• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
• /
• v.51 no.3
• /
• pp.233-236
• /
• 2008

In recent years, Korea has experienced a steadily declining birth rate, which is a serious social problem in the country. Although living conditions have improved, the birth rates for low birth weight infants and preterm babies has increased because more and more women choose to give birth later in life and the social environment has changed. The rise in low birth weight infants may increase infant mortality rates and morbidity rates. However, the recent improvements in neonatal care has elevated the survival rate of low birth weight infants up to 90 percent and lowered the weight of the very low birth weight infants that can now be saved. In this study, we used dynamic population statistics from the Korea National Statistical Office, which represents the current trend of social stratification and the population of this period. We analyzed birth records for a seven-year period and studied the changes in the delivery rate of preterm and low birth weight infants and the problems related to those changes. The results show that the rate of low birth weight infants has increased from 3.79% to 4.35% for the past seven years. The rate of preterm babies rose from 3.79% to 4.89%. The number of babies born from mothers aged 35 or more went up from 6.69% to 11.83% of the total number of the babies born. As maternal age has risen, the risks of delivering a preterm or low birth weight infant have also increased.

• Korean Parent-Child Health Journal
• /
• v.5 no.1
• /
• pp.50-61
• /
• 2002

The purpose of this study was to compare the temperamental differences between the normal infants and low-birth-weight infants. The subjects of this study were 70 mothers with normal infants and 62 mothers with the low-birth-weight. Convenient sampling was done at three regions. The infant temperament scale developed by Pridham & others (1994) was used. Data were analyzed by SPSS WIN program. The results were as follows; 1) There was a significant difference in total temperament score between the low-birth-weight infants and normal infants. The scores of the low-birth-weight infants were significantly lower than those of normal infants in the subscales of amenability and persistence, activity, and reactivity. In adaptability, there was no significant difference between two groups. 2) In both groups, there were no significant difference by socio-economic status of parents, delivery type, and birth order. But, in the case of low-birth-weight infants, the temperament score of infants over 6 months was significantly higher than that of infants under 6 months. 3) In the correlation analysis among subscales of the temperament, amenability and persistence, activity, and reactivity showed the significant relationship. But adaptability showed significant correlation only with the amenability and persistence. In conclusion, temperament score of low-birth-weight infants were significantly lower than that of normal infants. It was suggested that parenting education for low-birth-weight infants would be needed to understand and impact the positive infant temperament.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
• /
• v.33 no.5
• /
• pp.580-590
• /
• 2003

Purpose: The study investigates the degree of maternal self-esteem, postpartal depression, and family function in mothers of normal and of low birth-weight infants. Method: A retrospective cohort design was applied to compare the variables of interest between a group of 73 mothers with normal birth weight infants and a group of 45 mothers with low birth-weight infants, using the maternal self-report inventory(MSRV), Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale(EPDS) and Family APGAR(FAPGAR). Result: The total mean score was 82.57 for MSRV, 8.45 for EPDS, and 6.83 for FAPGAR with no differences between two groups. A positive correlation was found between MSRV and FAPGAR, while a negative correlations between MSRV and EPDS, and FAPGAR and EPDS. Regardless of the direction of the relationship, the degrees of the correlations were stronger in low birth-weight mothers group than in normal group. Conclusion: No differences in MSRV, EPDS and FAPGAR between the normal and the low birth-weight group considered as beneficial effects of the follow-up management which low birth-weight group was engaged in. This suggested the early intervention(follow-up) for the family with risk factor(low birth-weight) could reduce negative outcomes such as the impaired maternal self-esteem and family function, and the occurrence of postpartal depression, retrospectively.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
• /
• v.5 no.3
• /
• pp.499-508
• /
• 2010

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of sensorimotor stimulation on the development of infant with low birth weight premature. Methods : Ten infants with low birth weight premature and ten normal infants participated in this study. We carried out test TIMP(Test of Infants Motor Performance) according pre intervention, post 3 weeks, PCA 40 week and normal infants. The intervention of sensorimotor stimulation applied to infants with low birth weight premature four times a week and fifteen minutes a once time. There was no intervention for normal infants. The collected dada were analyzed by ANOVA using by SPSS/PC 17.0 ver. program. Results : There was significant difference among three differential test period to improved developmental value in infants with low birth weight premature. According over time, numbers of observed items presented significant difference among test period, and elicited total score and total raw score was significant value(p=.00). There was no significant value that means sensorimotor stimulation affected on development of infants with low birth weight premature. Conclusions : In conclusion, sensorimotor stimulation had affects on the development of infants with low birth weight premature.

