• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
• /
• v.16 no.2
• /
• pp.315-324
• /
• 2002

Objectives : This study was conducted to explore the relating factors with the delivery of low-birth-weight infants in Pyungtaek city. Methods : A questionnaire survey was obtained from 51 mothers with low-birth-weight babies and 90 mothers with full-term normal babies from April to October in 2001. Questionnaire consisted of demographic characteristics, dietary habits including alcohol. drugging, and smoking, past and present disease, prenatal risk factors and prenatal check-up, and complications related to labor and delivery. Results : 1. In the low-birth-weight infants group, father's education level and mother's height were significantly lower, and proportion of old age mothers was significantly higher than those of the normal infant group. 2. Mothers with low-birth-weight infants experienced more premature rupture of membrane, placenta previa, ecclampsia, and twin pregnancy than mothers with normal infants. Gestational period of mothers with low-birth-weight infants was significantly shorter than that of mothers with normal infants. 3. No differences were found in eating habit, alcohol and drug ingestion, smoking, exposing to dangerous materials in two groups, but both groups were highly exposed to indirect smoking, although mothers rarely smoke. Conclusion : The findings of this study indicate that high risk group such as less educated, or older mothers need more prenatal health assessment and support from public health services. Addition to determine the risk factors related to the delivery of low-birth-weight infants, public health nurses pay more attention and develop efficient management system for vulnerable women and infants.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
• /
• v.42 no.6
• /
• pp.212-216
• /
• 2012

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between maternal periodontal disease and the health status of newborns using Apgar scores. Methods: One hundred pregnant women with periodontal disease were included in the case series and 100 pregnant women without periodontal disease were placed in the control group, respectively. The periodontal parameters of bleeding on probing (BOP), clinical attachment loss (CAL), probing depth (PD), birth weight, and Apgar scores were recorded in both groups. T-tests and Pearson's correlation coefficient were used to determine the birth weight odds ratio to analyze the relationship between the periodontal parameters of BOP, CAL, and PD on the one hand and an Apgar score of less than 7. An unpaired Student's t-test was used to analyze differences in means between the case and control groups using SPSS ver. 13. Results: The means of the ages, periodontal pocket depths, attachment loss, areas with BOP, Apgar score in the first 5 minutes and infant birth weight exhibited statistically significant differences between the case and control groups. The ratio of an Apgar score of <7 to periodontal disease was 3.14; the ratio of low birth weight risk in mothers with periodontal disease to that in mothers without periodontal disease was 2.74. Pearson's correlation coefficient revealed a significant correlation between the infant birth weight and BOP, CAL, and PD of the mother. In addition, there was a significant correlation between the Apgar score and BOP, CAL, and PD and also between the Apgar score and infant birth weight. Conclusions: The results of this study showed a significant relationship between periodontal disease and infant birth weight; in addition, there was a significant relationship between the periodontal indexes of BOP, CAL, and PD on the one hand and the Apgar score on the other.

• Child Health Nursing Research
• /
• v.6 no.3
• /
• pp.281-290
• /
• 2000

This study was performed to investigate the effect of kangaroo care on anxiety and confidence and gratification of mothering role in mothers of low birth weight infants. The subjects were 30 mothers of low birth weight infants, sixteen for the kangaroo care group and fourteen for the control group, whose infants hospitalized in two neonatal intensive care unit at two university-affiliated hospital. The kangaroo care was applied 9 times during the twenty six days with 40 minutes for each session. The kangaroo care provides the skin-to-skin contact during which a low birth weight infant wearing a diaper and a hat is placed on its mother's chest. The questionnaire, state anxiety was completed before beginning the first intervention. The questionnaire, state anxiety and confidence and gratification of mothering role were completed at 2 weeks after discharge. The data were analyzed by a SPSS program. The results were as follows : 1. There were no significant differences in the state anxiety between the kangaroo care and the control group before beginning the first intervention. The state anxiety was significantly lower in kangaroo care group than in control group. 2. The confidence of mothering role was significantly higher in kangaroo care group than in control group at 2 weeks after discharge. 3. The gratification of mothering role was significantly higher in kangaroo care group than in control group at 2 weeks after discharge. 4. In mothers of low birth weight infants, the state anxiety was negatively correlated to the confidence of mothering role and the gratification of mothering role at 2 weeks after discharge. And the confidence of mothering role in mothers of low birth weight infants was positively correlated to the gratification of mothering role at 2 weeks after discharge. These results suggest that kangaroo care is an effective nursing intervention for mothers of low birth weight infants in reducing the state anxiety, improving the confidence and gratification of mothering role.

