Life Of Pregnant Women Research Articles

Demographic and Obstetric Characteristics, Social Support, Antenatal Depression, and Health-Related Quality of Life in Pregnant Women with Advanced Maternal Age: Compared with Pregnant Women Under 35 Years of Age

Demographic and Obstetric Characteristics, Social Support, Antenatal Depression, and Health-Related Quality of Life in Pregnant Women with Advanced Maternal Age: Compared with Pregnant Women Under 35 Years of Age

The Effects of Prenatal Classes on the Quality of Life in Pregnant Women

Introduction : Quality of life is individuals’ perception of their status in life in the context of the culture and value systems they live in. Pregnancy has a great impact on mothers and their quality of life. Prenatal classes provide mothers with information about pregnancy, labor process and newborn care. Objective : The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of prenatal classes on the quality of life of pregnant women. Materials and Methods: This quasi-experimental study recruited 100 pregnant women in Amini Hospital of Langeroud, Iran. Mothers were divided into intervention group, who received education (n = 50), and control group who received only routine prenatal care (n = 50).Prenatal classes were held in 8 sessions. The quality of life of pregnant women was assessed before and after the intervention. Data was collected by a demographic questionnaire and a Quality of Life Short Form Survey (SF-36) which was completed by women before and after the intervention. After entering into the computer, the statistical data were analyzed using chi-square test and independent and paired t tests. Results: The results of comparing the means of quality of life domains in the intervention group showed that mental health (P=0.40), vitality (P=0.11), and emotional role functioning (P=0.87) had higher health scores in the intervention group compared to before the intervention, although the difference was not statistically significant and only physical functioning had a significant difference (P=0.001). However, the comparison of the mean and standard deviation of quality of life domains before and after classes in the control group indicated lower scores for all domains after the intervention. Differences were significant in terms of physical functioning (P=0.007), physical role functioning (P=0.011), emotional role functioning (P=0.039), and pain (P=0.002). Conclusion: The study showed that women who received prenatal education had better scores and mental health. Therefore, prenatal educations are necessary to improve health and quality of life of mothers.

Evaluation of the Effects of an Educational Intervention Based on the Ottawa Nutritional Guideline on Health-Related Quality of Life in Pregnant Women with Nausea and Vomiting

Background & aim: Nausea and vomiting during pregnancy (NVP) is among the most common problems in pregnant women. As explained in guidelines, combination of non-drug treatments, including nutritional modifications, lifestyle changes, and use of alternative medicine for the treatment of NVP has been less highlighted. The present study was performed with the aim of determining the effect of an educational intervention (based on the Ottawa nutritional guideline) on health-related quality of life in pregnant women with NVP. Methods: This single-blind clinical trial was performed on 60 pregnant women, referred to Daneshamouz and Ahmadi health centers in Mashhad, Iran in 2015. The intervention group received two 60-min training sessions based on the Ottawa nutritional guideline, while the control group received routine care. The data collection tools included the subject selection form, demographic and midwifery information form, health-related quality of life for nausea and vomiting during pregnancy (NVPQOL) questionnaire, and the Ottawa guideline checklist. For data analysis, Chi-square, Fisher’s exact test, Mann-Whitney test, independent t-test, paired t-test, and ANOVA were performed, using SPSS version 16. P-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The demographic characteristics of the subjects such as education, occupational status, age, gestational age, and body mass index were homogenous in the two groups. The mean NVPQOL score was significantly different between the intervention and control groups after the study (p <0.001). Also, the difference between the pre- and post-intervention scores was significant in the intervention group (p <0.001). Conclusion: Based on the findings, training based on the Ottawa nutritional guideline could improve health-related quality of life in women with NVP; therefore, this type of training is recommended as an effective method.

Back Pain during Pregnancy and Quality of Life of Pregnant Women

Background: This study aimed to compare the quality of life (QOL) of women with low back pain and women without low back pain during pregnancy. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study on pregnant women recruited in a hospital maternity or in primary care settings. Data collection was carried out through a self-administered questionnaire including the QOL Short Form Health Survey SF12-V2 scale. Independent sample t-tests were calculated to compare differences in QOL between women with and without low back pain. Multivariate regression models then examined the effect of low back pain on QOL, adjusting for covariate factors. Results: Among the 218 pregnant women included in the study, 137 were suffering from low back pain (LBP). The mean intensity of pain (numerical scale) in the LBP group was 5.04 ± 1.73 (range 0 to 10 for maximum pain). Among women with low back pain, 21% of them (n=29) reported having received the following treatments for their pain. There was a significant difference in the quality of life between the group of women with low back pain (LBP) and the one without low back pain (NLBP) in the areas of mental health, physical health as well as social relations. The mental health and social relationships dimensions seemed more affected than the physical scores. Conclusion: Low back pain decreased physical and psychosocial health during pregnancy. A greater support should be promoted in the medical follow-up of pregnant women with low back pain.

