Childbirth Preparation Research Articles

Effect Of Pregnancy Exercise On Third Trimester Primigravida Anxiety In Dealing With Childbirth

Background: The first labor anxiety is an unpleasant psychological condition due to physiological changes that cause psychological instability. The condition of excessive anxiety, worry, fear without cause, and stress, causes the muscles of the body to tense up, especially the muscles in the birth path to become stiff and hard, making it difficult to expand. This study analyzed the effect of pregnancy exercise on third trimester primigravida anxiety in dealing with childbirth. 
 Methods: Quasi experimental design with nonrandomized pretest-postest control group. The sampling technique used was purposive sampling with 34 research subjects. 17 people for the treatment group were given pregnancy exercise 8 times, and 17 people for the control group were given health education about preparation for childbirth. 
 Results: The results of data analysis using the Wilcoxon signed rank test showed that the average reduction in the treatment group was 8.00 and the control group was 3.00. The effect of pregnancy exercise on third trimester primigravida anxiety in the treatment group with a p-value (0.000) <(0.05), while the control group with a p-value (0.180)> (0.05). 
 Conclusion: There is an effect of pregnancy exercise on third trimester primigravida anxiety in dealing with childbirth in the Wuryantoro Health Center work area.

Snow Balling and Brainstorming Method In Pregnant Mother Classes

During pregnancy, there are system changes that require adaptation, both physiological and psychological. With these changes, pregnant women must know and understand what they are experiencing, so they need health education during pregnancy and how to prepare for safe delivery. Mother class is a means of learning together about pregnant women's health, increasing knowledge, change attitudes and mothers' behavior. The purpose of this study was to determine the differences in health education with snowballing and brainstorming methods in pregnant women in the class to increase knowledge and attitudes about preparation for pregnancy and childbirth. This study's design was Quasi-experimental with a pretest-posttest design of two snowballing groups and a brainstorming group. The number of samples for each group of 30 pregnant women. Analysis with Chi-Square and T-Test. The study results showed significant differences in knowledge and attitudes on the snowballing method (p-value of 0.000) and the brainstorming method with a p-value of knowledge of 0.011 and attitude of 0.000. Health education using snowballing has a more substantial effect, especially on the attitudes of pregnant women.

Effectiveness of Video Assisted Teaching Program Upon Knowledge on Childbirth Preparation among Primigravida Mothers

Effectiveness of Video Assisted Teaching Program Upon Knowledge on Childbirth Preparation among Primigravida Mothers

Accurate prediction of birth implementing a statistical model through the determination of steroid hormones in saliva

Steroidal hormone interaction in pregnancy is crucial for adequate fetal evolution and preparation for childbirth and extrauterine life. Estrone sulphate, estriol, progesterone and cortisol play important roles in the initiation of labour mechanism at the start of contractions and cervical effacement. However, their interaction remains uncertain. Although several studies regarding the hormonal mechanism of labour have been reported, the prediction of date of birth remains a challenge. In this study, we present for the first time machine learning algorithms for the prediction of whether spontaneous labour will occur from week 37 onwards. Estrone sulphate, estriol, progesterone and cortisol were analysed in saliva samples collected from 106 pregnant women since week 34 by enzyme-immunoassay (EIA) techniques. We compared a random forest model with a traditional logistic regression over a dataset constructed with the values observed of these measures. We observed that the results, evaluated in terms of accuracy and area under the curve (AUC) metrics, are sensibly better in the random forest model. For this reason, we consider that machine learning methods contribute in an important way to the obstetric practice.

Communities and service providers address access to perinatal care in postconflict Northern Uganda: socialising evidence for participatory action

ObjectivesDescribe participatory codesign of interventions to improve access to perinatal care services in Northern Uganda.Study designMixed-methods participatory research to codesign increased access to perinatal care. Fuzzy cognitive mapping, focus groups...

Evaluation of Telehealth Use in Prenatal Care for Patient and Provider Satisfaction: A Step Toward Reducing Barriers to Care

Prenatal care in preparation for childbirth improves maternal-child outcomes. While prenatal care is essential for care of mother and baby, barriers exist to participation in the frequent face-to-face office visits with a provider for prenatal care. The costs associated with work disruptions, child care, and travel, and often long office waiting times, limit one’s ability to fully engage in a meaningful and productive in prenatal visit. This pilot study evaluated patient and provider satisfaction with participation in prenatal care that includes telehealth visits. The aim was to explore whether this model can help decrease barriers to accessing perinatal care.

