• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.81-84
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• 2021

The delivery of high-quality antenatal care is a perennial global concern for improving maternal and neonatal outcomes. Antenatal care is currently provided mainly on a one-to-one basis, but growing evidence has emerged to support the effectiveness of group antenatal care. Providing care in a small group gives expectant mothers the opportunity to have discussions with their peers about certain issues and concerns that are unique to them and to form a support system that will improve the quality and utilization of antenatal care services. The aim of this article is to promote group antenatal care as a means to increase utilization of healthcare.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.187-193
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• 2004

This study aimed to determine the association of maternal oxidative stress and adverse pregnancy outcome with serum vitamin C concentration and a myeloperoxidase (MPO) genetic polymorphism during pregnancy. We investigated 450 pregnant women who visited Ewha Womans University Hospital for prenatal care during gestational weeks 24～28. During the second trimester, we measured serum vitamin C levels and urinary 8-hydroxyde-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) and malondialdehyde (MDA) as an oxidative stress biomarker. We determined the presence of a maternal MPO polymorphism (G-to-A substitution at nucleotide 463) using a PCR-RFLP assay. We compared the level of oxidative stress and birth weight with the vitamin C concentration and the presence of the MPO polymorphism. The mean level of maternal oxidative stress tended to be higher and the birth weight lower for MPO type A/A than for types A/G and G/G. Vitamin C levels above the 75 percentiles were associated with reduced concentrations of urinary MDA and 8-OHdG but increased birth weight. Our data demonstrate that oxidative stress and neonatal birth weight are associated with the MPO genetic polymorphism, with the association modified by the maternal vita-min C levels.

• The Korean Journal of Food & Health Convergence
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.23-29
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• 2020

Blood transfusion in the neonatal period remains a therapeutic act, that no one dares to consider it as perfectly innocuous and that it is advisable to make rare, considering its risks as well immunological as infectious. The present work is a retrospective study, conducted in neonatal intensive care unit, in the University Hospital MOHAMED VI, Marrakech, during the period from January 1^st to December 31^st, 2019. All newborns were included in this work, who received one or multiple transfusions of red blood cells (RBC). Our study covered 60 neonates with a total of birth: 794 neonates, with a prevalence of 7.55%, hospitalized for various indications (60% of newborns were at term, 31.7% premature and 8, 33% were post-mature. The majority of transfusion procedures were performed during the first week of life. This is explained by the frequency of haemolytic anemias by fœto-maternal incompatibility. The main indications for transfusion were haemolysis, anemic syndrome and haemorrhagic syndrome. The average number of transfusion episodes was 1.95 +/- 1.47 per patient. Newborns were polytransfused in 18.33% of cases. A single transfusion accident was found in our study. However, we did not observe a correlation between the maternal diseases, the state of the newborn, and the transfusional indication.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.252-261
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• 2018

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of an empowerment program on maternal stress, anxiety, depression and parenting confidence. Methods: A total of 44 mothers of preterm infants were assigned into an experimental or a control group (n=22 each). The experimental group received the usual nursing care and 7 sessions of an empowerment program. The control group only received the usual care. The program was implemented from June to December, 2016 in the neonatal intensive care unit of K university-affiliated hospital in Daegu, Korea. The outcome variables measured were parental stress (PSS: NICU), anxiety (STAI), depression (CES-D) and parenting confidence. Data were analyzed using t-test or repeated measures ANOVA. Results: Scores for both parental stress (t=3.07 p=.004) and depression (F=3.76, p=.26) were significantly lower in the experimental group than in the control group. However, there were no significant differences in anxiety between the groups (F=0.79, p=.505). Parenting confidence scores (F=9.05, p=.001) were significantly higher in the experimental group than in the control group. Conclusion: A maternal empowerment program can be an effective means of reducing parental stress and depression as well as enhancing parenting confidence, for mothers of preterm infants.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.472-480
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• 2005

