• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.372-384
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• 2022

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the educational status and needs of premature birth prevention, and to identify factors associated with preconception health behaviors. Methods: The study design was a crosssectional descriptive study. Data were collected through an online questionnaire survey, and the subjects were 192 women of childbearing age in Korea. Data were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis test, Spearman's correlation coefficients, and multiple regression. Results: The proportion of subjects who received education on premature birth prevention was 8.9%, and 75.5% of subjects answered that they needed education on premature birth prevention. They demanded education through online media, small groups, cases, cartoons (webtoon) with stories, pictures, and videos. A related factor of preconception health behavior was self-efficacy for high-risk pregnancy health care (β=.20, p=.012), which accounted for 8.2% of the total variance related to preconception health behavior. Conclusion: There was a need for more development of education programs to prevent premature birth for women of childbearing age. Its education programs should be applied with online, small group activities using various educational media. It is also required to promote preconception health behavior through self-efficacy for high-risk pregnancy health care.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.118-128
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• 2024

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the health concerns of parents regarding their premature infants and to identify changes in these concerns during perinatal period and after discharge. Methods: This was a retrospective study performed at a single tertiary center that enrolled 119 premature infants who were discharged from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and visited the outpatient pediatrics department between December 2018 and October 2021. Data on the concerns of 176 parents regarding enrolled premature infants' health from before birth to 1 week after NICU discharge were obtained from outpatient records. The t test and with the chi-squared test were used to analyze the data for this study. Results: The consistently greatest focus of parents' health concerns was the respiratory system. The second focus of parents' health concerns before discharge was the central nervous system. However, during the first week after NICU discharge, the gastrointestinal system was the second-most frequent focus of parents' health concerns among parents of infants without diseases related to prematurity and infants with older gestational ages. Conclusion: The results of this study offer insights into the health concerns among parents of premature infants. Parental health concerns about premature infants vary over time, from before birth to post-discharge, necessitating supportive interventions to enhance parental understanding of their child's health status.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.280-291
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• 2002

Objectives: This study was conducted to evaluate the maternal child health services provided by public health centers in Pyungtaek city. Methods: Data were collected based on multiple sources of official records. A questionnaire survey was obtained from 50 mothers with premature babies, and 89 mothers with full- term babies, in order to compare their demographic factors, and physical, obstetrical, and emotional status. In addition, the investigators collected data on pre and post follow-up care for the remature group to evaluate the effects of home visiting services on them. Moreover, additional data were collected from 135 pregnant women and 315 mothers with infants, to assess their degree of satisfaction for prenatal education course and breast feeding practices. Results: 1) The pregnant women's satisfaction for the prenatal education course, knowledge, and practices on self care were considered to be high. 2) Of the mothers with infants, 62.9% experienced breast feeding, but only 35.9% of them did it for six months. 3) Premature birth rate in the region was 5.6%, and 75.6% of all premature babies received follow-up care. 4) The mothers with premature babies experienced premature rupture of membrane. placenta previa, preeclampsia, and cesarean section more frequently than the mothers with full-term babies. 5) At the pre-intervention data collection point. mothers with premature babies experienced significantly less social support than mothers with full-term babies. In addition, mothers with premature babies reported higher levels of stress and care-giving burdens, and lower level of self esteem, than mothers with full-term babies, although the differences were not statistically significant. 6) In the premature group, stress, care giving burdens, and postpartum depression decreased after the intervention, whereas maternal self esteem, and the husband's support were increased after the intervention. Social support from significant others were somewhat decreased. 7) Satisfaction for the home visiting service in the mothers with premature babies was very high. Conclusion: These results showed a possibility that the recently started maternal child health services provided by the public health centers may be efficient. Although statistically significant differences were not found, the investigators found a potential for changes in a positive direction. Long-term effects of the health services on maternal child health needs should be addressed in future studies.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.21 no.2 s.24
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• pp.207-216
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• 1988