The Quality of Life in Pregnant Women Conceiving Through in Vitro Fertilization.

ObjectiveThe aim was to determine whether pregnant women conceiving through in vitro fertilization (IVF) differ from those conceiving spontaneously in terms of psychological well-being and the quality of life.MethodsIn a prospective study we included 75 women conceived after IVF and 78 who conceived spontaneously in the same time period (control group). All the women were sent a self-report questionnaire about demographic and reproductive history, health, pregnancy concerns, containing Subjective Quality of Life Scale (QLS), Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), the Psychological Well-Being Scale (PWB), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and Zung Self-Assessment Anxiety Scale (SAS); obstetric and newborn’s data were obtained from medical records. Response rate was 66.6% in the IVF and 83.3% in control group.ResultsThe mean women’s age was 33.8 years in the IVF, and 32.5 years in the control group (NS). There were no significant differences between groups on the most of the outcome measures assessing psychological status. IVF mothers were just less satisfied in “friend/acquaintances” (P=0.03), a higher percentage had sexual problems prior to conception (P=0.03); the length of hospitalization during pregnancy was longer (P=0.02), and the preterm delivery rate was higher (P=0.01). Withingroup changes over gestation time indicated that IVF women, not controls, showed an increase in positive affect (P=0.04) and purpose in life (P=0.05).ConclusionsIVF women are inclined to social isolation. Despite more medical problems during pregnancy, they reported improved positive emotions and purpose in life as the pregnancy progressed.

Influence of Fatigue, Depression and Anxiety on Quality of Life in Pregnant Women with Preterm Labor.

The purpose of this study was to identify effects of fatigue, depression and anxiety on quality of life in pregnant women with preterm labor. With a survey design, data were collected from 138 mothers who were admitted at a hospital in Seoul, between June 2014 and September 2015. Instruments used to collect the data for the study were: Fatigue Continuum Form, Depression anxiety stress scale (DASS-21) and maternal postpartum quality of life (MAPP-QOL). The mean fatigue score was 68.30 with 50.7% of women being depressed and 79.7% of the 138 women being anxious. The mean quality of life was 18.92 with quality of life being associated with fatigue, depression and anxiety. Depression and fatigue explained 26% of the variance in quality of life. Depression and fatigue adversely affected women's quality of life. It is important to address appropriate management of depression and fatigue in order to improve quality of life in pregnant women with preterm labor.

Impact of Functional Status on the Quality of Life of Pregnant Women with Lumbopelvic Pain

Impact of Functional Status on the Quality of Life of Pregnant Women with Lumbopelvic Pain

Early Pregnancy Losses: Multiple Meanings and Moral Considerations

Early Pregnancy Losses: Multiple Meanings and Moral Considerations

PIH82 - Quality of Life in Pregnant Women Attending Anti-Natal Clinics in Rural and Urban Areas of Delta State

PIH82 - Quality of Life in Pregnant Women Attending Anti-Natal Clinics in Rural and Urban Areas of Delta State

“Struggling with daily life and enduring pain”: a qualitative study of the experiences of pregnant women living with pelvic girdle pain

BackgroundFew studies have investigated the experiences of living with pelvic girdle pain (PGP) and its impact on pregnant women’s lives. To address this gap in knowledge, this study investigates the experiences of women living with PGP during pregnancy.MethodsA purposive sample, of nine pregnant women with diagnosed PGP, were interviewed about their experiences. Interviews were recorded, transcribed to text and analysed using a Grounded Theory approach.ResultsThe core category that evolved from the analysis of experiences of living with PGP in pregnancy was “struggling with daily life and enduring pain”. Three properties addressing the actions caused by PGP were identified: i) grasping the incomprehensible; ii) balancing support and dependence and iii) managing the losses. These experiences expressed by the informants constitute a basis for the consequences of PGP: iv) enduring pain; v) being a burden; vi) calculating the risks and the experiences of the informants as vii) abdicating as a mother. Finally, the informants’ experiences of the consequences regarding the current pregnancy and any potential future pregnancies is presented in viii) paying the price and reconsidering the future. A conceptual model of the actions and consequences experienced by the pregnant informants living with PGP is presented.ConclusionsPGP during pregnancy greatly affects the informant’s experiences of her pregnancy, her roles in relationships, and her social context. For informants with young children, PGP negatively affects the role of being a mother, a situation that further strains the experience. As the constant pain disturbs most aspects of the lives of the informants, improvements in the treatment of PGP is of importance as to increase the quality of life. This pregnancy-related condition is prevalent and must be considered a major public health concern during pregnancy.