Primiparous women's knowledge and satisfaction based on their attendance at childbirth preparation classes.

AimTo compare primiparous women's childbirth knowledge and their satisfaction with the childbirth preparation classes between regular and irregular attenders.DesignA cross‐sectional study.MethodThis study was conducted on 136 primiparous pregnant women attending health centres in Tabriz, Iran. Women's knowledge on childbirth and their satisfaction with childbirth preparation classes were measured by using reliable tools via interviews. An independent t test was applied to compare women's knowledge and satisfaction scores between regular and irregular attenders.ResultsThe mean score of knowledge was significantly higher among women who were regular attenders compared to irregular attenders (p < .001). Although there were no significant differences in total satisfaction score between the women (p = .342), women with regular attendance reported that childbirth preparation classes reduced their anxiety about labour.ConclusionsRegular attendance at childbirth preparation classes is associated with higher women's knowledge and lower feelings of anxiety regarding labour and birth.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AGE, PARITY, AND BIRTH WEIGHT WITH THE DEGREE OF PERINEAL RUPTURE IN THE RSUD JAYAPURA

AbstractBackground: Perineal rupture is a condition in which the perineum is torn as a result of vaginal delivery either by action or not, which affects the health status of women. Age, parity, and birth weight are influencing factors for perineal rupture.The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between age, parity, and birth weight with the degree of perineal rupture. Methods: Observational analytic research with a case control approach. The sample used in this study were the patients who get diagnostic of perineal rupture during April – December 2019 in the RSUD Jayapura as many as 654 patients. The sampling technique used is total sampling. The independent variables used were age, parity, and birth weight, while the dependent variable was perineal rupture. Bivariate analysis test using Spearman rank correlation. Multivariate analysis test using multiple logistic regression with backward method. Results: The results of the bivariate analysis in this study was showing that the younger mother's age, lower paratity values and higher birth weight related with the degree of perineal rupture, then the multivariate results obtained birth weight had a dominant effect of degree perineal rupture. This is because the heavy of birth weight make the perineum more strecthcing, so the perineum gets more thinner and easier to rupture. Conclusion: There is a relationship between age, parity, and birth weight with the degree of perineal rupture. Birth weight is the most dominant independent factor on the degree of perineal rupture. So, it is necessary to give education about childbirth preparation and preconception counseling to mothers.

Health promotion actions and maternal near miss: an integrative review

Objective: to identify health promotion actions to reduce maternal near misses. Methods: this is an integrative review of the literature. The search for the articles was carried out in the MEDLINE/PubMed, CINAHL, LILACS, SCOPUS, and Web of Science databases, using the following combination: Near Miss, Healthcare AND Health promotion AND Maternal Welfare OR Maternal Health. Results: the 17 studies selected addressed the following recommendations on health promotion actions to decrease maternal near miss: enhancing prenatal care; access to reproductive planning; guidance and preparation for childbirth; education as an inclusion policy; continuing education for professionals and improvement of the regulation system. Conclusion: health promotion actions were evidenced in the study: carrying out effective prenatal care and actions related to management concerning professional training, adequate physical support in health units, and an organized and effective care network.

Childbirth: Is Pregnant Woman Prepared in India?

Pregnancy and child birth is a great event in the life of every woman for which she awaits eagerly. But when faced with the reality of labour and child birth, are women able to cope? Are they prepared to face this exciting event in their life? Preparation for child birth should take place in the antenatal period itself. Systematic child birth education helps the woman to integrate herself physically, mentally and emotionally and enables her face childbirth with confi dence and come out with a happy child birth experience. Midwives and maternity nurses play a vital role in helping pregnant women to overcome their fears and anxieties about labour and childbirth. Th ough the Government of India has outlined guidelines and protocols on birth preparedness and complication readiness, are all women really prepared? Does this information and education reach all the pregnant women? Lack of human resource and consistent education materials contribute to this challenge. Placement of well-trained child birth educators and dissemination of standardised educational materials can address this challenge and enable the women in India to be prepared and confi dently face child birth.

