria, can reproduce in the human body.

Specifically addressed below are the benign type forms, which, often, do not present any symptoms and are more frequent in the summer period. For this reason, we will try to clarify well:

– What are mycoses and who are those most at risk?

– How and where can mycoses be contracted?

– Treating mycosis: how to intervene?

What are mycoses and who are those most at risk?

Mycoses are infections that can affect the skin, hair, nails, and mucous membranes, and can be classified into the following categories:

Superficial, that is, mycoses affecting the skin, scalp, or nails
Subcutaneous, which are more invasive infections that penetrate within the dermis and subcutaneous tissues
Systemic, that is, mycoses that affect internal organs or the blood, and, therefore, very dangerous
Opportunistic, which are infections that can be very serious and mainly affect people with immune system deficiencies

Mycoses can be, therefore, also very serious, invading mucous membranes and internal organs. They particularly occur in patients with reduced immunological defenses, such as in organ transplant recipients or patients undergoing chemotherapy. Chemotherapeutics decrease white blood cells, which are an initial barrier against the invasion of microorganisms, including fungi. Cortisone treatments in particular can promote fungal infections.

Gonorrhea: what is it

2 February 20246 January 2024 by Redazione My Special Doctor

Gonorrhea is caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Gonorrhea is caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae, which characteristically infects the epithelium of the bladder, cervix, rectum, pharynx, or conjunctiva, and causes inflammation and purulent discharge. Spread to the skin and joints, which is not uncommon, causes skin wounds, fever, and migrating polyarthritis or pauciarticular septic arthritis. Diagnosis is made under the microscope, by culture examination or by nucleic acid amplification tests. Many oral or injectable antibiotics can be used; however, drug resistance is a growing problem.

Cutaneous angioma

2 February 20246 January 2024 by Redazione My Special Doctor

Skin angiomas are mostly benign neoformations due to the abnormal cellular development of sanguneous or lymphatic vessels. The most common form of cutaneous angioma is hemangioma, which consists of a proliferation of blood vessels and usually appears at birth or during the first year of life, then recedes spontaneously over time, requiring no treatment. Much rarer is lymphangioma, which affects lymphatic vessels and can be capillary or cystic in nature.

Kaposi’s disease: what is it?

4 February 20246 January 2024 by Redazione My Special Doctor

Kaposi’s sarcoma is a rare type of cancer caused by a virus, called HHV8, belonging to the herpes virus family. It can affect both the skin and internal organs.

Approximately 30-40% of patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection who are not treated with so-called antiretroviral drugs are likely to develop Kaposi’s sarcoma and/or lymphomas during the course of the disease. Kaposi’s sarcoma can also occur in people with weakened immune systems or a genetic predisposition.

In industrialized countries, it is 2000 times more common in people with HIV than in the general population. In the United States of America (USA) and Europe, the prevalence (prevalence) of Kaposi’s sarcoma, in men with AIDS, varies from 1% in hemophiliacs to 21% in homosexuals, if they are not treated with the now widely available HIV therapies.

Syphilis: what you need to know

4 February 20246 January 2024 by Redazione My Special Doctor

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum. Globally, it is the third most common bacterial-type HIST after chlamydia and gonorrhea.

Transmission

Syphilis is transmitted through any type of sexual intercourse (vaginal, anal and oral) and by blood. An infected mother can transmit syphilis to her unborn child during pregnancy (transplacental route), through passage through the birth canal, and by breastfeeding.

Specifically, it is defined as:

Acquired syphilis the infection contracted after birth
Congenital or prenatal syphilis that contracted transplacentally
Connatal syphilis that acquired at the time of passage through the birth canal.

Rubella

2 February 20246 January 2024 by Redazione My Special Doctor

Rubella is an acute exanthematous infectious disease caused by a RNA virus of the genus Rubivirus of the family Togaviridae. It manifests as a rash similar to those of measles or scarlet fever, diseases from which it may be clinically indistinguishable. It is generally a mild disease but becomes dangerous if contracted during pregnancy because it can lead to miscarriage, intrauterine fetal death, or severe congenital abnormalities.

In Italy, rubella is a compulsorily notifiable disease. A physician who suspects a case of rubella must notify the referring health authority by phone, fax, or email within 12 hours of suspicion.

Dental caries: what are they?

4 February 20246 January 2024 by Redazione My Special Doctor

Dental caries, ( from Latin caries, “corrosion, putrefaction”) is one of the most prevalent and common degenerative diseases in dentistry. This is a degenerative process that damages the hard tissues of the tooth (enamel and dentin) and is caused by bacteria in the oral cavity that take refuge in plaque and tartar within the dental arch. The teeth most affected by caries are usually the molars, premolars, and upper incisors.