• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.1707-1713
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• 2013

Background: This study aimed to better understand the barriers to perinatal hepatitis B prevention and to identify the reasons for poor hepatitis B knowledge and delivery of education to hepatitis B surface-antigen-positive pregnant women among healthcare providers in Santa Clara County, California. Materials and Methods: Qualitative interviews were conducted with 16 obstetricians and 17 perinatal nurses in Santa Clara County, California, which has one of the largest populations in the United States at high risk for perinatal hepatitis B transmission. Results: Most providers displayed a lack of self-efficacy attributed to insufficient hepatitis B training and education. They felt discouraged from counseling and educating their patients because of a lack of resources and discouraging patient attitudes such as stigma and apathy. Providers called for institutional changes from the government, hospitals, and nonprofit organizations to improve care for patients with chronic hepatitis B. Conclusions: Early and continuing provider training, increased public awareness, and development of comprehensive resources and new programs may contribute to reducing the barriers for health care professionals to provide counseling and education to pregnant patients with chronic hepatitis B infection.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.54 no.12
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• pp.481-488
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• 2011

In the current era of low-birth rate in Korea, it is important to improve our neonatal intensive care and to establish an integrative system including a regional care network adequate for both high-risk pregnancies and high-risk newborn infants. Therefore, official discussion for nation-wide augmentation, proper leveling, networking, and regionalization of neonatal and perinatal care is urgently needed. In this report, I describe the status of neonatal intensive care in Korea, as well as nationwide flow of transfer of high-risk newborn infants and pregnant women, and present a short review of the regionalization of neonatal and perinatal care in the Unites States and Japan. It is necessary not only to increase the number of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) beds, medical resources and manpower, but also to create a strong network system with appropriate leveling of NICUs and regionalization. A systematic approach toward perinatal care, that includes both high-risk pregnancies and newborns with continuous support from the government, is also needed, which can be spearheaded through the establishment of an integrative advisory board to propel systematic care forward.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.112-119
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• 2015

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to examine the prenatal, perinatal and developmental risk factors of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), compared to unaffected siblings (SIB), and typically developing children (TC). Methods : Subjects with ADHD, their SIB, and TC were recruited from the child psychiatry outpatient clinic of the Asan Medical Center Children's Hospital. The parents of the children completed questionnaires on perinatal and developmental risk factors. Results : Fifty-eight subjects with ADHD (41 boys, $7.7{\pm}1.3years$), 21 SIB (8 boys, $8.2{\pm}1.8years$), and 22 TC (8 boys, $8.5{\pm}2.1years$) were included. The ADHD group showed higher rates of maternal stress during pregnancy than the SIB group (p=.002), and the ADHD group showed higher rates of familial psychiatric history than the TC (odds ratio, 8.76 ; 95% confidence interval, 1.69 to 45.45). Conclusion : These findings suggest that among perinatal and developmental factors, maternal stress during pregnancy contribute to the development of ADHD. Future prospective studies will be needed in order to determine the causal relationship between perinatal risk factors and development of ADHD.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.85-90
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• 2011

In 2008, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) estimated that about 430,000 children worldwide became infected with HIV, mostly through mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) during pregnancy, labor, delivery, or breastfeeding. The MTCT prevention program proved to be feasible and effective in reduction of perinatal HIV transmission. Three babies born from HIV-infected mothers were admitted to the National Medical Center in 2009. Only two women received antiretroviral (ARV) therapy during pregnancy, labor, and after delivery, and their infants received zidovudine (AZT) for 6 weeks. The outcome, after a follow-up period of 4 months to 16 months, was favorable in all patients. Thus, we emphasize the need for expansion of antenatal HIV screening of pregnant women, implemented for early HIV diagnosis and effective ARV therapy for reduction of perinatal HIV transmission.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.48 no.7
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• pp.685-690
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• 2005

Recently, twinning rate increases in Korea since the early 1990s by delayed marriage and prevailing of assisted reproductive technology. But twin and higher-order multiples are at increased risk for perinatal and neonatal mortality over 5 fold despite of dramatic improvement of perinatal and neonatal care. Because twins are born more prematurely and have lower birth weights than singleton. In addition, twins are at increased risk for cerebral palsy mainly in monochorionic twins due to co-twin fetal death, twin to twin transfusion and congenital anomaly. So, this article reviews the factors contributing to the mortality and morbidity of the twins and the efforts to decrease the neonatal mortality of twins.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Inherited Metabolic disease
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.141-147
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• 2016