• 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.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
• /
• v.49 no.1
• /
• pp.14-17
• /
• 2006

Infants who are born prematurely or with low birth weight should be immunized at the same postnatal chronologic age. They should receive BCG, DTaP, IPV vaccines according to the same recommended schedule as full term infants. Hepatitis B vaccine schedule is modified when hepatitis B vaccine is administered a infant with birth weight less than 2,000 g. The recommended standard dose of each vaccine should be administered. Proportion of children experiencing vaccine-related adverse events dose not differ between full-term and preterm infants. Immunization with routinely recommended childhood vaccines is safe for preterm and low birth weight infants.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
• /
• v.64 no.4
• /
• pp.172-179
• /
• 2021

Background: Evidence shows that fluconazole prophylaxis is an effective treatment against invasive fungal infections in preterm neonates, however, the most efficient schedule of fluconazole prophylaxis for the colonization and mortality of invasive candidiasis (IC) is unknown. Purpose: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the efficiency of different prophylactic fluconazole schedules in controlling IC colonization, infection, and mortality in very low birth weight (VLBW) and extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants in neonatal intensive care units. Methods: We searched the PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Cochrane databases using the keywords "candida," "invasive candidiasis," "IC," "fluconazole prophylaxis," "preterm infants," "very low birth weight infants," "VLBW," "extremely low birth weight," and "ELBW." Results: Mortality was significantly decreased in a meta-analysis of studies using different fluconazole prophylaxis regimens. The meta-analysis also indicated a significant decrease in the incidence of IC-associated mortality in ELBW infants using the same fluconazole prophylaxis schedules. Conclusion: Future studies should explore the effectiveness of other different fluconazole prophylaxis schedules on IC colonization, infection, and mortality.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
• /
• v.60 no.3
• /
• pp.64-69
• /
• 2017

Purpose: The goal of nutritional support for very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants from birth to term is to match the in utero growth rates; however, this is rarely achieved. Methods: We evaluated postdischarge growth patterns and growth failure in 81 Korean VLBW infants through a retrospective study. Weight and height were measured and calculated based on age percentile distribution every 3 months until age 24 months. Growth failure was defined as weight and height below the 10th percentile at 24 months. For the subgroup analysis, small-for-gestational age (SGA) and extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants were evaluated. The growth patterns based on the Korean, World Health Organization (WHO), or Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) standard were serially compared over time. Results: At postconception age (PCA) 40 weeks, 47 (58%) and 45 infants (55%) showed growth failure in terms of weight and height, respectively. At PCA 24 months, 20 infants (24%) showed growth failure for weight and 14 (18%) for height. Growth failure rates were higher for the SGA infants than for the appropriate-weight-for-gestational age infants at PCA 24 months (P=0.045 for weight and P=0.038 for height). Growth failure rates were higher for the ELBW infants than for the non-ELBW infants at PCA 24 months (P<0.001 for weight and P=0.003 for height). Significant differences were found among the WHO, CDC, and Korean standards (P<0.001). Conclusion: Advancements in neonatal care have improved the catch-up growth of VLBW infants, but this is insufficient. Careful observation and aggressive interventions, especially in SGA and ELBW infants, are needed.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
• /
• v.4 no.2
• /
• pp.97-103
• /
• 1987

Neonatal and obstetrical problems related to the low birth weight infants were evaluated by a retrospective review of the medical records of the 186 low birth weight infants born at Yeungnam-University Hospital during 3 years and 8 months from May 1, 1983 to February 28, 1987. The results were as follows ; 1. The incidence of the low birth weight infants was 4.98% among 3803 live births. 2. Male to female ratio was 1.02:1. 3. The incidence of the low birth weight infants was lowest in mothers of 25 to 29 years, increased in mothers of 19 years of less and 30 to 39 years significantly. 4. There was no difference in the incidence of low birth weight infants between primiparous and multiparous mothers. 5. Common obstetrical complications associated with low weight infants were multiple pregnancy, toxemia and premature rupture of membrane in order of frequency. 6. Common neonatal problems in low birth weight infants were jaundice, idiopathic respiratory, distress syndrome, asphyxia and metabolic dfrangement such as hypocalcemia and hypoglycemia in order of frequency.

• 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.