The cataclysmic COVID-19 pandemic erupted silently causing colossal impact worldwide, the repercussions of which indicated a lackadaisical vigilance in preparation for such a pandemic. This review assessed the measures taken by nations to contain this pandemic. A literature review was conducted using Medline, Google Scholar, Science Direct, Scopus, and WHO website. There were 8 nations (selected from the GHS index list) appraised for containment strategies. This was achieved by using mortality rate (per million) as the primary endpoint. The nations which were proactive, initiated scientific strategies earlier with rigor, appeared to have succeeded in containing the pandemic, although it is still too early to arbitrate a verdict. The so called “pandemic war” mandates international, interdisciplinary, and interdepartmental collaboration. Furthermore, building trust and confidence between the government and the public, having transparent communication, information sharing, use of advanced research-technology, and plentiful resources are required in the fight against COVID-19.

Background: Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission causes significant distress that can hinder the successful transition into parenthood, child-parent relations, and child development.Purpose: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to understand parental psychological phenomena. Here we assessed the emotional response of parents of newborns during NICU admission. Methods: Two authors independently searched the PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Embase, Clinical Key, and Google Scholar databases for studies published between January 01, 2004, and December 31, 2021. The review followed Cochrane collaboration guidelines and the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis) statement. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the modified Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Stata software (version 16) was used to compute the results. Results: This review comprised 6,822 parents (5,083 mothers, 1,788 fathers; age range, 18–37 years) of NICU patients. The gestational ages and neonatal weights were 25.5–42 weeks and 750–2,920 g, respectively. The pooled prevalence of anxiety was higher among mothers (effect size [ES], 0.51; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.41–0.61; and heterogeneity [I2]=97.1%; P<0.001) than among fathers (ES, 0.26; 95% CI, 0.11–0.42; I2=96.6%; P<0.001). Further, the pooled prevalence of depression was higher among mothers (ES, 0.31; 95% CI, 0.24–0.38; I2=91.5%; P<0.001) than among fathers (ES, 0.12; 95% CI, 0.03–0.22; I2=85.6%; P<0.001). Similarly, the pooled prevalence of stress was higher among mothers (ES, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.31–0.51; I2= 93.9%; P<0.001) than among fathers (ES, 0.22; 95% CI, 0.09–0.34; I2=85.2%; P<0.001). Conclusion NICU admission is more stressful for mothers than fathers and can affect mental health and quality of life. Mothers reported a higher pooled prevalence of stress, anxiety, and depression than fathers, possibly attributable to their feelings about birthing a sick child.

Background: Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission causes significant distress that can hinder the successful transition into parenthood, child-parent relations, and child development.Purpose: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to understand parental psychological phenomena. Here we assessed the emotional response of parents of newborns during NICU admission. Methods: Two authors independently searched the PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Embase, Clinical Key, and Google Scholar databases for studies published between January 01, 2004, and December 31, 2021. The review followed Cochrane collaboration guidelines and the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis) statement. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the modified Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Stata software (version 16) was used to compute the results. Results: This review comprised 6,822 parents (5,083 mothers, 1,788 fathers; age range, 18–37 years) of NICU patients. The gestational ages and neonatal weights were 25.5–42 weeks and 750–2,920 g, respectively. The pooled prevalence of anxiety was higher among mothers (effect size [ES], 0.51; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.41–0.61; and heterogeneity [I2]=97.1%; P<0.001) than among fathers (ES, 0.26; 95% CI, 0.11–0.42; I2=96.6%; P<0.001). Further, the pooled prevalence of depression was higher among mothers (ES, 0.31; 95% CI, 0.24–0.38; I2=91.5%; P<0.001) than among fathers (ES, 0.12; 95% CI, 0.03–0.22; I2=85.6%; P<0.001). Similarly, the pooled prevalence of stress was higher among mothers (ES, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.31–0.51; I2= 93.9%; P<0.001) than among fathers (ES, 0.22; 95% CI, 0.09–0.34; I2=85.2%; P<0.001). Conclusion NICU admission is more stressful for mothers than fathers and can affect mental health and quality of life. Mothers reported a higher pooled prevalence of stress, anxiety, and depression than fathers, possibly attributable to their feelings about birthing a sick child.

