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The COVID-19 pandemic is a collective trauma that is threatening citizens' mental health resulting in increased emotional stress, reduced social support, and heightened risk for affective symptoms. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of antenatal pandemic-related emotional stress and perceived social support on the symptoms of depression and anxiety of mothers who were pregnant during the initial COVID-19 outbreak in northern Italy. A sample of 281 mothers was enrolled at eight maternity units in the first hotspot region of the COVID-19 outbreak in northern Italy. Participants filled out online questionnaires assessing the direct or indirect exposure to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, pandemic-related stress, perceived social support, as well as symptoms of depression and anxiety. Depressive and anxious symptomatology was above clinical concern, respectively, in 26 and 32% of the respondents. Mothers who reported no exposure to SARS-CoV-2 during pregnancy and those who reported at least one direct or indirect exposure did not differ in terms of affective symptoms. Continuous scores and risk for severe depression and anxiety were positively associated with prenatal pandemic-related emotional stress and negatively linked with perceived social support during pregnancy. Women who become mothers during the COVID-19 emergency may be at high risk for affective problems. Dedicated preventive programs are needed to provide adequate preventive support and care for maternal mental health during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

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SYNOPSIS 22 migraine patients, aged between 17 and 60 years (7 males and 15 females) were studied through the method of Visual Evoked Potentials (VEP). The control group consisted of an equal number of healthy subjects, comparable for age and sex. Correlations between the results obtained with VEP and those reported by traditional EEG methods were investigated. As found by other authors, VEP's did not point to any significant difference in common migraine as compared to a control group of healthy subject. Unlike other authors we found the presence of mildly abnormal EEG elements in only 19% of patients.(Headache 28: [269][270][271] 1988) An EEG recording was made for at least 30 minutes with an 10-channel apparatus ALVAR Reega

Objective To assess the clinical relevance of adnexal masses in pregnancy and the usefulness of ultrasound in their management. Design A prospective study on pregnancy complicated by adnexal masses. Setting Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology in Italy.Population 6636 women with pregnancy in utero followed in our clinic from January 1996 to December 1999.Methods From 1996 to 1999, all ovarian cysts with a diameter exceeding 3 cm were prospectively recorded and followed. The management was expectant except in case of symptoms or suspected malignant features. Cysts suggestive of borderline tumours were treated expectantly. Main outcome measures Clinical relevance of adnexal masses in pregnancy, the outcome of these pregnancies and the usefulness of ultrasound examination in their management. Results We detected 82 cysts in 79 of 6636 women (1.2 in 100 term pregnancies). Sixty-eight women were asymptomatic at the time of diagnosis, whereas 11 (13.9%) were diagnosed because of pain. Diagnosis occurred in the first trimester for 57 cases and in the second or third trimester in 22 (27.8%). One-half of the cysts were simple and anechoic at ultrasound. Fifty-seven had a diameter not exceeding 5 cm. Forty-two cyst resolved in pregnancy without treatment. Three cysts required surgery within few days (torsion). One woman required laparotomy at the 37th week of gestation, due to torsion. When one case of termination was excluded, 78 women delivered at term (66 vaginally, 12 by caesarean section). Nineteen women underwent surgery after pregnancy. We recorded three Stage Ia borderline tumours, accounting for 3/82 cysts (3.6%) and 3/30 persisting masses (10%). Conclusions Ultrasound allows definition of ovarian cysts in pregnancy and this positively impacts on management. The incidence of cancer among persistent masses is lower than previously reported. Acute complications in stable cysts are extremely uncommon after the first trimester. An expectant management is successful in the majority of cases and should be considered more often. Routine removal of persistent cysts is not justified.