Introduction: The normal vaginal flora is highly complex, dominated by lactobacilli of doderlein that plays a vital role in maintaining the women's health and inhibits other pathogenic microorganisms. Fluctuation in local environment or exposure to any exogenous and endogenous sources changes the vaginal flora over a period of time. Disruption of the vaginal ecosystem changes the microflora of the healthy vagina, altering the pH and predisposing to lower reproductive tract infections. The change in the microflora of the female genital tract by pathogenic organisms may ascend from vagina to upper genital tract and may cause infertility. Although several studies demonstrate a higher prevalence of bacterial vaginosis in infertile population. The role of vaginal microbiome in infertility is not clear and need to be explored further. Aim:To compare the vaginal flora and analyse the incidence of asymptomatic vaginosis among healthy women and in women with infertility problems. Materials and Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted over a period of six months at Sri Lakshmi Narayana Medical College and Hospital Puducherry, India. A total of 200 high vaginal swabs were collected from Group 1 which included 84 healthy women with regular menstrual cycles without any gynaecological disorder and from Group 2, 116 women with infertility problems attending fertility clinic within the age group of 18 to 45 years. All swabs were subjected to routine aerobic, anaerobic and fungal culture. Saline wet mount was performed for the detection of clue cells and Trichomonas vaginalis, 10% KOH was performed for demonstration of budding yeast cells and pseudo hyphae, Gram's staining to determine the presence of yeast cells, leucocytes and bacterial morphotypes. The smear was also graded using Nugent scoring system. Results:The vaginal flora of Group 1 was dominated by Lactobacillus (40, 27.8 %) followed by Micrococcus (22, 15.3 %), Enterococcus (16, 11.1%), Coagulase negative Staphylococcus spp. (12, 8.3%). Whereas in Group 2, the most dominant flora was Candida spp. (30, 26.5 %), Enterococcus (26, 23%) followed by Gram negative bacilli such as E. coli (16, 14.1 %). The percentage of Lactobacillus in Group 2 women with infertility problems was relatively low (4, 3.5%). Asymptomatic vaginosis was present in 32 (27.6 %) of Group 2 women compared to Group 1 women were only 6 (7.1%) had asymptomatic vaginosis. Conclusion:Women with infertility problems showed higher prevalence of asymptomatic vaginosis and abundance of Bacterial Vaginosis (BV) associated bacteria compared to healthy women. Hence, this study recommends the screening of vaginal flora as a routine for all women, especially in women undergoing infertility treatment and also suggests the importance of vaginal culture and sensitivity in routine practice.

Cesarean delivery rates are increasing worldwide. The WHO recommends the cesarean rate was 17.2% in India. Pain is a distressing feeling often caused by intense or damaging stimuli. Pharmacological and nonpharmacological therapies are essential components of post-birth pain control. "Alternative therapy" is widely defined to denote any medical procedure or technique used in place of traditional pharmaceutical products. Massage therapy is an excellent alternative method that helps in general health, relaxation, and pain relief. A hand massage is a massage that targets specific muscles in the hand, stimulating nerve endings to various organs in the body, which feels good and even reduces pain. A hand massage has the potential to improve the health and well-being in a number of ways. This method can be used for mother who has undergone the cesarean section.

Alcohol consumption during pregnancy can have adverse health consequences for the developing fetus and therefore is a significant public health problem. During pregnancy, there is no proven safe level of alcohol consumption. The term fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is a medical diagnosis focused on a unique combination of physiological, psychological, and intellectual disorders triggered by prenatal exposure to alcohol. Fetal alcohol syndrome is an unavoidable, fatal condition which impacts each dimension of a child's life. Thus, it is a very fundamental requisite for the caregivers and healthcare personnel to recognize the symptoms of FAS earlier and ensure the optimal growth of the child.

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