CURRENT ASPECTS OF DELIVERY IN HEALTHY WOMEN IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE DATA OF RETROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS

The aim: to study the current aspects of the course of labor in healthy women using retrospective indicators. Materials and methods: To study this topic, an analysis of 1,078 births on the basis of the maternity ward for pregnant women with obstetric pathology of the State Institution «IPAG. acad. O.M. Lukyanova National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine». It was found that among all births, the share of first-borns was 602 (55.8 %) women, of whom 451 (41.8 %) were pregnant for the first time, and only 86 (8 %) were healthy pregnant women. Results: It was found that among 86 births the frequency of physiological births was 64%, of which in 47.7% of cases the birth was complicated, and pathological – 36%. The most common complications during childbirth were: premature rupture of membranes (PRPO), episio- and perineotomy, trauma to the birth canal. The main causes of pathological childbirth: abnormalities of labor, fetal distress, defect of the placenta and membranes, clinically narrow pelvis, malposition of the fetus and early postpartum hemorrhage. All children were born alive. It should be noted that all births where the Apgar score was ≤ 6 had no partner support, and the women themselves did not receive any preparation for childbirth. Conclusions: According to our data, in almost healthy women who gave birth for the first time and had no perinatal loss in the anamnesis, did not undergo prenatal training and did not have partner support during childbirth, the number of complications during childbirth is increasing. Therefore, this group of healthy pregnant women needs more detailed study and analysis, development of prenatal training algorithms to improve perinatal indicators.

Non-pharmacological therapies applied in pregnancy and labor: an integrative review.

To identify non-pharmacological therapies applied during pregnancy and labor. Integrative review conducted in the databases: PubMed, ScieLO and PEDro, searching for articles from 2008 in English, Spanish and Portuguese. The descriptors used were: pregnancy, childbirth, physiotherapy, alternative and complementary medicine, alternative therapy, non-pharmacological therapy, biomechanical therapy. Forty-one articles were analyzed and subdivided into ten categories of nonpharmacological therapies: massage, perineal massage, hot bath, supportive care, childbirth preparation group, breathing techniques, pelvic floor exercises, transcutaneous electrostimulation, Swiss ball and spontaneous pushing. Six articles (60%) showed a positive outcome for reduction of pain in labor and all of them had a positive outcome for different variables of labor, such as reduction of time, anxiety and pelvic floor laceration rates. The use of non-pharmacological therapies was efficient to reduce the effects of labor and childbirth, such as pain, duration of labor, anxiety, laceration and episiotomy.

Mobile-application intervention on physical activity of pregnant women in Iran during the COVID-19 epidemic in 2020.

BACKGROUND:Considering the low level of physical activity in pregnant women in the COVID-19 pandemic period, and on the other hand, the benefits of mobile application (mobile app) learning, we decided to conduct a study to determine the impact of educational intervention based on mobile app on physical activity in pregnant women.MATERIALS AND METHODS:The present study was quasi-experimental and examined 93 pregnant women aged 16–20 weeks of gestation. Sampling was done on pregnant women participating in the childbirth preparation classes in Isfahan. We used the validated and reliable questionnaire including perceived benefits, perceived barriers, perceived enjoyment, perceived social support, and Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire. The intervention was based on mobile app, and the content of the application contained 12 main domains such as description of physical activity and benefits and barriers of exercise in the pregnancy, different types of proper pregnancy exercise, planning for exercise, and different types of exercise. Finally, data were analyzed using SPSS20, and the Chi-square test, independent t-test Paired t-test were employed. The significance level was considered to be <0.05.RESULTS:The results showed that, after the intervention based on mobile app, the mean score of perceived benefits and enjoyment were significantly higher than before the intervention in the intervention group. Finally, total mean score of physical activity significantly increased in the intervention group, while the change decreased in the control group.CONCLUSION:The results indicated that the use of mobile app can be used to promote physical activity in pregnant women. Therefore, it is recommended that mobile app education should apply with face-to-face classes in health centers for physical activity in pregnant women in the pandemic situation.

