• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.613-622
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• 2011

Purposes: Study purpose were to describe growth patterns of premature infants in weight, length and head circumference from birth to 40th week of corrected ages (CA) and to explore factors affecting patterns. Methods: A longitudinal descriptive study was conducted with 267 premature infants. They were categorized into 2 groups; GA group with measurements at birth and the CA group with measurements at CA, which was categorized into 3 groups (group 1-3) by WHO guideline for gestational age (GA) at birth. Results: GA group presented greater measures in all than CA group at same week of life. Among CA groups, group 3 showed the highest measurements, up to 37 weeks of life, though this disappeared at 38-40 weeks. Reversely, group 1 revealed the highest growth rates in all measures, followed by group 2 and group 3. Significant interaction was observed in all measures between week of life and any type of groups. Conclusions: Higher measures in GA group, as well group 3 among CA groups, supported the superiority of intra-uterine environment overriding quality of regimen from NICU. Regardless of growth acceleration, smaller infants remain smaller, indicating that intra-uterine thrifty phenotype may continue at least up to the 40th week of CA.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.1085-1088
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• 2006

This research is purposed to find congenital and acquired factors affected percentile of height and weight. One hundred foriy two children visited to Hamsoa oriental medical clinic in Gwangju for about one year. The majority of them complaint failure to thrive and answered questionarre examined state of sleeping, living, health and diet. The mean age of them is $8.2{\pm}3.2$ years old. The mean percentile of height is $24.8{\pm}22.4$, that of male is $20.9{\pm}20.6$ and that of female is $28.7{\pm}23.5$. The highest correlation coefficient between percentile of height and congenital factors is height of mother, it is 0.289. By regression analysis, the significant congenital factors affected percentile of height are gestational age, height of fathe andr height of mother, that of weight are gestational age, height of father and height of mother. The significant correlation coefficient between percentile of height and weight and acquired factors is health and diet items.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.483-490
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• 2004

Elevated maternal plasma homocysteine concentrations have been associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes, including birth defects, low birth weight, preeclampsia, spontaneous abortion, placental abruption, and other maternal or fetal complications. The purpose of this study was to assess the maternal plasma homocysteine level during pregnancy and to investigate the relationship between the plasma homocysteine concentrations and pregnancy outcomes. Venous blood samples were drawn from 82 pregnant women who were grouped with gestational age, 1st trimester (n = 26), 2nd trimester (n = 27) and 3rd trimester (n = 29). The concentration of plasma homocysteine was analyzed by HPLC, and pregnancy outcomes including gestational length, maternal weight gain, infant birth weight, and Apgar score were collected with the medical records of the pregnant women. The levels of plasma homocysteine of the pregnant women at the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd trimester were 5.7 $$\pm$ 3.7\mu㏖/L,\;5.6 \pm4.1\mu㏖/L\; and\; 7.0\pm 4.5\mu㏖/L$, respectively, which had not showed any significant difference. The result of this study showed that in case of the pregnant women at the 1st trimester, the maternal plasma homocysteine level of the pregnant women whose gestational length was less than 38 weeks was significantly high (p < 0.01) compared to that of the pregnants whose gestational length was more than 38 weeks. And also, the level of homocysteine of the pregnant women at the 2nd trimester was significantly low when the maternal weight gain was high (p < 0.05). These findings suggest that maternal plasma homocysteine level at early stage of gestation will be a predicter of gestational length and maternal weight gain.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.39 no.5
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• pp.528-533
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• 2012

Background Rectus abdominis muscle and abdominal subcutaneous fat tissue are useful for reconstruction of the chest wall, and abdominal, vaginal, and perianal defects. Thus, preoperative evaluation of rectus abdominis muscle and abdominal subcutaneous fat tissue is important. This is a retrospective study that measured the thickness of rectus abdominis muscle and abdominal subcutaneous fat tissue using computed tomography (CT) and analyzed the correlation with the patients' age, gestational history, history of laparotomy, and body mass index (BMI). Methods A total of 545 adult women were studied. Rectus abdominis muscle and abdominal subcutaneous fat thicknesses were measured with abdominopelvic CT. The results were analyzed to determine if the thickness of the rectus abdominis muscle or subcutaneous fat tissue was significantly correlated with age, number of pregnancies, history of laparotomy, and BMI. Results Rectus abdominis muscle thicknesses were 9.58 mm (right) and 9.73 mm (left) at the xiphoid level and 10.26 mm (right) and 10.26 mm (left) at the umbilicus level. Subcutaneous fat thicknesses were 24.31 mm (right) and 23.39 mm (left). Rectus abdominismuscle thickness decreased with age and pregnancy. History of laparotomy had a significant negative correlation with rectus abdominis muscle thickness at the xiphoid level. Abdominal subcutaneous fat thickness had no correlation with age, number of pregnancies, or history of laparotomy. Conclusions Age, gestational history, and history of laparotomy influenced rectus abdominis muscle thickness but did not influence abdominal subcutaneous fat thickness. These results are clinically valuable for planning a rectus abdominis muscle flap and safe elevation of muscle flap.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.92-95
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• 2015

