• Korean Journal of Child Studies
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.169-180
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• 1994

The purpose this study was to examine parenting satisfaction and sence of competence in older mothers. The subjects consisted of 150 mothers who had children from 1 to 36 months of age. "Older" maternal age was defined as a woman at the age of 35 years or more. The results showed that older mothers' motivations for pregnancy was mostly sex preference. There was no difference in parenting satisfaction and sence of competence by motivation for pregnancy. There were significant differences in parenting sence of competence by length of parenting, birth order and sibling spacing. Changes in family relationships brought about by newborn were mostly positive.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.61-65
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• 2008

Although dietary intake of pregnant is supposed to have beneficial effects on development of infants, it may be harmful for fetal growth and development since specific food is a common source of toxicants including heavy metal. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association of maternal food intake and mid-pregnancy and their newborns blood lead levels. Pregnant women of 18-20 weeks of gestation were recruited from prenatal clinic in Seoul, Cheonan and Ulsan. In 422 pregnant women, dietary intake during pregnancy was assessed by a 24-hour recall method. Blood sample from pregnant (18-20 wks) and their cord blood at delivery were collected. Blood leas levels were analyzed by atomic-absorption spectrometry methods. Pregnant blood lead levels whose meat and meat products intake were in the highest quartile was significantly higher compared to the lowest quartile. Maternal meat and meat products intake was positively correlated maternal blood lead level (r=0.120, P=0.014). After adjusting for age, maternal blood lead level was positively correlated with their newborn blood lead level (r=0.303, P=0.030). As maternal food intake effects on blood lead levels of pregnant, careful regulation of food intake during pregnancy is perceives to be important in order to bring about desirable pregnancy outcomes.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.130-137
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• 2007

Myelin basic protein (MBP), a major structural protein of the myelin, is thought to be important for the maintenance of myelin in the central nervous system (CNS). We investigated the effect of maternal folic acid nutritional status on the folate level and the synthesis of MBP in the offspring. In order to test this hypothesis, female Sprague-Dawley rats were fed either folic acid sufficient (8 mg/kg diet) or deficient (0 mg/kg diet) diet from 2 wks prior to the mating throughout the entire pregnancy, lactation and weaning period. We examined plasma folate level by the radioimmunoassay and homocysteine level by HPLC, respectively. The MBP expression was measured by the western blot analysis. The maternal folic acid deficiency decreased plasma folate level with a concomitant increase in plasma homocysteine level in their offspring. The maternal folic acid deficiency decreased hepatic levels of SAM and SAM/SAH ratio with a concomitant increase in hepatic levels of SAH and the MBP expression of spinal cord in their offspring at 7 wks of age. These results suggest that maternal folic acid nutritional status affect plasma folate and homocysteine level in their offspring. Moreover, the maternal folic acid deficiency mi호t inhibit the MBP expression of the spinal cord and disrupt many other vital CNS reactions in their offspring.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.33-47
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• 2016

The purpose of this study was to examine factors which influence maternal parenting stress. The subjects were 182 mothers with toddlers 12 to 36 months old living in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do Province. The instruments used for this study were a self-report questionnaire, PDH(Parenting Daily Hassles), EAS(Emotionality, Activity, Sociability), Value of children by Lee et al., PAI(Parenting Alliance Inventory), and burden of the costs of children. The data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation and Hierarchical multiple regression using the SPSS 18.0 program. The main results of this study were as follows: First, the mean score of activity temperament, emotional value of children and husband's support were higher than average. The mean score of Emotionality temperament, instrumental value of children, burden of the costs of children and maternal stress were average. Second, maternal parenting stress was positively correlated with emotionality temperament, mother's age, burden of the costs of children, and negatively correlated with emotional value of children, and instrumental value of children, husband's support. Third, emotionality temperament, husband's support, burden of the costs of children, maternal employment status, and instrumental value of children had an impact on maternal parenting stress. It is expected that the results of this study will contribute to providing basic data for establishing a policy to decrease maternal parenting stress.

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

• Korean Journal of Child Studies
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.139-161
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• 2012

The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationships of mothers' parenting stress and young children's adjustment to the child care centers they attend. The subjects for this study comprised 401 young children from 1 to 4 years of age from 11 child care centers in C-si, Chungnam, and their mothers. The results of this study were as follows : First, there were no significant differences in the parenting stress of mothers related to whether they were working or not, the age of the children nor their gender Second, there were no significant differences in the adjustment of young children to their child care center related to their mothers' work status nor age of the children themselves. However, there was a significant difference in relation to the gender of the young children in that girls were better in their adjustment to the child care center than boys. Third, a negative correlation appeared between mothers' parenting stress and their young children's adjustment to the child care center in that the higher maternal parenting stress was, the greater the difficulties for their young children in their adjustment to the child care center. There were significant negatively correlations between most sub-factors of maternal parenting stress and the adjustment of those children to the child care center.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.55 no.4
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• pp.371-378
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• 2022

Objectives: No studies have examined the association between preterm birth rates and socioeconomic factors in Japan using nationwide statistical data. We analyzed the association between preterm birth rates and household occupation using Vital Statistics data. Methods: Aggregated Vital Statistics data from Japan from 2007 to 2019 were obtained from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. From the data, the number of births according to year, age group, gestational period, number of pregnancies, and household occupation were used in this study. Crude preterm birth rates and preterm birth rates adjusted by maternal age according to household occupation were calculated for each year. Poisson regression analysis was conducted to evaluate the association between household occupation and preterm births. Results: Unemployed households had the highest preterm birth rate, and households with an occupation classification of "full-time worker 2" (an employee at a large company, civil servant, or board member) had the lowest preterm birth rate throughout each period. Poisson regression analysis revealed that unemployed households were statistically significantly associated with a high preterm birth risk. In contrast, the preterm birth rate adjusted by maternal age remained stable throughout each period regardless of household occupation, and preterm birth rates were found not to have increased in recent years in Japan. Conclusions: Unemployed households had higher preterm birth rates than other household occupations. Further studies investigating the characteristics of unemployed households are needed to identify the reasons for this disparity.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.52 no.8
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• pp.888-892
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• 2009