Hypophosphatasia is caused by the mutations in ALPL, which encodes tissue-nonspecific alkaline phosphatase (TNSALP). It can be inherited either in an autosomal dominant or recessive manner. Clinically, hypophophosphatasia is characterized by skeletal findings similar to those in rickets or osteomalacia, but serum alkaline phosphatase levels are decreased in the affected patients. Hypophosphatasia can be classified into six clinical forms according to age at diagnosis and severity of symptoms: perinatal lethal, infantile, childhood, adult, odontohypophosphatasia, and perinatal benign. As being a very rare disease, only one case has been reported in Korean population. Here we describe a case with perinatal benign hypophosphatasia with recessive ALPL mutations. Bowing of lower legs was detected in prenatal period and low serum alkaline phosphatase level was noted after birth. During the follow-up evaluation for 4.5 years, bone mineralization and legs bowing were improved but the growth retardation was persistent. As the recombinant bone-targeted human TNSALP became available, the clinical improvement of the affected patients is expected including the case described here with this treatment. More efforts are needed to identify the cases affected by hypophosphatasia.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.134-144
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• 2022

Purpose: A descriptive correlational survey was conducted to examine nurses' attitudes and stress related to perinatal bereavement care (PBC) and their relationships, with the ultimate goal of improving nurses' capabilities related to PBC. Methods: Korean nurses (N=136) who had experienced perinatal death at least once were recruited from seven hospitals. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The Korean version of Nurses' Attitudes towards Perinatal Bereavement Support was assessed in terms of three subdomains (attitudes to PBC, importance of policies related to PBC, and importance of training related to PBC), and nurses' stress was measured. Results: The participants gave high scores for the attitude-related items of "giving sufficient time to bereaved parents to mourn for their dead baby" (4.54 points) and "nurses should treat bereaved parents with respect and dignity" (4.51 points), and they perceived a high level of importance for the policy-related items of "every staff member in the hospital should understand the policies relevant for PBC" and "when nurses feel emotional exhaustion, they should seek support" (4.58 points). Nurses' attitude toward PBC was associated with the perceived importance of policies (r=.40, p<.001), the perceived importance of PBC-related training (r=.61, p<.001), and stress related to PBC (r=.29, p<.001). Nurses' perceived importance of PBC-related training was associated with stress related to PBC (r=.38, p<.001). Conclusion: Establishing hospital policies related to PBC and providing PBC training for nurses could positively affect nurses' attitudes toward PBC. A stress management program for nurses could reduce the stress caused by PBC.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.65-72
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• 2016

• Neonatal Medicine
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.197-203
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• 2011

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to compare perinatal outcomes between in vitro fertilization (IVF) twins and naturally conceived twins born to women aged 35 years or older and to provide basic information for taking care of IVF twins born to women aged 35 years or older. Methods: We reviewed the records of perinatal and neonatal outcomes in 288 IVF twins and 220 naturally conceived twins born to women aged 35 years or older between January 2001 and December 2010 at CHA Bundang Medical Center. Results: No difference was observed in the maternal ages of mothers giving birth to IVF twins and those giving birth to naturally conceived twins. Gestational ages and birth weights of IVF twins were not different from those of naturally conceived twins. Various perinatal outcomes, including gestational diabetes mellitus, pregnancy-induced hypertension, placenta previa, premature amniotic membrane rupture, and need for a Cesarean section did not differ between the 2 groups. However, the 1-min and 5-min Apgar scores (P=0.019 and P=0.045, respectively) were different between the 2 groups. The incidence of early-onset sepsis was lower in the IVF twins than in the naturally conceived twins (P=0.02). However, the 2 groups did not show any difference in the incidence of respiratory distress syndrome, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, patent ductus arteriosus, necrotizing enterocolitis, intraventricular hemorrhage, and other congenital anomalies. Conclusion: The perinatal outcomes in IVF twins born to women aged 35 years or older were not significantly different from those of naturally conceived twins.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.59 no.8
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• pp.319-327
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• 2016

Allergic diseases such as asthma, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, and food allergy, are most common chronic, noncommunicable diseases in childhood. In the past few decades, the prevalence has increased abruptly worldwide. There are 2 possible explanations for the rising prevalence of allergic diseases worldwide, that an increased disease-awareness of physician, patient, or caregivers, and an abrupt exposure to unknown hazards. Unfortunately, the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. Despite the continuing efforts worldwide, the etiologies and rising prevalence remain unclear. Thus, it is important to identify and control risk factors in the susceptible individual for the best prevention and management. Genetic susceptibility or environments may be a potential background for the development of allergic disease, however they alone cannot explain the rising prevalence worldwide. There is growing evidence that epigenetic change depends on the gene, environment, and their interactions, may induce a long-lasting altered gene expression and the consequent development of allergic diseases. In epigenetic mechanisms, environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure during critical period (i.e., during pregnancy and early life) are considered as a potential cause of the development of childhood allergic diseases. However, the causal relationship is still unclear. This review aimed to highlight the impact of ETS exposure during the perinatal period on the development of childhood allergic diseases and to propose a future research direction.