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Background: The U.S. continues to have one of the lowest breastfeeding rates in the industrialized world. Studies have shown that full-time employment and early return to work decreased breastfeeding duration, but little is known about the relationship between leave policies and breastfeeding initiation and cessation. This study aimed to identify workplace-related barriers and facilitators associated with breastfeeding initiation and cessation in the first 6 months postpartum.Methods: A prospective cohort study design was utilized to recruit 817 Minnesota women aged 18 and older while hospitalized for childbirth. Selection criteria included English-speaking, employed mothers with a healthy, singleton birth. These women were followed up using telephone interviews at 6 weeks, 12 weeks, and 6 months after childbirth. The main study outcomes were breastfeeding initiation, measured during hospital enrollment, and breastfeeding cessation by 6 months postpartum.Results: Women were 30 years old; 86 % were White, and 73 % were married. Breastfeeding rates were 81 % at childbirth, 67 % at 6 weeks, 49 % at 12 weeks, and 33 % at 6 months postpartum. Logistic regression revealed the odds of breastfeeding initiation were higher for women who: held professional jobs, were primiparae, had graduate degree, did not smoke prenatally, had no breastfeeding problems, and had family or friends who breastfeed. Survival analyses showed the hazard for breastfeeding cessation by 6 months was: higher for women who returned to work at any time during the 6 months postpartum versus those who did not return, lower for professional workers, higher among single than married women, higher for every educational category compared to graduate school, and higher for those with no family or friends who breastfeed.Conclusions: While employer paid leave policy did not affect breastfeeding initiation or cessation, women who took shorter leaves were more likely to stop breastfeeding in the first 6 months postpartum. Future research should examine women's awareness of employer policies regarding paid and unpaid leave. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the value of orbital magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features in predicting the efficacy of intravenous chemotherapy (IVC) for patients with retinoblastoma (RB). The pretreatment clinical and MRI data of 100 eyes from 80 RB patients who underwent IVC were collected retrospectively. There were 59 eyes in the effective group and 41 eyes in the ineffective group, and the baseline data of the two groups were compared statistically. Three radiologists reviewed and evaluated each lesion independently based on 25 MRI features. The predictive values of the MRI features for IVC efficacy were assessed by multi-factor logistic regression analysis, and their odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated. Receiver operating characteristic curves (ROCs) with the area under the curve (AUC) were used to determine the predictive abilities. A predictive model was constructed by integrating all independent predictors visualised by the nomogram. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences in sex or age between the effective and ineffective groups. The results of multivariate regression analysis showed that laterality, margin, and anterior eye segment enhancement were identified as independent factors that could predict IVC efficacy. The predictive model combining these three features was constructed, and it had an AUC of 0.732 (95% CI: 0.633, 0.831, p <0.01), a sensitivity of 71.2%, and a specificity of 70.7%. CONCLUSION: The data demonstrate that the orbital MRI features can be used to predict IVC efficiency before RB patients are treated. • Value of orbital MRI in predicting the efficacy of IVC for RB were analyzed. • Laterality, margin, and AES enhancement could predict IVC efficacy. • Calcification yielded a poor predictive ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To evaluate whether standard magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) could distinguish vagal paragangliomas (VPs) from carotid body tumours (CBTs) in the parapharyngeal space.Methods and Materials: Thirteen VPs in 13 patients and 29 CBTs in 26 patients were included in this study. MRI features were evaluated independently by two head and neck radiologists with 10 and 16 years of experience (X.Wang and Y.Chen).Results: Significant differences were found in shape, direction of internal carotid artery (ICA) displacement, splaying of the carotid bifurcation, involvement of the jugular foramen, and maximum vertical diameters between VPs and CBTs (p=0.016, <0.001, <0.001, <0.001 and <0.001, respectively). Splaying of the carotid bifurcation was found in all the 29 CBTs for both observers, whereas only four VPs for observer 1 and two for observer 2 showed this feature. The ICA was displaced posteriorly in all the 29 patients with CBTs for both observers, and only three patients with VPs for observer 1 and two for observer 2. Involvement of the jugular foramen was found in seven patients with VPs for both observers, while none of patients with CBT showed this feature. With the combination of splaying of the carotid bifurcation and involvement of the jugular foramen, the multiple logistic regression model revealed the diagnostic accuracy was 95.2% for observer 1 and 97.6% for observer 2. With the combination of ICA displacement direction and involvement of the jugular foramen, the diagnostic accuracy was 97.6% for both observers.Conclusion: MRI features can effectively differentiate VPs from CBTs in the parapharyngeal space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]