Purpose : To evaluate the risk factors for hospital readmission during the neonatal period among late preterm infants who were discharged after nursery care. Methods : In this retrospective study, we reviewed medical records of 135 late preterm infants readmitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) during the neonatal period, after discharge from nursery of IL Sin Christian Hospital from January 2003 to December 2008. We compared the risk factors of the hospital readmission group with the control group. Results : The gestational age and birth weight of 135 study infants were $36^{+1}{\pm}0.5$ weeks and $2,718.4{\pm}296.9gm$, respectively. Identified risk factors of hospital readmission were breastfeeding (71.9% vs. 44.4%), short duration of nursery stay ($3.3{\pm}1.6$ days vs. $4.1{\pm}2.0$ days), firstborn (60.0% vs. 45.3%), and maternal pregnancy complication (31.9% vs. 18.8%). Jaundice accounted for the majority of hospital readmissions (83.7%), and the age at hospital readmission was $6.2{\pm}3.6$ postnatal days, mostly at 5-6 postnatal days (40.7%). Identified risk factors of hospital readmission due to jaundice were spontaneous normal vaginal delivery (43.4% vs. 1.8%), younger maternal age ($29.8{\pm}3.4$ yrs vs. $32.1{\pm}4.2$ yrs), and lower maternal pregnancy complication (28.3% vs. 50%). Conclusion : Identified risk factors of hospital readmission were breastfeeding, short duration of nursery stay, firstborn, and maternal pregnancy complication. Jaundice accounted for the majority of hospital readmissions, and the age at hospital readmission was $6.2{\pm}3.6$ postnatal days.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.106-115
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• 2010

Purpose: The purposes of this study were in understanding maternal and neonatal risk factors for postpartum depression using Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale(EPDS). Methods: Among 788 women, who had delivery include cesarean section in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at OO medical center from May 28th 2008 to October 6st 2009, 72 women filled out EPDS questionnaire sheets. Additional aspects included for the analysis are maternal factors including age, number of children, parity, delivery method, and hemoglobin; and neonatal factors such as weight, sex, gestational age, apgar score, and neonatal intensive care unit admission. Comparison was performed between the women with EPDS score equal or less than 8 and the women with EPDS score equal to or higher than 9 using statistical methods of student t-test for linear variables and chi-square test for non-linear variables. SPSS version 13.0 for windows was used for analysis. Results: Thirty women(41.7%) were included in the postpartum depression risk group (EPDS score ${\geqq}9$). Statistically significant difference(P<0.05) was found in gestational ages of the risk group($36.57{\pm}29.6$ weeks) and the non-risk group ($38.10{\pm}1.97$ weeks). Identified statistically significant risk factors(P<0.05) include cesarean section (OR=3.304 [1.121-9.744]), low birth weight infant(OR =6.500 [1.606-26.314]), preterm delivery(OR=2.857[1.071-7.621]), low apgar score (1minute) after delivery (OR=14.909 [1.750-127.025]). There was no statistically significant difference in maternal age, number of children, parity, hemoglobin, neonatal sex, apgar score (5minutes), NICU admission. Conclusions: Through the results showed, gestational age, delivery method, neonatal weight, apgar score(1minute) were identified as risk factors for postpartum depression. To prevent or minimize postpartum depression, oriental medical intervention is recommended for pregnant women through early detection.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.7 no.5
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• pp.686-695
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• 2002

The purpose of this study is to assess the maternal iron status during pregnancy and to evaluate the relationships bet-ween the iron indices of maternal, umbilical cord serum, placenta and pregnancy outcomes. Venous bloods samples were drawn from 54 pregnant women just before delivery and cord bloods of their newborn babies were collected immediately after birth. And also, placental tissues were extracted. We investigated the difference of the iron status indices of maternal, umbilical cord serum and placental tissue between two gestational age group (PT group, NT group : preform delivery and normal term delivery at 34.9wk and 39.0wk of mean gestational length, respectively) and also assessed correlations of iron status indices of maternal, umbilical cord serum and placenta tissue. And lastly, we related between birth weight and iron status indices of maternal, umbilical cord serum and placental tissue. The concentrations of maternal serum ferritin and of placental iron were significantly higher in NT group (32.1 $\pm$ 21.1 ng/ml, 68.5 $\pm$ 16.7 $\mu$g/g), than those of NT group (20.8 $\pm$ 11.6 ng/ml, 53.2 $\pm$ 17.4 $\mu$/g) respectively (p<0.001). However the serum ferritin of umbilical cord were significantly higher in NT group (PT : 109.4 $\pm$ 65.7 ng/ml, NT : 147.0 $\pm$ 56.8 ng/ml) than those of PT group (p<0.05). Our results showed that a negative association between birth weight (r=-0.361) and maternal serum ferritin and that a positive association between birth weight and umbilical cord serum ferritin (r=0.261). Despite not a significant difference, there was tendency that highest concentration of maternal serum ferritin was associated with the lowest birth weight. These findings indicate that birth weight of newborn is dependent of multiple factors such as maternal iron status during pre-pregnancy, body size, general nutritional status. Although for women who enter pregnancy with low iron stores, enough intakes of iron during pregnancy could produce undesirable pregnancy outcome. Therefore we suggest for successful pregnancy outcome and delivery differential iron supplementation program will be carried out individual pregnant women on the basis of pre-pregnancy nutritional status.