Background: Postpartum depression is a psychiatric disorder that starts from the second to the sixth week after birth. Breastfeeding is considered a protective factor for postpartum mood swings. This paper aims to examine the effect of breastfeeding on postpartum depression and anxiety, and how it affects child development. Methods: The study included 209 pregnant women, 197 puerperea, and 160 women at the end of the third month after delivery, followed through three time-points. The instruments used in the study were the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS), Beck’s Depression Inventory (BDI), and Beck’s Anxiety Inventory (BAI). Results: Postpartum mothers with low risk of PPD breastfed their children more often than mothers with a mild or severe risk of perinatal depression. Mean values on the BDI scale three months after giving birth were higher in mothers who did not breastfeed their child (M = 3.53) than those who did breastfeed their child (M = 2.28). Postpartum anxiety measured by BAI was statistically negatively correlated (rs-, 430) with the duration of breastfeeding. Conclusion: Nonbreastfeeding mothers are more depressed and anxious compared to breastfeeding mothers.

The incidence rate of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is becoming a global health problem that could be caused by changes in environmental and lifestyle habits. The study aimed to identify the association between the quality of drinking water, i.e., physiochemical and biological aspects of the phenotype and activity of IBD in Eastern Croatia. The study included 312 patients (63.4% ulcerative colitis, UC, and 36.6% Crohn’s disease, CD) from the area of Eastern Croatia. The data were collected by questionnaires and the analysis of the water safety, based on 65 samples of drinking water by the patient’s water supply method (public supply, rural water supply, and private well). IBD was active in 38.0% patients (34.0% CD and 40.0% UC). Significant differences (p = 0.001) were observed in the distribution of patients, according to counties in which they lived in. The largest deviation was noted in coliform bacteria, Escherichia coli, and enterococci bacteria, Fe, Al, and nitrate in rural water supply and private wells, although, without significant impact on IBD phenotype and activity. The hazard quotient (HQ) simulations showed that children are a sensitive group, regarding exposure to nitrates in drinking water over a long period of time, so there is a need for further monitoring and analysis of this issue.

Introduction: Mental disorders begin at an early age. Screening is the first step in early intervention for the mental health problems of children and adolescents. The aim of this study was to analyse the prevalence of mental health problems among adolescents from Osijek, to early detect the risks of possible mental disorders, and to analyse gender differences. Materials and methods: The main screening instrument was The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), which assesses the emotional and behavioural difficulties of children and adolescents, as well as the prosocial skills. Over 5 school years (2012/13-2016/17), a total of 5787 students were examined. 5514 (95.3%) first-year students from 16 high schools and 273 (4.7%) seventh-grade students from 10 elementary schools were examined in the City of Osijek. Results: 10.4% of students had the borderline or abnormal score on the Total difficulties score. Girls had higher scores on the Total difficulties score (p<0.01), Emotional symptoms subscale (p<0.01), Prosocial behaviour subscale (p<0.01), and on the Hyperactivity/inattention subscale (p<0.01). On the Conduct problems subscale and the Peer relationships problem subscale, boys scored significantly higher than the girls (p<0.01). Conclusion: In the Osijek area, girls are more affected by mental problems than boys, scoring higher on the total scale, as well as on the emotional and hyperactivity scale. Whereas boys scored higher on the conduct and peer relationship scales. The data obtained through this screening allows for further planning of public health measures, preventive activities, treatment, and mental health promotion.

The aim of the study was to compare radiomorphometric indices measured on panoramic radiographs: mandibular cortical width (MCW), panoramic mandibular index (PMI) and mandibular cortical index (MCI) with the densitometric values of skeletons in postmenopausal women, as well as and to determine the possibilities of their use in screening for early detection of osteoporosis in risky populations. Radiomorphometric indices were measured on panoramic radiographs of 146 postmenopausal patients, mean age 66.3 (±9.7) years, mean menopausal age 16.3 (±10.6) years. By dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) method were measured bone mineral density of the femur and the lumbar vertebrae (L1–L4). The Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to determine the changed densitometric finding, and to distinguish osteopenia and osteoporosis. The examinees with lower densitometric values had significantly lower MCW (3.60 mm) and PMI (0.36 mm) than those with regular densitometric values (p<0.001). The most frequent finding in patients with osteopenia was C2 stage of erosion (69.50%; p<0.001), while the C3 stage of erosion (57.40%; p<0.001) was in osteoporosis patients. When differing the normal from the changed finding of densitometry the results were: MCW – area under the curve (AUC) 0.862, sensitivity 92.04%, specificity 75.76%, resolution point ≤4.39 (p<0.001); for PMI-AUC 0.874, sensitivity 76.11%, specificity 84.85%, resolution point ≤ 0.41 (p 1 (p<0.001). For early detection of osteopenia and osteoporosis in postmenopausal women in everyday clinical practice, panoramic radiograph as a screening method can be of help.

Background/Objectives: Given the rising prevalence of autoimmune diseases and the need for new insights into the pathology of these disorders, it is important to summarize current knowledge, with an emphasis on Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT), since it is especially on the rise. Hypoxia is part of various pathophysiological conditions, and hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) is a key factor in these processes. Hypoxia is involved in the regulation of hormones and the development of endocrine disorders. With this in mind, this narrative review summarizes the current state of knowledge on the relationship between autoimmune diseases, focusing on HT and the effects of hypoxia through the role of HIF. Methods: Multiple databases such as PubMed, NIH, Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar were thoroughly searched for relevant keyword. Results: In HT, thyrocyte-derived reactive oxygen species and chronic lymphocytic infiltration stabilize HIF-1α, tilting CD4+ T cell polarity towards Th17 and away from regulatory T cells. Increased levels of Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)/HIF-1α and reduced Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) in T cells from patients diagnosed with HT confirm this metabolic skew. Furthermore, the data position HIF-1α as a therapeutic target. Inhibitors of mTOR or agents that restore SIRT1 could complement levothyroxine and antioxidant strategies. Hypoxia and the HIF signaling pathway have a role in energy homeostasis through various ways, for example, via metabolic effects of thyroid hormones, which are associated with the clinical manifestations of HT. Conclusions: Elucidation of HIF-1α-centered gene networks and testing of HIF-targeted interventions may curb the growing clinical burden of HT.

Zbog neposredne blizine s Osmanskim Carstvom, u Slavoniji je postojala stalna opasnost od ulaska brojnih zaraznih i nezaraznih bolesti. Dodatna su otegotna okolnost bili loši životni i higijenski uvjeti, siromaštvo, suše i poplave. Odlaskom Osmanlija krajem 17. stoljeća zdravstvenu skrb pružala je tek nekolicina brijača i ranarnika, koji su ostali živjeti u slavonskom Provincijalu. Zbog loše zdravstvene zaštite, carica i kraljica Marija Terezija 1770. donosi Opći zdravstveni zakon koji se primjenjivao na području cijele Habsburške Monarhije, uključujući i Slavoniju. Među ostalim, njime je predviđeno uvođenje formalnog obrazovanja za zdravstvene radnike, što je u konačnici rezultiralo stvaranjem kvalitetnijega medicinskog kadra. Usporedno s tim, šarlatanima se sve češće izricala zabrana rada. Nedostatak obrazovanih liječnika, stomatologa, primalja, ljekarnika i veterinara pokušalo se riješiti različitim mjerama kojima se poticalo njihovo školovanje i usavršavanje. Nakon stjecanja diplome ti su stručnjaci bili raspoređeni u bolnice, domove za starije i nemoćne osobe, domove za invalide i u druge zdravstvene ustanove u kojima se stanovnicima slavonskog Provincijala pružala zdravstvena skrb.