• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.63 no.6
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• pp.226-231
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• 2020

Background: Probiotics and prebiotics have strain-specific effects on the host. Synbiotics, a mixture of probiotics and prebiotics, are proposed to have more beneficial effects on the host than either agent has alone. Purpose: We performed a randomized controlled trial to investigate the effect of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium together with oligosaccharides and lactoferrin on the development of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) or sepsis in very low birth weight neonates. Methods: Neonates with a gestational age ≤32 weeks and birth weight ≤1,500 g were enrolled. The study group received a combination of synbiotics and lactoferrin, whereas the control group received 1 mL of distilled water as placebo starting with the first feed until discharge. The outcome measures were the incidence of NEC stage ≥2 or late-onset cultureproven sepsis and NEC stage ≥2 or death. Results: Mean birth weight and gestational age of the study (n=104) and the control (n=104) groups were 1,197±235 g vs. 1,151±269 g and 29±1.9 vs. 28±2.2 weeks, respectively (P>0.05). Neither the incidence of NEC stage ≥2 or death, nor the incidence of NEC stage ≥2 or late-onset culture-proven sepsis differed between the study and control groups (5.8% vs. 5.9%, P=1; 26% vs. 21.2%, P=0.51). The only significant difference was the incidence of all stages of NEC (1.9% vs. 10.6%, P=0.019). Conclusion: The combination of synbiotics and lactoferrin did not reduce NEC severity, sepsis, or mortality.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.218-224
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• 2005

Purpose: The Purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between state anxiety and maternal fetal attachment of unmarried mothers in a welfare center. Methods: The subjects were 25 unmarried mothers in a welfare center. The data was collected through personal interviews using a questionnaire. The instruments used for this study were the modified Spielberger's state anxiety inventory and Cranley's Maternal-Fetal Attachment Scale. Data was analyzed descriptive statistics, mean, standard deviation, t-test and the pearson correlation coefficient with the SPSS computer program. Results: The age of the subjects ranged from 15 to 25, and their average age was 20.0. The mean score of state anxiety was 58.2. There was significant difference in the degree of maternal state anxiety between the group whose pregnancy was known by their family and the group whose pregnancy was hidden. The group whose pregnancy was known showed a low state anxiety score. There was a significant difference in the degree of maternal state anxiety by the gestational period. The group who were in the second and third gestational trimester showed lower state anxiety score than in the first trimester. The mean score of maternal-fetal attachment(MFA) was 64.9. There were significant differences in the degree of maternal fetal attachment, by an ultrasound scan experience. The most frequently practiced attachment item was "I think the fetus is able to feel(mean 3.8)". Unmarried mothers degree of state anxiety showed a negative correlation with the degree of maternal fetal attachment(r=-.25), but there was no significant difference between the two variables. Conclusions: The unmarried mothers made an effort in striving to reduce their high state anxiety and to enhance maternal fetal attachment. They also realize how to take care of their state anxiety.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.32 no.8
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• pp.877-886
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• 1999

To assess the effect of an antenatal nutritional status on pregnancy outcome, especially neonatal birty weight, one-day 24hr-recall and two-day recording methods for dietary survey and interview for general and obstetric characteristics of each subject were completed and pregnancy outcome was recorded by phone after delivery. 147 pregnant women attending routinely public health centers in Ulsan were divided into 1st trimester(n=36), 2nd trimester(n=102), 3rd trimester(n=71) by LMP(Last Menstrual Period) because some subjects attended repeatedly in different trimester. The subjects were aged 27.9$\pm$2.9 as mean and the level of education was senior high school and more. 20.4% of subjects experienced spontaneous abortion and 30.0% experienced induced abortion in previous pregnancy. Mean intakes of all nutrients except ascorbic acid were significantly different but dietary composition of energy intakes was not different between trimester. Mineral of calcium, iron and zinc did not meet the RDA for pregnancy outcome was about 20%, which consists of spontaneous abortion (3.4%), caesarian section(15.6%), premature delivery(0.7%) and still births(0.7%). The mean birth weight of neonates is 3.31kg the rate of neonatal birth weight below 10th percentile was 8.4% and the rate of low birth weight(<2.5kg) was 3.1%. By analysis of nutrient factors that influence on the neonatal birth weight (NBW), iron intake correlated negatively and zinc intake correlated positively with NBW in 1st trimester but fat and iron intakes correlated with NBW positively in 3rd trimester. Prepregnancy weight, gestational age at delivery and No. of induced abortion had a positive effects on NBW and No. of spontaneous abortion and te severity of morning sickness had a negative effects on NBW.

• Journal of Convergence for Information Technology
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• v.11 no.10
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• pp.293-301
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• 2021

The aim of this study was to evaluate the difference of self-care and self-efficacy before and after childbirth in pregnant women with diabetes mellitus. Data were collected from 24 May 2018 to 23 May 2020 for 40 pregnant women over the 24th week of pregnancy. The collected data were analyzed by matched paired t-test using the SPSS 27.0 software program. 27 subjects (67.5%) were under the age of 35, and 13 subjects (32.5%) were over the age of 35. Self-care and self-effectiveness scores were lower in postpartum than in prenatal, which was statistically significant (p< .000). Therefore, it is necessary to develop a nursing intervention program to enhance self-care and self-efficacy after childbirth.