• Health Policy and Management
• /
• v.14 no.1
• /
• pp.148-168
• /
• 2004

To investigate the effect of parents' social class on birthweight in Korea during the period of transition to a market economy, 1995-2001. Methods: All births resulting from pregnacies reported in 1995-22001(n=4,298,374) were studied with respect to social variation in birthweight. The results were adjusted for maternal age, parity, parents' education, gestational age, total births, the dead births among total births, the number of births in one delivery. Results: Between 1995 and 2001, mean birth weight was 3271g and low birth rate was 3.41%. Maternal education, faternal education, parents' occupation, the number of birth in one delivery, total births, gestational age, and the number of deaths among. total births were all independently related to the birthweight. Parents with lower education showed higher low-birthweight rates compared with parents with university level of education(OR: 2.16 for mother and 1.68 for father). Especially, mother's education showed stronger relationship with birthweight than fathers' education. The differences in birth weight by parents' social class, especially parents' educational level became stronger between 1995 and 2001. Discussion: This study suggests that the social differences of birth weight were increasing in order 1995 to 2001. Especially, this increasing tendency in variation in birth weight by social class was shown after economic crisis, 1998.

• Child Health Nursing Research
• /
• v.2 no.2
• /
• pp.58-65
• /
• 1996

This study examined characteristics among 131 infants who were born at three hospitals affiliated with Catholic University. Those infants were very low birth weight infants (VLBWI ). Data were gathered through review of medical records between 1990 to 1993. The results were as follows : 1. Regarding the birth weight, 72.6％ were between 1000 gm to 1500 gm and 27.4% were below 1000gm. Of the VLBWI, 27.5% had gestational age of 29-30 weeks and 22. lof had gestational age of 26 weeks and below. The birth weight of them was significantly correlated with their gestational age. 2. Most of VLBWI had been hospitalized for more than 30 days and particulaly those who were between 1100-1400gm had been hospitalized more than 60 days. And the number of clinical problem was the most influencing factor on their discharge. 3. Of the VLBWI, 28.2% were given gavage feeding. 4. Jaundice appeared predominantly on the 3rd day after birth ,with 64.1％ of incidence rate. Of those infants developed jaundice, 92.9% received phototherapy 5. The most common problem after birth was respiratory conditions. And oxygen therapy was administered for 93.9% of the VLBWI while they were in the hospital.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.43 no.5
• /
• pp.369-376
• /
• 2010

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine the associations of current body weight and body mass index (BMI) at age three and birth weight in developing chronic respiratory illness in childhood and identify possible interaction underlying its mechanism. Methods: The study was carried out with 422 children who were enrolled in a hospital-based birth cohort. Birth related anthropometric data were collected at birth. At age 3 years, the presence of respiratory symptoms was evaluated by using the Korean version of core questionnaire for wheezing and asthma from the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC). Physical examination was carried out to measure the child's weight and height. Results: Children in the lowest birth weight tertile (aOR = 3.97, 95% CI = 0.94-16.68) or highest BMI tertile (aOR = 3.68, 95% CI = 1.24-10.95) at three years of age were at an increased risk of chronic respiratory illness. Children who were initially in the lowest birth weight tertile but now belong in the highest weight tertile had higher risk of chronic respiratory illness compared to those who had remained in the middle tertile (OR=16.35, 95% CI=1.66-160.57). Conclusions: Children with lower birth weight or higher BMI were at an increased risk of chronic respiratory illness. In addition, children who were initially in the lowest birth weight tertile but are now in the highest weight tertile had higher risk of chronic respiratory illness compared to those who remained in the middle tertile.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.16 no.4
• /
• pp.494-497
• /
• 2003

