Liegelin Kavitha Bernhardt’s research while affiliated with Manipal Academy of Higher Education and other places

Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is a form of therapeutic approach aimed at faster achievement of therapeutic goals, through the use of certain animals. It is generally used as an adjunct or alternative therapy in people receiving other treatments for their health conditions. In recent decades, significant number of studies, to evaluate the effect of AAT on physical, psychological, social, and academic well-being of pediatric population have been completed, and most of these studies have proved AAT to be beneficial. This study aims to review the literature on AAT for children and to obtain a clearer understanding of the evidence supporting this interventional practice, and the possible risks involved.

Maintaining iron homeostasis is of great importance to the growing fetus and neonates. There is no consensus as to whether the neonates iron status is determined by fetal demands or by maternal iron status. There is no conclusive data confirming the likelihood of neonates born to anemic mothers suffering from compromised iron status. Therefore the aim of our study was to evaluate the relationship of iron indices between maternal and cord blood collected from mother and infant pairs and explore the association of maternal anemia on the iron status indicators of the cord blood. This prospective study included 60 mother and newborn pairs. The study population was subdivided as anemic and non-anemic groups based on hemoglobin (Hb) levels. The maternal venous blood samples were collected 1.5 h ± 20 min before the delivery. 5 ml of cord blood was collected soon after child birth. Samples were analyzed for hemoglobin (Hb), serum ferritin and iron. Significantly lower values of Hb, Ferritin, iron (p < 0.05) was observed in neonates born to anemic mothers when compared to the indices of neonates born to non-anemic mothers. On multivariate linear regression analysis , maternal Hb showed positive linear correlation with cord Hb and ferritin (r =0.87, p<0.05). However, correlation between maternal Hb and cord iron was not significant. Maternal anemia can effect neonatal iron stores. Lowered concentration of iron status indicators in cord blood of neonates born to anemic mothers indicates that fetal iron transfer may be dependent on that of the iron stores of the mothers. However, this process may involve complex factors.