• Neonatal Medicine
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.22-28
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• 2021

Purpose: Meconium obstruction of prematurity (MOP) predisposes premature infants to intestinal perforation and prolonged hospitalization if not diagnosed and treated promptly. A standard contrast enema is less effective to treat infants with distal ileal obstructions because the contrast may not reach the obstructed areas. In an effort to avoid risky surgery, we administered oral contrast media to seven clinically diagnosed patients with MOP whose obstructions were not relieved via conventional sonography-guided contrast enema. We retrospectively evaluated whether oral nonionic water-soluble contrast media relieves MOP. Methods: Seven of 67 premature infants with MOP were administered oral contrast media from June 2015 to January 2019. Patients were followed-up radiographically for bowel distention and evacuation of contrast media after oral administration. We recorded radiographic improvements, meconium evacuation, time to first feeding after oral contrast media administration, maternal history, and neonatal clinical factors. Results: We evaluated five male and two female infants. The median gestational ages and body weights at birth were 27⁺⁵ weeks and 890 g, respectively. Radiography in five infants revealed multiple distended intestinal loops without air-fluid interfaces. Two infants had gasless abdomens, in which only stomach gas was visible. Oral contrast media (median, 2.5 mL) were administered at a median age of 7 days; five infants (5/7, 71.4%) responded to this treatment. The remaining two infants, who had ileal stenosis and hypoganglionosis, were surgically managed. Five infants (5/7, 71.4%) had maternal risk factors, and two (28.6%) were small for gestational age. Conclusion: Nonionic oral water-soluble contrast medium can serve as a valuable adjunct treatment in premature infants with meconium obstruction.

• Anatomy and Cell Biology
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.266-273
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• 2018

The ganglion cardiacum or juxtaductal body is situated along the left recurrent laryngeal nerve in the aortic window and is an extremely large component of the cardiac nerve plexus. This study was performed to describe the morphologies of the ganglion cardiacum or juxtaductal body in human fetuses and to compare characteristics with intracardiac ganglion. Ganglia were immunostained in specimens from five fetuses of gestational age 12-16 weeks and seven fetuses of gestational age 28-34 weeks. Many ganglion cells in the ganglia were positive for tyrosine hydroxylase (TH; sympathetic nerve marker) and chromogranin A, while a few neurons were positive for neuronal nitric oxide synthase (NOS; parasympathetic nerve marker) or calretinin. Another ganglion at the base of the ascending aorta carried almost the same neuronal populations, whereas a ganglion along the left common cardinal vein contained neurons positive for chromogranin A and NOS but no or few TH-positive neurons, suggesting a site-dependent difference in composite neurons. Mixtures of sympathetic and parasympathetic neurons within a single ganglion are consistent with the morphology of the cranial base and pelvic ganglia. Most of the intracardiac neurons are likely to have a non-adrenergic non-cholinergic phenotype, whereas fewer neurons have a dual cholinergic/noradrenergic phenotype. However, there was no evidence showing that chromogranin A- and/or calretinin-positive cardiac neurons corresponded to these specific phenotypes. The present study suggested that the ganglion cardiacum was composed of a mixture of sympathetic and parasympathetic neurons, which were characterized the site-dependent differences in and near the heart.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.62 no.1
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• pp.36-41
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• 2019

Purpose: In this study, we investigated the clinical features and prognostic factors of early-onset sepsis (EOS) in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) patients. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on medical records from January 2010 to June 2017 (7.5 years) of a university hospital NICU. Results: There were 45 cases of EOS (1.2%) in 3,862 infants. The most common pathogen responsible for EOS was group B Streptococcus (GBS), implicated in 10 cases (22.2%), followed by Escherichia coli, implicated in 9 cases (20%). The frequency of gram-positive sepsis was higher in term than in preterm infants, whereas the rate of gram-negative infection was higher in preterm than in term infants (P<0.05). The overall mortality was 37.8% (17 of 45), and 47% of deaths occurred within the first 3 days of infection. There were significant differences in terms of gestational age (26.8 weeks vs. 35.1 weeks) and birth weight (957 g vs. 2,520 g) between the death and survival groups. After adjustments based on the difference in gestational age and birth weight between the 2 groups, gram-negative pathogens (odds ratio [OR], 42; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.4-1,281.8) and some clinical findings, such as neutropenia (OR, 46; 95% CI, 1.3-1,628.7) and decreased activity (OR, 34; 95% CI, 1.8-633.4), were found to be associated with fatality. Conclusion: The common pathogens found to be responsible for EOS in NICU patients are GBS and E. coli. Gram-negative bacterial infections, decreased activity in the early phase of infection, and neutropenia were associated with poor outcomes.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.379-387
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• 2021