Background: Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission causes significant distress that can hinder the successful transition into parenthood, child-parent relations, and child development.Purpose: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to understand parental psychological phenomena. Here we assessed the emotional response of parents of newborns during NICU admission. Methods: Two authors independently searched the PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Embase, Clinical Key, and Google Scholar databases for studies published between January 01, 2004, and December 31, 2021. The review followed Cochrane collaboration guidelines and the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis) statement. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the modified Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Stata software (version 16) was used to compute the results. Results: This review comprised 6,822 parents (5,083 mothers, 1,788 fathers; age range, 18–37 years) of NICU patients. The gestational ages and neonatal weights were 25.5–42 weeks and 750–2,920 g, respectively. The pooled prevalence of anxiety was higher among mothers (effect size [ES], 0.51; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.41–0.61; and heterogeneity [I2]=97.1%; P<0.001) than among fathers (ES, 0.26; 95% CI, 0.11–0.42; I2=96.6%; P<0.001). Further, the pooled prevalence of depression was higher among mothers (ES, 0.31; 95% CI, 0.24–0.38; I2=91.5%; P<0.001) than among fathers (ES, 0.12; 95% CI, 0.03–0.22; I2=85.6%; P<0.001). Similarly, the pooled prevalence of stress was higher among mothers (ES, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.31–0.51; I2= 93.9%; P<0.001) than among fathers (ES, 0.22; 95% CI, 0.09–0.34; I2=85.2%; P<0.001). Conclusion NICU admission is more stressful for mothers than fathers and can affect mental health and quality of life. Mothers reported a higher pooled prevalence of stress, anxiety, and depression than fathers, possibly attributable to their feelings about birthing a sick child.

Background: Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission causes significant distress that can hinder the successful transition into parenthood, child-parent relations, and child development.Purpose: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to understand parental psychological phenomena. Here we assessed the emotional response of parents of newborns during NICU admission. Methods: Two authors independently searched the PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Embase, Clinical Key, and Google Scholar databases for studies published between January 01, 2004, and December 31, 2021. The review followed Cochrane collaboration guidelines and the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis) statement. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the modified Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Stata software (version 16) was used to compute the results. Results: This review comprised 6,822 parents (5,083 mothers, 1,788 fathers; age range, 18–37 years) of NICU patients. The gestational ages and neonatal weights were 25.5–42 weeks and 750–2,920 g, respectively. The pooled prevalence of anxiety was higher among mothers (effect size [ES], 0.51; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.41–0.61; and heterogeneity [I2]=97.1%; P<0.001) than among fathers (ES, 0.26; 95% CI, 0.11–0.42; I2=96.6%; P<0.001). Further, the pooled prevalence of depression was higher among mothers (ES, 0.31; 95% CI, 0.24–0.38; I2=91.5%; P<0.001) than among fathers (ES, 0.12; 95% CI, 0.03–0.22; I2=85.6%; P<0.001). Similarly, the pooled prevalence of stress was higher among mothers (ES, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.31–0.51; I2= 93.9%; P<0.001) than among fathers (ES, 0.22; 95% CI, 0.09–0.34; I2=85.2%; P<0.001). Conclusion NICU admission is more stressful for mothers than fathers and can affect mental health and quality of life. Mothers reported a higher pooled prevalence of stress, anxiety, and depression than fathers, possibly attributable to their feelings about birthing a sick child.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is inflicting a brutal blow on humankind, and no corner of the world has been exempted from its wrath. This study analyzes the chief control measures and the distinctive features of the responses implemented by Korea and the United States to contain COVID-19 with the goal of extracting lessons that can be applied globally. Even though both nations reported their index cases on the same day, Korea succeeded in flattening the curve, with 10 752 cases as of April 28, 2020, whereas the outbreak skyrocketed in the United States, which had more than 1 million cases at the same time. The prudent and timely execution of control strategies enabled Korea to tame the spread of the virus, whereas the United States paid a major price for its delay, although it is too early to render a conclusive verdict. Information pertaining to the number of people infected with the virus and measures instituted by the government to control the spread of COVID-19 was retrieved from the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention websites and press releases. Drawing lessons from both nations, it is evident that the resolution to the COVID-19 pandemic lies in the prudent usage of available resources, proactive strategic planning, public participation, transparency in information sharing, abiding by the regulations that are put into place, and how well the plan of action is implemented.