Premature rupture of membrane is the most frequent cause of low birth weight infant delivery which increase the maternal and fetal morbidity and perinatal mortality. A retrospective case-control study was performed on 315 mothers who delivered low birth weight infants($\leq$2.5kg) with premature rupture of membrane and as control group 546 mothers who delivered normal birth weight infants(2.9-3.7kg) without premature rupture of membrane were chosen. The results obtained from this study were as follows: 1. The proportion of low birth weight infants due to premature rupture of membrane among all low birth weight infant deliveries was 14.5%, and this is equivalent to 1.1% among all deliveries. 2. The most significant maternal risk factor of low birth weight infant deliveries with premature rupture of membrane was infections on vagina, cervix and uterus during pregnancy. Compared with control, adjusted odds ratio was 7.61(95% confidence interval(CI) 1.88-30.88, p=0.004). Other significant maternal risk factors were the history of induced abortion, spontaneous abortion, and the experience of premature delivery. The risk ratios were 1.82, 2.07, 4.42, respectively. 3. Breech presentation did increase the risk of low birth weight infant delivery with premature rupture of membrane compared with control(Adjusted Odds ratio=2.66, 95% CI 1.35-5.26, p=0.005). 4. Mothers who had not taken antenatal care were having higher risk of low birth weight infant delivery with premature rupture of membrane against control(Adjusted odds ratio=1.73, 95% CI 1.19-2.53, p=0.004). These study results show that maternal factors such as the infection of genital organs during pregnancy, the history of induced abortion and breech presentation are significantly associated with the premature rupture of membrane in the low birth weight deliveries, and that most of these risk factors are controllable ones through proper antenatal cares.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.211-217
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• 2017

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to trace the development of premature babies who had undergone neurodevelopmental treatment in the neonatal intensive care unit and to identify the effects of early neurodevelopmental treatment on the development of premature babies. Methods: Fifty-one premature babies, who had been hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care unit and received an infant motor performance test and Bayley scales-III evaluation of their developments during the six months of corrected age were included. They were divided into three groups: the intervention group (n=16), control group (n=23), and comparison group (n=12), depending on the risk of developmental delays and the existence of an intervention. The results of this study were analyzed using SPSS 22.0 for windows. The statistical significance level was set at ${\alpha}=0.05$. Results: Regarding the infant motor performance test scores for each group before the intervention, at two weeks after the start of intervention, and at post-conception of 40 weeks, the intervention group showed a significantly higher improvement than the control or comparison group (p<0.01). With respect to the Bayley scales-III at the corrected age of six months, the intervention group exhibited statistically significant differences from the control group in the domains of language and fine movements (p<0.01). Conclusion: The findings of this study could confirm that the early neurodevelopmental treatment of premature babies in the neonatal intensive care unit has continuous effects on the development of premature babies even after being discharged from the hospital.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.510-519
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• 2006

Purpose: To develop and validate a scale suitable and efficient scale for use in clinical practice as to assess pain in premature infants. Method: Pain indicators identified by observation of preform infants. A cohort of preform infants was studied prospectively to determine the construct validity, inter-rater reliability, and internal consistency of the scale. The PIPS uses four indicators of pain: corrected gestational age, heart rate, oxygen saturation, behavioral state. The validation study included 45 premature infants with gestational age of 37 weeks or less. Results: The inter-rater reliability of the PIPS was acceptable, with Pearson correlations ranging from.720 to.970. Internal consistency was high: Cronbach's alpha coefficients ranged from.551 to.653. There was a strong correlation between the PIPS and PIPP scores (each researcher's r=.743, each indicator's r=.914). Although gestational age showed no association between these factors and the sum, the other variables were positively associated with the sum. Time needed to calculate PIPS scores is was less than Premature Infant Pain Profile (PIPP) scores(p<.000). Conclusion: The validation data suggest that the PIPS is appropriate and efficient for assessing pain in premature infants. Further studies are required about to determine appropriate interventions for each pain score on the PIPS.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.120-124
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• 1998