Purpose: This study aimed to determine the actual state of childbirth in Korean women with natural childbirth and the degree of damage to the perineum during childbirth. Methods: This retrospective study analyzed the medical records of mothers who had natural childbirth at a hospital in Seoul, Korea in 2018. Data from 358 women with cephalic births at greater than 37 gestational weeks were analyzed. To determine natural childbirth characteristics and the degree of damage to the perineum, descriptive statistics were done. The difference in the degree of perineal injury according to obstetric characteristics was analyzed using independent t-test and one-way analysis of variance. Results: The mean age was 33.18±3.68 years, and 49.2% were primiparas, while 39% gave birth with a doula. The degree of perineal damage differed by age (F=9.15, p<.001), parity (t=19.13, p<.001), number of births in multiparity (F=3.68, p=.027), previous vaginal delivery in multiparity (F=3.00, p=.032) and birthing posture (F=7.44, p<.001). Having received therapeutic procedures (t=-4.62, p<.001), specifically fluid administration (t=-2.72, p=.007), oxygen supply (t=-2.76, p=.006) and epidural anesthesia (t=-2.77, p=.006) were statistically significant for perineal damage. There were no differences, however, by gestational period, doula use, water room use in labor, baby head circumference, or birth weight. Conclusion: Study findings suggest that support for older women, primiparas, and those who require therapeutic procedures may help to decrease the possibility of perineal damage during childbirth. As perineal damage was also associated with birthing posture, this should be considered when providing intrapartum nursing care.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.274-290
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• 2023

Purpose: This study investigated the effects of prenatal education characteristics, pandemic-related pregnancy stress, and health behaviors during pregnancy on prenatal depression in pregnant women during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Methods: The participants were 180 pregnant Korean women, recruited from internet communities for pregnancy preparation, childbirth, and childcare, from July 5 to 15, 2022. The collected data were analyzed using the t-test, analysis of variance, the Mann-Whitney U-test, the Kruskal-Wallis test, and multiple regression analysis. Results: The scores for pandemic-related pregnancy stress (24.50±6.37) and health behaviors during pregnancy (67.07±9.20) were high. Nearly half of the participants (n=89, 49.4%) presented with prenatal depression, with scores of 10 or greater. Prenatal depression had a positive correlation with gestational age (r=.18, p=.019) and pandemic-related pregnancy stress (r=.27, p<.001), and a negative correlation with health behaviors during pregnancy (r=-.42, p<.001). The factors associated with prenatal depression were pandemic-related pregnancy stress (t=4.70, p<.001), marital satisfaction (dissatisfied) (t=3.66, p<.001), pregnancy healthcare practice behaviors (t=-3.31, p=.001), family type (weekend couple) (t=2.84, p=.005), and gestational age (t=2.32, p=.022). The explanatory power of these variables was 38.2%. Conclusion: Since participants had a high level of prenatal depression during the pandemic, and infectious diseases such as COVID-19 may recur, strategies should be developed to improve pregnant women's mental health with consideration of the unique variables that are relevant in a pandemic. It is also necessary to develop efficient online prenatal education programs that can be implemented even in special circumstances such as social distancing, and to evaluate their effectiveness.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.49 no.5
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• pp.482-488
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• 2006

Purpose : To evaluate the factors which contribute to the time of the first stool and the first urine passage. Methods : We retrospectively reviewed a chart of 1,221 infants ${\geq}34$ weeks of gestational age admitted to the normal newborn nursery of Il Sin Christian Hospital, Busan, from November 2004 to April 2005. We compared the time to first stool and urine according to maternal factors(maternal age, parity, mode of delivery, meconium-stained amniotic fluid, and maternal diabetes) and infant factors (gender, Apgar score, gestational age, type of feeding during first 24 hours, age at the first feeding, number of feeds during the first 12 hours and age at discharge). Results : In total, 95.3 percent of our infants had passed their first stool by 24 hours and 99.8 percent of them had a stool by 36 hours. A total of 95.8 percent of our infants had passed urine by 24 hours of age and 98.3 percent of them by 36 hours. Comparing preterm and term infants, the time to first urine is $6.5{\pm}5.8$ hours and $12.1{\pm}6.6$ hours, respectively(P=0.000). The time to first stool is $20.7{\pm}13.5$ hours and $10.0{\pm}6.3$ hours, respectively(P=0.000) Early-fed infants were significantly earlier in time to first urine(P=0.023) and first stool(P=0.012). There was no statistically significant relationship between the number of feeds in 0-12 hours, mode of delivery, Apgar score, parity, gender, type of feeding, maternal diabetes and the time of the first urine and first stool. Conclusion : Gestational age, birth weight and age at first feeding were significantly related to the time of the first urine and first stool passage. When there is delayed passage of the first urine and first stool, we should consider close observation of other associated symptoms and other factors previously mentioned, to avoid extensive evaluation and intervention.