Purpose: Increased maternal age is a major risk factor for chromosomal abnormalities. The maternal age-specific risk of fetal trisomy was theoretically calculated. We investigated the actual frequency of fetal trisomy between 16 and 24 gestational weeks in pregnant women over the age of 34 at delivery. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively, over a four-year period, reviewed the medical records of women with singleton pregnancies that started their antenatal care before the 10th week of pregnancy. Pregnant women aged 34 to 45 years at the time of delivery were enrolled and divided into groups of one-year intervals. We investigated the frequency of Down syndrome and all trisomies as a function of the maternal age and compared with the theoretical maternal-age-specific risk. Results: Of the 5,858 pregnant women enrolled in the study, the rate of trisomy 21 was 0.29% (17 cases). The observed frequencies of trisomy 21 in women with maternal ages of 35 years and 40 years were 1:1,116 and 1:141, respectively. The rate of all trisomies was 0.39% (23 cases). The observed frequencies of all trisomies in women with maternal ages of 35 years and 40 years were 1:372 and 1:56, respectively. Conclusion: The frequencies of Down syndrome and all trisomies were proportional to the maternal age. However, the observed frequencies of Down syndrome and all trisomies between the 16 and 24 gestational weeks were lower than the theoretical rates.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.39-45
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• 2003

Objective : To identify the factors affecting the complete fetal loss following multifetal pregnancy reduction (MFPR). Design: Retrospective clinical study. Methods : A total of 256 consecutive treatments of MFPR in IVF-ET cycles performed between 1992 through 2000 in Samsung Cheil hospital were analyzed. MFPR was done around 8 weeks of gestation by transvaginal ultrasono-guided aspiration in multiple pregnancies and reduced to singleton or twins. Stepwise logistic regression was performed to identify the factors affecting the final outcome of pregnancy after MFPR. Dependent variable was complete fetal loss and the independent variables were maternal age, paternal age, initial number of gestational sac (iGSNO), initial number of fetal heart beat, the number of remaining live fetus after MFPR, and chorionicity. Results: The total survival rate was 87.9%, and total fetal loss rate after MFPR was 12.1%. Total fetal loss occurred within four weeks from MFPR procedure was 1.95%. Total loss occurred after four weeks of procedure and before 24 gestational weeks was 8.2%. Seventy nine percent (202/256) of pregnancies delivered after 34 weeks of gestation. The survival rate of pregnancies reduced to singleton was significantly higher than that of pregnancies reduced to twins (93.5% vs. 86.7%, p<0.05). The mean ($\pm$SEM) gestational age at delivery was $36.2{\pm}1.0$ and $34.1{\pm}0.5$ weeks for pregnancies reduced to singletons and twins, respectively (p=0.065). Logistic regression analysis revealed that the maternal age, the number of initial gestational sac (iGSNO), and the number of remaining live fetus after MFPR significantly affected the rate of total fetal loss (Z = 0.174'age + 0.596'iGSNO + 1.324'remaining fetuses -12.07), (p<0.05). Conclusions: MFPR seems to be a relatively safe and efficient method to improve the obstetric outcome in high order multiple pregnancy. Because the maternal age, the number of initial gestational sac and the remaining live fetuses after MFPR affect the total fetal loss rate, restriction of the number of transferred embryos according to the age and MFPR to singleton fetus could be considered for the better obstetric outcome in IVF pregnancy.

• Korea journal of population studies
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.131-149
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• 2012

This study examined the effect of parental socioeconomic position on the association between birth outcomes and infant mortality in early and late 2000's. Linked Birth and Infant Death data sets from 2001 to 2003 (T1) and from 2006 to 2008 (T2), provided by the Korea National Statistical Office, were used for analysis. Birth outcomes were categorized into four groups: normal term, small-for-gestational age (SGA), large-for-gestational age (LGA) and intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR). Infant death was defined as the death of a live-born child under one year of age; indicators of parental socioeconomic position were limited to parental education and occupation. The results showed that T2 infant mortality hazard ratios of SGA and IUGR have increased compared to T1. Particularly, preterm and low birth weight babies with shorter gestational age and lighter birth weight than T1 have elevated in T2, possibly indicating that population quality might be continuously aggravated. Moreover, the effect of maternal age on infant mortality has disappeared, rather that of parents' socioeconomic position has increased during the periods, which entailed growing disparities in infant mortality by their social class. Further studies should be therefore done to estimate the effect of parental socioeconomic position on the relationship between birth outcomes and infant mortality in the near future.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.56-60
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• 2005