Objectives: The objective of this review was to analyze quantitative data on autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and to increase the accuracy of estimates of the prevalence of ASD. Methods: This review, which was reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement, included studies conducted from January 2008 to June 2024 on children aged 3 to 18 years that used standardized measurement tools and reported cut-off scores for ASD. The prevalence of ASD was the primary outcome analyzed in this review. The PubMed, Clinical Key, Scopus, Embase, CINAHL, and Web of Science databases were reviewed for relevant studies. The review protocol was registered with PROSPERO and followed the Cochrane collaboration guidelines. Results: A total of 66 studies reported on the prevalence of ASD, screening 21,313,061 children worldwide. Among these, 25 studies were conducted in Europe, 22 in Asia, and 13 in America.Additionally, 3 studies each were reported from Africa and Australia. According to a metaanalysis, 0.77% of children globally are diagnosed with ASD, with boys comprising 1.14% of this group. Notably, Australia showed the highest prevalence rate, with an effect size of 2.18, highlighting it as a critical area for public health focus. Conclusion ASD represents a significant global health burden. Early detection, increasedawareness among parents, and prompt intervention are crucial for mitigating developmental problems in children later in life. It is essential for health policymakers to acknowledge theprevalence and growing trends of ASD in order to implement effective interventions.

Objectives: The objective of this review was to analyze quantitative data on autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and to increase the accuracy of estimates of the prevalence of ASD. Methods: This review, which was reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement, included studies conducted from January 2008 to June 2024 on children aged 3 to 18 years that used standardized measurement tools and reported cut-off scores for ASD. The prevalence of ASD was the primary outcome analyzed in this review. The PubMed, Clinical Key, Scopus, Embase, CINAHL, and Web of Science databases were reviewed for relevant studies. The review protocol was registered with PROSPERO and followed the Cochrane collaboration guidelines. Results: A total of 66 studies reported on the prevalence of ASD, screening 21,313,061 children worldwide. Among these, 25 studies were conducted in Europe, 22 in Asia, and 13 in America.Additionally, 3 studies each were reported from Africa and Australia. According to a metaanalysis, 0.77% of children globally are diagnosed with ASD, with boys comprising 1.14% of this group. Notably, Australia showed the highest prevalence rate, with an effect size of 2.18, highlighting it as a critical area for public health focus. Conclusion ASD represents a significant global health burden. Early detection, increasedawareness among parents, and prompt intervention are crucial for mitigating developmental problems in children later in life. It is essential for health policymakers to acknowledge theprevalence and growing trends of ASD in order to implement effective interventions.

Objectives: The objective of this review was to analyze quantitative data on autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and to increase the accuracy of estimates of the prevalence of ASD. Methods: This review, which was reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement, included studies conducted from January 2008 to June 2024 on children aged 3 to 18 years that used standardized measurement tools and reported cut-off scores for ASD. The prevalence of ASD was the primary outcome analyzed in this review. The PubMed, Clinical Key, Scopus, Embase, CINAHL, and Web of Science databases were reviewed for relevant studies. The review protocol was registered with PROSPERO and followed the Cochrane collaboration guidelines. Results: A total of 66 studies reported on the prevalence of ASD, screening 21,313,061 children worldwide. Among these, 25 studies were conducted in Europe, 22 in Asia, and 13 in America.Additionally, 3 studies each were reported from Africa and Australia. According to a metaanalysis, 0.77% of children globally are diagnosed with ASD, with boys comprising 1.14% of this group. Notably, Australia showed the highest prevalence rate, with an effect size of 2.18, highlighting it as a critical area for public health focus. Conclusion ASD represents a significant global health burden. Early detection, increasedawareness among parents, and prompt intervention are crucial for mitigating developmental problems in children later in life. It is essential for health policymakers to acknowledge theprevalence and growing trends of ASD in order to implement effective interventions.

Objectives: The objective of this review was to analyze quantitative data on autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and to increase the accuracy of estimates of the prevalence of ASD. Methods: This review, which was reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement, included studies conducted from January 2008 to June 2024 on children aged 3 to 18 years that used standardized measurement tools and reported cut-off scores for ASD. The prevalence of ASD was the primary outcome analyzed in this review. The PubMed, Clinical Key, Scopus, Embase, CINAHL, and Web of Science databases were reviewed for relevant studies. The review protocol was registered with PROSPERO and followed the Cochrane collaboration guidelines. Results: A total of 66 studies reported on the prevalence of ASD, screening 21,313,061 children worldwide. Among these, 25 studies were conducted in Europe, 22 in Asia, and 13 in America.Additionally, 3 studies each were reported from Africa and Australia. According to a metaanalysis, 0.77% of children globally are diagnosed with ASD, with boys comprising 1.14% of this group. Notably, Australia showed the highest prevalence rate, with an effect size of 2.18, highlighting it as a critical area for public health focus. Conclusion ASD represents a significant global health burden. Early detection, increasedawareness among parents, and prompt intervention are crucial for mitigating developmental problems in children later in life. It is essential for health policymakers to acknowledge theprevalence and growing trends of ASD in order to implement effective interventions.