• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.181-189
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• 2011

Purpose: This study was done to investigate the predictors of maternal confidence between primipara and multipara mothers. Methods: The participants enrolled in this study were 145 mothers between 2 and 5 days postpartum. Data were collected using a questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive analysis, t-test, $X^2$ test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficients, and stepwise multiple regression. Results: The predictors of maternal confidence among primipara mothers were social support, self-esteem, mode of delivery ($R^2$=.287, p<.001). Whereas, gender of baby, antenatal fetal attachment, and educational status explained maternal confidence among multipara mothers ($R^2$=.270, p<.001). Conclusion: The results indicate that when nurses develop programs to encourage maternal confidence for new mothers, they should take into account the differences between predictors of maternal confidence according to the mothers' experience of birth.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.379-388
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• 2020

The purpose of this study was to provide information necessary to strengthen maternal role adaptation of employed mothers by identifying factors affecting maternal role adaptation of employed mothers with young children. The subjects of this study were convenience extracts from 137 employed mothers with infants under 24 months of residence in H city, Gyeonggi-do. Data were processed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, correlation analysis, and stepwise regression analysis. As a result of the study, maternal role adaptation was positively correlated with mother attachment(r=.488, p<.001) and social support(r=.718, p<.001). Social support(β=.616), baby status at birth(β=.123), current breastfeeding status(β=.127) and maternal attachment degree(β=.141) affect the maternal role adaptation of employed mothers. The explanatory power of regression analysis was 55.5%(F=43.487, p<.001). As a result of the study, social support was found to be the most important factor influencing maternal role adaptation of employed mothers. Various intervention strategies for promoting social support in families, workplaces and communities are required for maternal role adaptation to employed mothers.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.150-156
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• 2012

Purpose: The main purposes of this study were to assess maternal-fetal attachment (MFA) of the expectant mothers of a fetus with a prenatal diagnosis of congenital heart disease (CHD) and to identify factors associated with MFA. Methods: The methodology was a cross sectional survey study using a self-administered questionnaire. Thirty pregnant women carrying a fetus with a prenatal diagnosis of CHD and 30 pregnant women with a normal fetus were enrolled in this study. The MFA Scale and PPS (The Prenatal Psychosocial Profile) were used to collect data. Data were analyzed using SPSS 20.0 Window version. Descriptive statistics, $X^2$-test and t-test were used to compare the two groups. The factors associated with MFA were identified by multiple regression analysis. Results: There was no significant difference between the two groups in MFA and social support from spouse was the only variable showing a significant difference. The model from the multiple regression analysis explained 33.8% of MFA for both groups. Conclusion: MFA of expectant mothers with a prenatal diagnosis of CHD and of mothers with a normal fetus were not significantly different. It is important that health care providers encourage expectant fathers to support the expectant mothers to increase MFA.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.153-164
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• 2004

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect on mother-fetus attachment through mother-fetus interaction promotion program of talking and tactual stimulation aimed at enhancing sensitivity of primipara Non-equivalent control group posttest design was used. Fifty primiparas (26 mothers for intervention group and 24 mothers for control group) were recruited from three general hospital and an OBGY clinic located in Gang Nung city. Data was collected from January 30th to December 20th in 2001. For the intervention group, programed education which focused on mother-fetus interaction promotion of talking and tactile stimulation in the 1st trimester. Telephone counselling was provided with interval of two weeks. For two groups, home visiting for data collection of mother-fetus attachment was conducted at 36 to 38 weeks of gestational age. The data were analyzed using chi-square test and Fisher' Exact test to test the equivalence of two groups, and the effect of intervention program was determined with t- test. The result was as follow: The significant difference was found in mother-fetus attachment between two groups(t= 2.772, P= 0.0079). It indicated that intervention program was effective in improving mother-fetus attachment. In conclusion, this study has shown that the applied nursing intervention aimed at enhancing sensitivity of primiparas to fetus's movement promoted mother-fetus attachment. Therefore, this study suggests that this nursing intervention to increase maternal sensitivity to the fetus's movement should be broadly applied to primiparas, which can be beneficial for formation of mother-infant relationship, and for promotion of the social, affective, and cognitive developments of their children.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.598-607
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• 2003