Human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) and unconjugated estriol (uE3) were added to AFP to make what is commonly known as the Triple test. The Triple test combines results from these three tests and has been a standard screening procedure for several years. Recent studies have demonstrated the usefulness of adding inhibin-A to Down's syndrome risk assessment. The Quad test adds dimeric Inhibin-A (DIA) to the three other markers and uses the same computer program to calculate risk factors. Testing was performed between 14 and 21 weeks of gestation. Sample size were 648 samples and period of study was from 1, July, 2004 to 30, September, 2004. Used analytical methods for AFP, hCG and uE3 were radioimmunoassay (RIA) and dimeric inhibin A was enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Adding dimeric inhibin-A as a fourth marker to the standard triple test increases the detection rate from 62 % to 75 % with a false-positive rate of 5%. The DIA based Quad test has been shown to be the most effective second trimester screening test for Down's syndrome suitable for routine use. Increased DIA values are observed during normal pregnancy where a bimodal pattern response is seen. Values increase during the first trimester, decline after 14 weeks, and re-ascend between 17-25 weeks. Values for DIA may be additionally elevated during a Down's syndrome pregnancy. Dimeric inhibin A is a glycoprotein hormone made by the ovary and placenta. DIA levels are twice as high in Down's syndrome pregnancies. AFP, hCG, and uE3 levels vary with gestational age, and incorrect gestational dating will influence results. DIA levels do not vary substantially with gestational age, resulting in greater screening accuracy. Although the Quad test is an improvement over the Triple test, it is important to underscore the fact that a positive test on both should be done. Most women who initially screen positive will be found to be carrying normal babies when amniocentesis and definitive diagnostic chromosome analysis are done.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.117-124
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• 2003

Objectives : This study was performed to examine the relationship between maternal exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) and pregnancy outcomes (low birth weight or preform baby) in a prospective cohort study. Methods : We made a pregnant women's cohort, and followed the pregnancy outcomes, between May 1st 2001 and August 31st 2002. We surveyed 2,250 women who visited our hospital during their 35th gestational week, with a self-administered questionnaire. The final total of mother-infant pairs analyzed in this study was 1,712. We used a multiple logistic regression analysis to analyze the effect of maternal ETS on the incidence of preform or low birth weight, and a linear regression analysis for the birth weight and gestational age. Results : Higher exposure to ETS (>=1 hours/day) during pregnancy was more negatively associated with the gestational age and birth weight, than no exposure to ETS (no or less than 1 hour). Maternal exposure to ETS was associated with preform baby(adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 1.7; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.9, 3.3) and low birth weight (AOR 2.3; 95% CI 0.9, 5.5). In addition, we found that maternal ETS may reduce the birth weight by 70g after adjusting for potential confounding factors. Conclusions : This study suggests that maternal exposure to ETS during pregnancy may increase the frequency of low birth weights and preform births.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.158-164
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• 2001

The present study was conducted to investigate physical characteristics, food habits of pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellites(GDM). The subjects were consecutive pregnant women, 21 GDM and 43 non-GDM controls who received antenatal care at the Obstetrics and Gynecology clinic. There were no significant difference in the mean age between the two groups(GDM:30.8years, non-GDM:30.5years). Significant differences were observed in several anthropometric characteristics such as height(GDM:159.7cm, non-GDM:162.3cm), prepregnancy weight(GDM:61.6kg, non-GDM:54.1kg), body mass index(GDM:23.9kg/$m^2$, non-GDM:20.5kg/$m^2$), and triceps skin fold thicknesses(GDM:30.9mm, non-GDM:24.7mm) between the two groups. The GDM group had an high incidence of(52.4%) family history of diabetes mellitus than those of control group(23.3%). In the GDM group, more irregularities of meals and more bed-time snacking were observed than those of control group. The intake amount of carbohydrates as well as the total energy were significantly higher in the GDM group when thery were compared with the control. These results suggest that the GDM women in Korea do exhibit clearly distinctive anthropometric and dietary characteristics. Nutritional management such as weight control before conception and throughout pregnancy, monitoring total energy and carbohydrate intakes, and implementing more rigorous meal scheduling might be beneficial for the prevention or reduction of the prevalence of the GDM or its complications. (Korean J nutrition 34(2):158~164, 2001)