The study was carried out in Sahiwal, Holstein Friesian, Jersey and crossbred cattle and Murrah, Bhadwari, Jaffarabadi, Nagpuri and Surti buffaloes maintained at different organized herds to work out the polymorphism at growth hormone locus and study its effect on birth weight. A 223 bp fragment of the gene was amplified and digested with Alu I restriction enzyme. Two alleles, L and V with three genotypes LL, LV and VV were observed in Jersey, Holstein and cross bred cattle. Sahiwal cattle and buffalo were monomorphic for this locus producing only one genotype LL and one allele L. The frequency of L allele was comparatively higher in Holstein and crossbred cattle while in Jersey breed, the frequency of this allele was intermediate. The effect of genotype on birth weight was significant and LV genotype had higher birth weight than other genotypes. Hence, LV genotype in Holstein Friesian favored higher birth weight.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
• /
• v.51 no.3
• /
• pp.237-242
• /
• 2008

To investigate the trends in the survival rate (SR) for very low birth weight infants (VLBW) and extremely low birth weight infants (ELBWI) in Korea, a total of 43 articles pertaining to SR were analyzed, covering the years from 1967 to 2007. The changes in SR were compared using 5 year periods. The SR for VLBWI has increased remarkably, from 31.8% in early 1960 to 65.8% in early 1990 and 78.8% in early 2000. The SR for ELBWI has increased from 8.2% in early 1960 to 37.4% in early 1990 and 62.4% in early 2000. The SR has improved steeply since early 1990. When the SRs for VLBWI in Korea were compared with those in the U.S.A. and Japan, the figures were 40%, 72%, and 79% in 1985; 65.8%, 82%, and 86% in 1990; 71.3%, 86%, and 88% in 1995; 78.8%, 86%, and 89% in 2000, respectively. Although the recent SRs for VLBWI and ELBWI in Korea has improved rapidly, they have not yet reached the levels in these highly developed countries. To obtain accurate statistics that could be represented as an SR for premature infants in Korea, we have to develop a nationwide network database project.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
• /
• v.52 no.1
• /
• pp.14-21
• /
• 2009

Neurodevelopmental outcomes of very low birth weight infants (VLBWI) and extremely low birth weight infants (ELBWI) in Korea on 14 reports from 1984 to 2008 were analyzed. Follow-up rates were varied from 42.9% to 90.2%. Duration of follow-up ranged from 4 months to 5 years. The prevalence of cerebral palsy (CP) of VLBWI was as follows: 4.3-5.3% in 1980s, 7.1-9.1 % in 1990s and 3.6-15.6% in 2000s. CP was noted in 8.2-30.8% of ELBWI on studies reported in 2000s. Delayed Mental development was diagnosed in 2.0-17.9% of VLBWI and in 20.4-30.8% of ELBWI. Sensory impairments such as hearing loss or visual deficit were reported in 3.1-3.6% of VLBWI and 0.0-10.0% of ELBWI. Seizure disorder was reported in 5.3% of VLBWI by one report. No reports for minor neurodevelopmental dysfunctions in VLBWI and ELBWI were found from 1984 to 2008. It is necessary to establish basic protocols and nationwide systems for long-term follow-up study to obtain valuable data.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
• /
• v.15 no.4
• /
• pp.628-638
• /
• 2004

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of follow-up care on the social support, self-esteem and maternal confidence in mothers of low birth weight infants. Method: This study applied a quasi-experiment study method to examine the pre-post intervention effects. Eighty-eight mothers whose infants were below 2.5kg of Low birth weight were studied. The period for the data collection was from July to December in 2003. Self Reported Survey and Face to Face Interview by the highly trained home Visiting Nurses were used for this study. Result: Most of the participants reported statistically significant improvements in the score of social support, self-esteem and maternal confidence after they received the intervention. Conclusion: Longitudinal study for the mothers of low birth weight infants might reveal more comprehensive findings. Moreover, follow-up care, which is linked with community health care services, is needed to continue the post hospital care services. Additionally, qualified and professional intervention programs should be provided to consider the characteristics of mothers of low birth weight infants.