• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.233-242
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• 2018

Purpose: To identify risk factors for premature birth among premature obstetric labor women. Methods: Participants were 129 hospitalized women who were diagnosed with potential premature obstetric labor with 20 weeks to 37 weeks of gestation. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, $x^2$ test, t-test, and binary logistic regression. Results: Of 129 women, 78(60.5%) gave premature birth and 51 (39.5%) gave full-term birth. Risk factors for premature birth were education level (${\leq}$bachelor's degree), abnormal bowel condition (constipation or diarrhea), time firstly diagnosed with a premature obstetric labor (below 28 weeks of pregnancy), and multiple pregnancy. There were also increased risks of premature birth for participants with high level of anxiety and high level of prenatal stress. In social support, there was an increased risk of premature birth for participants with low level of social support. Conclusion: Prenatal nursing programs should consider not only psychosocial factors such as anxiety, prenatal stress, and social support, but also some general and obstetric factors such as education level, abnormal bowel condition, time firstly diagnosed with a premature obstetric labor, and multiple pregnancy to increase maternal and child health.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.231-232
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• 2018

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.135-141
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• 2005

Purpose: The purposes of this study were to verify the effects of aromatherapy on labor pain and perception of the childbirth experience. Methods: This study was a nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design. The subjects of this experiment consisted of forty eight primiparas without problems during the gestation period. Twenty four primiparas in the experimental group were given general obstetric nursing care with aromatherapy every two hours. Twenty four primiparas in the control group were given general obstetric nursing care only. Data was collected for labor pain measured by a labor pain expression scale, uterine contraction activity measured by Montevideo units in the latent phase, active phase, and transition phase and the perception of childbirth experience 24hours after birth. Data was analyzed by t-test, and repeated measures of ANOVA with an SPSS program. Results: No significant group effects were found, but significant time effects were found for labor pain, and uterine contraction activity. There was no significant difference in postpartum mothers' perception about childbirth. Conclusion: In this study, effects of aromtherapy decreasing labor pain expression, and increasing the perception of childbirth was not found.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.126-134
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• 2012

Purpose: This research was done to compare obstetric pain, anxiety and cervical dilatation between an epidural analgesia group and a control group. Methods: Participants were assigned to the experimental or control group depending on their decisions for pain relief. Subjective / objective obstetric pain, anxiety level and cervical dilatation were measured and ANOVA was used for comparison of groups and paired t-test to make pre-post comparisons. Results: Homogeneity of pain, anxiety and cervical dilatation were assessed at the latent phase. Cervical dilatation was larger in the control group than the experimental group, at both the active and the transitional phase (F=22.9, p<.001; F=39.9, p<.001 respectively). The degree of pain and anxiety were not significantly different between the groups. Within the experimental group, subjective / objective pain and anxiety level were significantly lower post-analgesia compared to pre-analgesia in the active phase. All variables, except for sweating in the objective pain measurement, changed significantly at the transient phase. Conclusion: The results of this evidence-based research indicate that epidural analgesia while effective in relieving pain and anxiety may have an adverse effect on the cervix during labor stage I. Epidural analgesia should be used carefully during cervical dilatation in labor stage I.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.219-228
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• 2023

Purpose: Preterm birth is increasing, and obstetric nurses should have the competency to provide timely care. Therefore, training is necessary in the maternal nursing practicum. This study aimed to investigate the effects of practice education using a preterm-labor assessment algorithm on preterm labor-related knowledge and clinical practice confidence in senior nursing students. Methods: A pre-post quasi-experimental design with three groups was used for 61 students. The preterm-labor assessment algorithm was modified into three modules from the preterm-labor assessment algorithm by March of Dimes. We evaluated preterm labor-related knowledge, clinical practice confidence, and educational satisfaction. Data were analyzed with the paired t-test and repeated-measures analysis of variance. Results: The practice education using a preterm-labor assessment algorithm significantly improved both preterm labor-related knowledge and clinical practice confidence (paired t=-7.17, p<.001; paired t=-5.51, p<.001, respectively). The effects of the practice education using a preterm-labor assessment algorithm on knowledge lasted until 8 weeks but decreased significantly at 11 and 13 weeks after the program, while the clinical practice confidence significantly decreased at 8 weeks post-program. Conclusion: The practice education using a preterm-labor assessment algorithm was effective in improving preterm labor-related knowledge and clinical practice confidence. The findings suggest that follow-up education should be conducted at 8 weeks, or as soon as possible thereafter, to maintain knowledge and clinical confidence, and the effects should be evaluated.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.140-149
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• 2009

Purpose: The purposes of this phenomenological study were to explore the experience of preterm labor. Methods: The participants were 7 women admitted to two obstetric hospitals in Kyunggi-do Province with preterm labor. Data was collected with MP3 records through individual in-depth interviews and participated observation. The data was analyzed by Giorgi(1985) method. Results: The results were divided into six categories as follows: 1) Inappropriate coping: unexpected event, overwork, lack of insight of preterm labor, 2) Burn out: multiple role, burden, role conflict. 3) Restrictions of lifestyle: uncomfortable hospital environment, wearisomeness, limitations of personal hygiene, 4) Physical discomfort: headache, flush, tremor, palpitations, 5) Psychological distress : concerns about fetus health status, fear of possible preterm delivery, lack of information, financial worries, 6) A transition to new lifestyle: share of household chores, communication with self-help group, careful lifestyle. Conclusion: The findings of this study will offer a better understanding of women's preterm labor experiences and suggest clues to nurses on how to improve the care they provide.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.205-212
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• 2020