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of the Sophrologic Prenatal Education Program. Method: The subjects of this study were 16 antepartum women who had been registered at community health centers at S-gu in Pusan. Data were collected from women who visited for antenatal care during the period from the 7th of May to 28th of June in 2003. Participants were evaluated before and on completion of the 8 weeks' educational program using 3 instruments: Breast-feeding knowlege, Maternal-fetal attachment and Antenatal stress. The Wilcoxon Signed-Ranks Test was conducted for data analysis using SPSS/WIN 10.0. Results: Statistically significant difference was found between the pretest and posttest in the mean score of the Breast-feeding knowledge. The mean scores of the experiment group and the control group were $31.44{\pm}5.51\;and\;37.06{\pm}4.27$ respectively (p=.001). No statistically significant difference was found between the pretest and posttest in the mean score of the Maternal-fetal attachment (p=.315, p=.578). Conclusions: Community health care providers must consider the emotional needs of Korean people and make efforts to adapt the Sophrologie Prenatal Education Program for a larger number of antepartum women in community.

• Stress
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.145-154
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• 2017

Loving-kindness and compassion meditation (LKCM) is known to be effective in improving mental health and interpersonal relationships. An exploratory pilot study was conducted with the aim of examining the feasibility of LKCM which known to be effective in improving mental health and interpersonal relationships for pregnant women. Measures of stress, depression, maternal fetal attachment, mindfulness and self-compassion of subjects (n=8) were obtained at baseline, and after a 4-weeks LKCM program to identify effectiveness and supplements. Based on a focus group interview, phenomenological analysis was also conducted. The results showed that improvement potential of psychological comfort, positive relationship with fetus as well as complementary points for session contents and home training. We hope that this study will broaden understanding for the development of LKCM for pregnant women and promote further research.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.132-141
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• 2021

Objective: Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from Gram-negative bacteria causes poor uterine receptivity by inducing excessive inflammation at the maternal-fetal interface. This study aimed to investigate the detrimental effects of LPS on the attachment and outgrowth of various types of trophoblastic spheroids on endometrial epithelial cells (ECC-1 cells) in an in vitro model of implantation. Methods: Three types of spheroids with JAr, JEG-3, and JAr mixed JEG-3 (JmJ) cells were used to evaluate the effect of LPS on early implantation events. ECC-1 cells were treated with LPS to mimic endometrial infection, and the expression of inflammatory cytokines and adhesion molecules was analyzed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blotting. The attachment rates and outgrowth areas were evaluated in the various trophoblastic spheroids and ECC-1 cells treated with LPS. Results: LPS treatment significantly increased the mRNA expression of inflammatory cytokines (CXCL1, IL-8, and IL-33) and decreased the protein expression of adhesion molecules (ITGβ3 and ITGβ5) in ECC-1 cells. The attachment rates of JAr and JmJ spheroids on ECC-1 cells significantly decreased after treating the ECC-1 cells with 1 and 10 ㎍/mL LPS. In the outgrowth assay, JAr spheroids did not show any outgrowth areas. However, the outgrowth areas of JEG-3 spheroids were similar regardless of LPS treatment. LPS treatment of JmJ spheroids significantly decreased the outgrowth area after 72 hours of coincubation. Conclusion: An in vitro implantation model using novel JmJ spheroids was established, and the inhibitory effects of LPS on ECC-1 endometrial epithelial cells were confirmed in the early implantation process.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.141-152
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• 2021