A Comparative Study on Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes in Pregnant Women with Different Age

Introduction: Delayed childbearing is increasing. Increased maternal age has been associated with increased risk of pregnancy complications. On the other hand, the adolescent pregnancy has traditionally been considered high-risk, especially in developing countries. Objective: This study aimed to compare the adverse pregnancy outcomes in different age groups of pregnant women. Materials and Methods: The analytical study with cross-sectional design was conducted on 345 pregnant women referred to one of the maternity hospitals in Rasht, Iran in 2018 who were selected by sequential sampling method. They were followed from gestational age &gt;37 weeks until delivery in 3 groups: &lt;19 years, 19-35 years and &gt;35 years. The data collection tool was a two-part researcher-made questionnaire which surveys demographic, fertility, and socioeconomic information and adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics (Chi-square test, Fisher’s exact test, Kruskal-Wallis test, ANOVA, Bonfrroni test, Spearman correlation test, and multiple linear regression analysis). Results: The highest prevalence of maternal diabetes mellitus (29.7%) and cesarean section (72.46%) were reported in the age group &gt;35 years. The highest frequency of premature rupture of membranes (18.8%) and abnormal fetal presentation (13.8 %) were reported in age groups &lt;19 years and 19-35 years, respectively. Among maternal outcomes, maternal diabetes, abnormal fetal presentation, premature rupture of membranes and delivery by cesarean section were significantly different between three groups (P&lt;0.05). There was a significant difference between maternal age and neonatal outcomes in ages groups &lt;19 years and 19-35 years (P&lt;0.05). Multiple linear regression model showed that the maternal age &lt;19 years was a predictor of adverse neonatal outcomes. The group &lt;19 years reported more adverse outcomes than the age group 19-35 years (β=0.282, 95% CL: 0.002-0.561, P=0.049). Conclusion: All age groups of pregnant women faced some pregnancy outcomes. Due to Iran’s new plan to encourage childbearing, prenatal screening, and receiving more prenatal care, we recommend pregnant women to participate in childbirth preparation training courses.

Maternity care through the eyes of Southern European immigrant parents in Norway

ObjectiveTo explore Southern European immigrant mothers and fathers’ experiences of reproductive health services in Norway, and their perceptions of health providers’ beliefs and attitudes regarding pregnancy and childbirth. MethodWe employed a qualitative research methodology with two focus group discussions and 11 in-depth interviews with 4 fathers and 11 mothers from Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Greece, whose children were born in Norway. Thematic Analysis was conducted to identify and analyze patterns across the data. ResultsWe identified three themes as key elements in parents’ experiences: experiences with the coverage and organization of the Reproductive Health Services; relational experiences with health providers; and pregnancy and delivery as a culturally-shaped event. The immigrant parents experienced a clash between their expectations and the procedures and health facility environment encountered in Norway regarding check-ups, diagnosis tests, childbirth preparation courses, and health facilities. Informants perceived that the maternity care practices of the host country were underpinned by the health care providers’ cultural understandings of labor and pregnancy. Particularly, they experienced a less interventionist approach towards pregnancy and childbirth. ConclusionsThe experiences of immigrant parents provide relevant information to improve reproductive health services in a cross-cultural context. Inmigration brings new challenges that must be addressed from a perspective of cultural competence. These services should acknowledge diversity in cultural beliefs around childrearing and involve both fathers and mothers in decision-making.

The theoretical substantiation of the choice of active pharmaceutical ingredients to create a medicine for use in the preparation for childbirth

The theoretical substantiation of the choice of active pharmaceutical ingredients to create a medicine for use in the preparation for childbirth

Alternative Birth Plans and Unintended Maternal and Neonatal Consequences: A Review of the Literature.

Birth plans are an important part of childbirth preparation for many women. The aim of this review was to discuss some common requests, specifically home birth, water birth, placentophagy, lotus birth, vaccination refusal, and vaginal seeding, including evidence-based recommendations, perceived benefits, and potential maternal and neonatal consequences. A literature search for each topic was undertaken using PubMed and Web of Science. For the home birth section, the MeSH terms home AND birth OR childbirth AND outcomes OR complications OR recommendations OR guidelines were used. For the vaccination section, birth OR childbirth OR maternal AND vaccination refusal were searched. For the remainder of the sections, umbilical cord AND nonseverance OR placentophagy OR vaginal seeding OR lotus birth were searched. A total of 523 articles were identified. The abstracts were reviewed by 2 authors (J.R.W. and J.A.R.); 60 of these articles were selected and used for this review. Home birth is currently not recommended in the United States. Immersion in water for labor is acceptable, but delivery should not occur in water. Placentophagy and lotus birth should be discouraged because of risk of neonatal infection. Vaccines should be administered in accordance with national guidelines. Vaginal seeding should be discouraged until more is known about the practice. These evidence-based recommendations provide clear guidance for physicians so that the birthing experience can be enhanced for both mother and neonate without compromising safety. This is an evidence-based literature review of alternative birth plans and recommendations for directive counseling.