Purpose: This study aimed to identify the components of preterm birth (PTB) through women's personal narratives and to visualize clinical symptom expressions (CSEs). Methods: The participants were 11 women who gave birth before 37 weeks of gestational age. Personal narratives were collected by interactive unstructured storytelling via individual interviews, from August 8 to December 4, 2019 after receiving approval of the Institutional Review Board. The textual data were converted to PDF and analyzed using the MAXQDA program (VERBI Software). Results: The participants' mean age was 34.6 (±2.98) years, and five participants had a spontaneous vaginal birth. The following nine components of PTB were identified: obstetric condition, emotional condition, physical condition, medical condition, hospital environment, life-related stress, pregnancy-related stress, spousal support, and informational support. The top three codes were preterm labor, personal characteristics, and premature rupture of membrane, and the codes found for more than half of the participants were short cervix, fear of PTB, concern about fetal well-being, sleep difficulty, insufficient spousal and informational support, and physical difficulties. The top six CSEs were stress, hydramnios, false labor, concern about fetal wellbeing, true labor pain, and uterine contraction. "Stress" was ranked first in terms of frequency and "uterine contraction" had individual attributes. Conclusion: The text network analysis of narratives from women who gave birth preterm yielded nine PTB components and six CSEs. These nine components should be included for developing a reliable and valid scale for PTB risk and stress. The CSEs can be applied for assessing preterm labor, as well as considered as strategies for students in women's health nursing practicum.

• Kidney Research and Clinical Practice
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.338-346
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• 2018

Background: The most common cause of acute kidney injury (AKI) in pregnancy is preeclampsia. Serum cystatin C (CysC) is a potential biomarker of early kidney damage as its levels are not disturbed by volume status changes in pregnancy, and serum CysC levels could serve as a replacement for conventionally used creatinine. In this study, we investigated the serum levels of CysC in severe preeclampsia cases and the associations between CysC levels and poor obstetric outcomes. Methods: Our cohort included severe preeclampsia patients with a normal serum creatinine level. Creatinine was measured to calculate estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) based on the Cockcroft and Gault, Modification of Diet in Renal Disease Study (MDRD), and Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) equations, while CysC was measured to calculated eGFR based on a CysC-based equation. We then evaluated the correlations between serum CysC level, eGFR, and obstetric outcomes. Results: Twenty-six patients were evaluated of which 38.5% delivered preterm and 30.8% had low-birth weight babies. Unlike creatinine-based eGFR and CysC-based eGFR, serum CysC demonstrate significant negative correlation with gestational age. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis indicated that serum CysC is a potential biomarker of preterm delivery with a cut-off serum level of 1.48 mg/L with 80% sensitivity and 75% specificity. Conclusion: GFR estimation using CysC is likely to be inaccurate in pregnancy. However, we found a significant correlation between preterm delivery and serum CysC level. Our results suggest that serum CysC level has the potential to predict preterm delivery in severe preeclampsia patients.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.200-217
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• 2008

Purpose: The aim of this study is to review and analyze the status on the obstetric and gynecologic RCTs with acupuncture. Methods: Searching were performed in $7{\sim}14$ July, 2008. Search term used was "acupuncture" only. And we classified all the searched articles as diseases and related health problems. Then we also classified OBGY diseases and analyzed the trends of those parts. Results: We could search 666 articles, RCTs with acupuncture. Of them, we found 88 OBGY articles about nausea and vomiting in pregnancy, labor and postpartum. OBGY surgery, hot flashes and climacteric, ART, Disease with Pregnancy women and menstruation, fetal breech presentation, and breast disease etc. Conclusion: To improve traditional Korean OBGY research, it is needed activation of RCT research, study of meta analysis, development of clinical practice guidelines, variation of research subject, and co-works with conventional medicine.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.97-105
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• 2006

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to verify the effects of the Qigong training program on the anxiety and labor pains of primipara. Method: The research subjects were a total of 60 primipara who consulted a doctor regularly concerning their antenatal care. Among them, 30 people were the experimental group, and the other 30 people were the control group, and were selected as homogeneous with the experimental group. The degree of anxiety and labor pains were measured by State-Trait Anxiety Inventory(STAI) and Graphic Rating Scale(GRS). SPSS WIN 11.0 was used for data analysis. Obstetric and general characteristics between experimental and control groups, and a homogeneity test of state and trait anxiety were done by both $X^2$ test and t-test. The hypothesis testing was analyzed by ANCOVA with a covariate of pretest value. Result: The first hypothesis, 'Primipara who join the Qigong training program have lower anxiety than those who do not join' was supported (F=28.8, p<.000). The second hypothesis, 'Primipara who join the Qigong training program have lower labor pain than those who do not join' was unsupported. Conclusion: It was verified that the Qigong training program was effective in alleviating anxiety; however it did not have any effect on relieving labor pain, so more in-depth research is needed later on.