Purpose: This study was conducted to develop a couple-centered antenatal education program and to test the program's feasibility. Methods: With a preliminary-experimental study design, 33 pregnant couples who were expecting their first child participated in this study. The program consisted of four sessions (1 hour/session/week) of education and counseling. Data were collected before and after the intervention from September 2018 to April 2019 at a women's hospital in Daejeon, Korea, with demographic data forms, the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, Perceived Stress Scale, Maternal-Fetal Attachment Scale, Korean Newborn Care Confidence Scale, Wijma Delivery Expectancy/Experience Questionnaire, and Dyadic Adjustment Scale-10. Results: The pregnant women and their husbands were on average 32.30±3.10 and 33.21±6.25 years old, respectively. The mean marriage duration was 2.34±1.63 years, the gestational age was 31.30±2.66 weeks, and 78.8% of the couples had a planned pregnancy. After the program, both the pregnant women and their husbands showed significant improvements in attachment to the fetus and confidence in providing infant care. Prenatal depression, prenatal stress, and fear of childbirth in pregnant women significantly decreased after completing the program. However, the dyadic adjustment score did not change significantly either in the pregnant women or their husbands. Conclusion: A couple-centered antenatal education program seems to be effective for couples adjusting to parenthood, but further studies should explore ways to have a positive impact on couples' relationships.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.24 no.7
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• pp.919-928
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• 2011

The pig exhibits true epitheliochorial placentation, where the fetal membrane maintains attachment throughout pregnancy but does not invade into the maternal uterine endometrium. Accordingly, the expression and function of cell adhesion molecules are very important for embryo implantation and the establishment of pregnancy. In our recent microarray analysis, we found that activated leukocyte cell adhesion molecule (ALCAM) was expressed in the uterine endometrium during pregnancy in pigs. To better understand the roles of ALCAM in the establishment and maintenance of pregnancy, we examined ALCAM expression in the uterine endometrium during the estrous cycle and pregnancy in pigs. Real-time RT-PCR analysis showed that ALCAM was differentially expressed in the uterine endometrium during the estrous cycle and pregnancy, with the highest levels on D12 of pregnancy. ALCAM mRNA was localized to the luminal and glandular epithelial cells and to the trophectoderm of conceptuses during early pregnancy. The steroid hormones estrogen and progesterone had no effect on ALCAM expression in an endometrial explant culture study. Further, we found that ALCAM expression in the uterine endometrium from gilts with somatic cell nuclear transfer-derived embryos was not different from that in gilts with embryos from natural mating. ALCAM was expressed in a pregnancy stage- and cell type-specific manner in the uterine endometrium and conceptuses during pregnancy. These findings suggest that ALCAM may play a role in the establishment of pregnancy. Further analysis of ALCAM will provide insight into the implantation process and establishment of pregnancy in pigs.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.95-102
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• 1996

This study was performed to investigate the effect of human follicular fluid (HFF) on development of mouse embryos, for evaluating the suitability of HFF as a substitutive material of human fetal cord serum in ART program. The various concentrations of HFF were added into the culture medium and the effects of HFF concentrations were examined to identify the optimal concentration of HFF for embryo development. The potency of HFF in improving embryo development was compared to that of other protein supplement. Collected HFFs were classified with the maturity of the containing oocytes; mature, immature, atretic, and then the effects of the classified HFFs on embryo development were examined. Also, HFF was separated into the low (<30,000 Da) and high (>30,000 Da) molecular weight fractions and the effects of the fractions on embryo development were investigated. The highest development rate was found in culture medium supplemented with 20% HFF, bnt this rate was reversely reduced at the concentrations of HFF higher than 20%. The development rates to the blastocyst, hatching blastocyst, attachment and outgrowth cultured in mature HFF was significantly higher than those in immature and atretic HFF, and mean cell number in blastocyst was higher in mature HFF than in immature and atretic HFF. The development rates of mouse embryos according to protein sources were significantly higher in HFF than in fetal cord serum (FCS), maternal serum (MS) and bovine serum albumin (BSA), and mean cell number in blastocyst cultured in HFF was higher than that in FCS, MS and BSA. The development rates of embryo and mean cell number in blastocyst cultured in high molecular weight fraction of HFF were higher than those in low molecular weight fraction, but the results of high molecular weight fraction were lower than those of whole HFF. Therefore, these results indicated that human mature follicular fluid was useful for improving the development of mouse embryos, which suggests a possibility that HFF also may be used efficiently for improving the culture condition in human ART program as a protein supplement.