Utilization of antenatal care services in rural population of north India: a cross sectional study

Background: Antenatal care (ANC) is an opportunity to encourage a positive pregnancy experience and improved maternal and child survival. Care in the antenatal period is also essential for supporting the long-term growth and development of the child. ANC visits are vital for providing counselling to mothers about the care they should take during pregnancy and in preparation for childbirth. The principal objective of the study was to evaluate the utilization of antenatal care services in rural population of North India.Methods: The present community based cross-sectional study was conducted among 200 mothers over a period of Eight months. A semi structured, pre-tested questionnaire was used for data collection, the statistical data was recorded and analysed using by the SPSS Software.Results: In present study all the pregnancies had ANC registration and 20.5% of them had ≥4 ANC visits. 91% of the mothers received Iron and Folic Acid supplementation while 95% of mothers immunized with adequate dose of Tetanus Toxoid. With regards to the type of delivery 87.5% were normal vaginal deliveries and 75.5% were occurred at health facility. The length of stay in the hospital was less than 2 days in 55% of deliveries and 52% of the mothers received cash assistance for institutional delivery by the government under Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) scheme.Conclusions: The present study showed low utilization of full antenatal care services and JSY Scheme among the mothers. There is need to educate and council the mother and their family by health personnel regarding significance of utilization of antenatal services.

Comparison of childbirth experiences and postpartum depression among primiparous women based on their attendance in childbirth preparation classes

Background Assessment of women’s childbirth experience is an important indicator in maternity services. Positive childbirth experiences improve mothers’ health, whereas negative childbirth experiences can cause psychological stresses and, in extreme cases, may lead to postpartum depression. Methods In this cohort study, 204 women at 35–37 weeks of gestation were selected using cluster sampling from the health centers of Tabriz, Iran. Women were divided into three groups (68 women in each group) based on their attendance in childbirth preparation classes: (a) non-attenders (did not attend any sessions), (b) irregular attenders (attended 1–3 sessions), and (c) regular attendants (attended 4–8 sessions). Interviews were conducted at one month postpartum to complete the Childbirth Experience Questionnaire (CEQ) and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). The general linear model (GLM) was used to identify associations between women’s attendance to the classes and either their childbirth experience or postpartum depression scores. Results Based on the GLM, the mean score of childbirth experience among the regular attenders was significantly higher than women who were irregular attenders (p = .032) or non-attenders (p < .001). In addition, the mean score of postpartum depression scale was significantly lower among regular attenders compared with non-attenders (p < .001). However, there was no significant difference in postpartum depression score among regular and irregular attenders (p = .257). Conclusions Attending prenatal classes was associated with positive childbirth experience and low postpartum depression score.

Effects of prenatal mindfulness-based childbirth education on child-bearers\u2019 trajectories of distress: a randomized control trial

BackgroundThe perinatal period is a time of immense change, which can be a period of stress and vulnerability for mental health difficulties. Mindfulness-based interventions have shown promise for reducing distress, but further research is needed to identify long-term effects and moderators of mindfulness training in the perinatal period.MethodsThe current study used data from a pilot randomized control trial (RCT) comparing a condensed mindfulness-based childbirth preparation program—the Mind in Labor (MIL)—to treatment as usual (TAU) to examine whether prenatal mindfulness training results in lower distress across the perinatal period, and whether the degree of benefit depends on child-bearers’ initial levels of risk (i.e., depression and anxiety symptoms) and protective (i.e., mindfulness) characteristics. Child-bearers (N = 30) in their third trimester were randomized to MIL or TAU and completed assessments of distress—perceived stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms—at pre-intervention, post-intervention, six-weeks post-birth, and one-year postpartum.ResultsMultilevel modeling of distress trajectories revealed greater decreases from pre-intervention to 12-months postpartum for those in MIL compared to TAU, especially among child-bearers who were higher in anxiety and/or lower in dispositional mindfulness at baseline.ConclusionsThe current study offers preliminary evidence for durable perinatal mental health benefits following a brief mindfulness-based program and suggests further investigation of these effects in larger samples is warranted.Trial registrationThe ClinicalTrials.gov identifier for the study is: NCT02327559. The study was retrospectively registered on June 23, 2014.