The incidence of Hypertrophic pyloric stenosis (HPS) in premature infants is rare, the presentation is not typical, and the diagnosis delayed due to uncertain diagnostic criteria in abdominal ultrasonography (US). We report two premature infants with HPS diagnosed by US and upper gastrointestinal (UGI) contrast study. Patient 1. A premature female infant (birth weight 1950 gm at 34 week's gestation) with the onset of intermittent vomiting at 9 days of age was evaluated. US was normal at 13 days of life, however, abnormal at 41 days of life (pyloric muscle length 16.5 mm). Patient 2. A premature male infant (birth weight 1470 gm at 29 week's gestation) with the onset of intermittent vomiting at 10 days of age was evaluated. US showed pylorospasm at 11 days of life, however, findings compatible with HPS at 57 days of life (pyloric muscle thickness 11 mm). UGI contrast study at 48 days of life showed similar findings in both cases. Both patients had undergone pyloromyotomy. In conclusion, the diagnosis of HPS in premature infants requires careful follow-up by US and UGI contrast study.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.281-286
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• 1998

Premature ovarian failure is a condition causing amenorrhea, hypoestrogenism, and elevated gonadotropins in women younger than 40 years. Many causes of premature ovarian failure were reported, including genetic abnormalities, enzymatic defects, defects in gonadotropin secretion or action, autoimmune disorders, physical and idiopathic causes. Recently, Finnish group reported a point mutation in the follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) receptor gene in premature ovarian failure patients. But it was reported that the group from United States could not find any mutation in FSH receptor gene. So we analysed C566T point mutation of FSH receptor gene using restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and compared the result between premature ovarian failure patient with idiopathic and known causes. But we did not find 556C${\rightarrow}$T mutation in the FSH receptor gene in both groups. These findings suggest that the missense mutation in the human FSH receptor gene reported in Finnish women with premature ovarian failure is uncommon in Korean women with premature ovarian failure.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.39 no.5
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• pp.463-468
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• 2012

Background In the extremities of premature infants, the skin and subcutaneous tissue are very pliable due to immaturity and have a greater degree of skin laxity and mobility. Thus, we can expect wounds to heal rapidly by wound contraction. This study investigates wound healing of full-thickness defects in premature infant extremities. Methods The study consisted of 13 premature infants who had a total of 14 cases of full-thickness skin defects of the extremities due to extravasation after total parenteral nutrition. The wound was managed with intensive moist dressings with antibiotic and anti-inflammatory agents. After wound closure, moisturization and mild compression were performed. Results Most of the full-thickness defects in the premature infants were closed by wound contraction without granulation tissue formation on the wound bed. The defects resulted in 3 pinpoint scars, 9 linear scars, and 2 round hypertrophic scars. The wounds with less granulation tissue were healed by contraction and resulted in linear scars parallel to the relaxed skin tension line. The wounds with more granulation tissue resulted in round scars. There was mild contracture without functional abnormality in 3 cases with a defect over two thirds of the longitudinal length of the dorsum of the hand or foot. The patients' parents were satisfied with the outcomes in 12 of 14 cases. Conclusions Full-thickness skin defects in premature infants typically heal by wound contraction with minimal granulation tissue and scar formation probably due to excellent skin mobility.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.131-140
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• 2020

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the health-related quality of life of premature menopausal women with that of normal postmenopausal women and to identify factors related to quality of life in these two groups. Methods: A secondary analysis was conducted of a sample of 5,910 postmenopausal women drawn from women aged 19-79 years, using raw data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Survey between 2014 and 2017. Quality of life was compared between premature menopausal women and normal postmenopausal women using the t-test and chi-square test, and factors related to quality of life were analyzed by multivariate logistic regression using SAS version 9.4. Results: There was no significant difference in quality of life between premature menopausal women and normal postmenopausal women. Subjective health status and symptoms of depression were identified as factors related to quality of life in women with premature menopause, while engaging in aerobic physical activity, subjective health status, stress, and symptoms of depression were found to be related to quality of life among normal postmenopausal women. Conclusion: It is necessary to support self-care measures for both premature and normal menopausal women to adapt to changes caused by menopause, and multidimensional strategies should be developed considering postmenopausal women's subjective health status and symptoms of depression to improve their quality of life.