Purpose: Purpose of this study was to identify the effects on maternal role strain, maternal role confidence and maternal identity of a maternal role promotion program for mothers of premature infants. Method: A quasi-experimental non-equivalent pre-and-post test was used to compare the two groups. The data were collected from 62 mothers from September 10. 2003 to August 30, 2004 at Neonatal Intensive Care Unit(NICU) located in S. city and K. city. The maternal role promotion program was provided three times during the period from two-three days after the baby's admission to 1 month after the baby's discharge. The instruments for measurement were the Perceived Role Difficulty & Steffensmeier Scale, Self Confidence Scale and Semantic Differential Scale. Data were analyzed by means of frequency, mean and SD, $x^2$-test and t-test. Results: There were significant differences in maternal role strain level between the experimental and control group (t=2.163, p=.035), in the maternal role confidence between the two groups(t=-5.645, p=.000) and in maternal identity between the two groups(t=-4.923, p=.000). Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that the maternal role promotion program had positive effects in decreasing maternal role strain levels and increasing maternal role confidence and maternal identity.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.407-415
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• 2017

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine how child development knowledge, child rearing knowledge, and use of healthcare services after discharge affect maternal confidence among mothers of premature infants. Methods: Participants in this study were 55 mothers who were involved in internet communities for mothers with premature infants and 30 mothers who visited hospitals for follow up care after having their babies discharged from Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU) in South Korea. Results: Presence of operation history, child development and rearing knowledge, and use of healthcare service explained 12.2% of maternal confidence. Presence of operation history (${\beta}=.32$, p<.05) and child development knowledge (${\beta}=.52$, p<.05) were significant predictors for maternal confidence. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that mothers with premature infants need further education especially on motor development, developmental knowledge, and knowledge related to operations for mothers whose child had surgery in the NICU. Also information about services provided from community health services for premature infants need to be advertised and distributed.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.81-87
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• 2009

In recent years, reductions in infant mortality have mainly been accomplished by improving the survival of premature and low birth weight infants, however premature infants still remain at great risk. The purpose of this study was to review the maternal child health service related to premature infants and to provide a future direction for improving maternal child health (MCH) in Korea. We reviewed two MCH services which are directly related to premature infants: 1) a registry and financial support program for families with a premature infant, and 2) financial support to build neonatal intensive care units in rural public hospitals. Suggestions are made for the development of a national vital signs record system to identify high risk infants and to monitor the trends in infant mortality due to prematurity. Prevention efforts and preconception care for childbearing women is also an important strategy to reduce the rate of preterm births. Finally, we need consider long-term follow-up plans for premature infants for a successful transit to the special education system. Developing MCH policy related to premature infants that decreases the occurrence of premature may decrease infant mortality, and also improve maternal and child health services.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.211-219
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• 2010

Purpose: The study was done to measure the effects of maternal heart sound on body weight, physiologic reactions (heart rate [HR] and cortisol) and behavioral states of preterm infants. Methods: Thirty-five preterm infants were recruited from a neonatal intensive care unit at a university hospital. Institutional Review Board approval and informed consent were obtained. The infants were assigned to an experimental group (n=18) with an auditory stimulation for 7 days of life, a continuous delivery of maternal heart sound using MP3 attached inside the incubator, or to a control (n=17) without any auditory stimulation. The outcome variables, daily variations in weight, HR and behavioral states, and differences in cortisol were analyzed. Results: There were differences in variations of daily weights (F=3.431, p=.011) and in cortisol (t=3.184, p=.006) between groups, but no difference in variations of daily HR (F=0.331, p=.933) and behavioral states (F=1.842, p=.323). Conclusion: The findings support the safety of continuous maternal heart sound as no changes in HR and behavioral states occurred, and the efficacy as weight increased and cortisol decreased. This auditory simulation may lead to more efficient utilization of energy in preterm infants by consistently providing familiar sounds from intrauterine life and blocking noxious sounds from NICU environments.

• 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.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.203-214
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• 2001

Maternal stress was very common symptom that every pregnant women could have experienced during pregnant period. We found that the causative factors of stress for subjects were physical change(50.8%), family relationship(13.6%), change of body image(7.4%), concern baby(6.8%), economic difficulties(6.4%), depress(4.3%), morning sickness(3%), and miscellaneous(3.5%). According to our study, maternal stress during the first trimester negatively correlated with food and nutrients intake of pregnant women and gave low weight gain during pregnancy and low birth weight of infants. It also significantly correlated with monthly income(p<0.001) and monthly food cost(p<0.001) during pregnant period. Mean intake of Calcium and Iron were $47{\sim}60%$ of RDA and $35{\sim}48$ of RDA, respectively. With the Iron supplement the total intake of Iron exceeded 100% of RDA. We also found majority of food items, except seaweeds, fruits and vegetables, were negatively correlated with maternal stress during three trimesters. Additional support system projected by professionals in health-care field could mediate maternal stress and lead to healthy pregnancy outcome.