The Relationship between Abortion Liberalization and Sexual Behavior: International Evidence

Economic theory predicts that abortion laws affect sexual behavior since they change the marginal cost of having risky sex. We estimate the impact of abortion laws on sexual behavior by reported gonorrhea incidence. Our data panel includes 41 countries for which consistent gonorrhea data are available for 1980-2000. Compared with laws permitting abortion only to save the pregnant woman's life or her physical health, the switch to more liberal abortion laws is associated with large increases in reported gonorrhea incidence. Our results help explain why birth rates do not decline at the same rate abortions increase when laws are liberalized.

Representing and intervening: ‘doing’ good care in first trimester prenatal knowledge production and decision‐making

This article investigates processes of knowledge production and decision-making in the practice of the first trimester prenatal risk assessment (FTPRA) at an ultrasound clinic in Denmark. On the basis of ethnographic material and interviews with professionals facilitating FTPRAs in Denmark, we draw attention to the active engagement of health professionals in this process. Current professional and policy debate over the use of prenatal testing emphasises the need for informed choice making and for services that provide prospective parents with what is referred to as 'non-directive counselling'. Studies focusing on professional practice of prenatal counselling tend to deal mainly with how professionals fail to live up to such ideals in practice. In this article we extend such studies by drawing attention to practices of care in prenatal testing and counselling. In doing so, we identify three modes of 'doing' good care: attuning expectations and knowledge, allowing resistance and providing situated influence in the relationship between the pregnant woman and the professional. Such practices may not be seen as immediately compatible with the non-directive ethos, but they express ways of reducing emotional suffering and supporting a pregnant woman's ability to make meaningful choices on the basis of uncertain knowledge. As such, these practices can be seen as representing another (caring) solution to the problem of paternalism and authoritarian power. In opposition to an ethics aiming at non-interference (non-directiveness) such modes of doing good care express an ethics of being locally accountable for the ways in which programmes of prenatal testing intervene in pregnant women's lives and of taking responsibility for the entities and phenomena that emerge through such knowledge production.

Ethics for the Pediatrician

Ethics for the Pediatrician

Psychosocial Outcomes Are Related to Asthma Control and Quality of Life in Pregnant Women with Asthma

Background. Little is known about the psychosocial impact and perceived teratogenic (fetal harm due to medication) risks of asthma treatment (inhaled/oral corticosteroids and β-agonist) during pregnancy. Aims. To assess the perception of asthma control, quality of life (QoL), and perceived risks of therapy in pregnant women with asthma. Methods. Pregnant women with asthma (n = 125) were recruited between 12 and 20 weeks gestation. QoL (generic: Short Form-12 Health Survey v1, and asthma specific: Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire-Marks (AQLQ-M)) and psychological variables were assessed using the Perceived Control of Asthma Questionnaire (PCAQ), the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire, and the Six-Item Short-Form State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-6). Women’s perceptions of the teratogenic risks of asthma therapy were also assessed and analyzed for adherence to maintenance inhaled corticosteroids (ICSs), poor asthma control, and QoL. Results. Women reported good QoL (median AQLQ-M total score/maximum score = 0.88/10), moderate ability to deal with asthma symptoms (mean PCAQ score = 42.6/55), positive beliefs about their asthma and low anxiety (median STAI score = 26.7/80). Perceived teratogenic risks for asthma drugs were excessive and class dependent. Women perceived there was a 42% teratogenic risk for oral corticosteroid, a 12% risk for ICSs, and a 5% risk with short-acting β-agonist. Illness beliefs, emotional response to illness (p = .030), age ≥ 30 years (p = .046), and maintenance ICS use (p = .045) were significantly associated with uncontrolled asthma, while maintenance ICS use (p = .023), illness beliefs, consequences (p = .044), timeline (p = .016), and emotional response (p = .015) and anxiety (p ≤ .0001) were significantly associated with reduced QoL. Conclusions. In pregnancy, women with asthma experience good QoL but overestimate teratogenic risks of asthma medication. Maintenance ICS use, illness beliefs, and anxiety are associated with impaired QoL and asthma control.

Späte Schwangerschaftsabbrüche als Problem des Gesetzgebers

Based on the coalition agreement of 2005 aimed at improving the situation regarding late-term abortions, the author examines to what extent the current legislation on abortion requires amendment. In an historical overview, he explores the long tradition of the step-wise protection of life commensurate with the gradual "animation" of the fetus, the abortion of which by "human hand" was a punishable crime. Having been observed in civil codes of modern times for centuries, this tradition finally perished in section sign 218 of 1871. With the embryopathic indication of 1974, a comparatively late deadline of 22 weeks came back into force. However, since the German Bundestag overruled this indication in 1995, only the unlimited (until birth) medico-social indication (section sign 218 par. 2 of the German criminal code) applies to late terminations, according to which even late terminations of fetuses of extrauterine viability are "not unlawful". While examining both decisions of the German Federal Constitutional Court and the literature, the author makes the case for restricting section sign 281 a par. 2 with extrauterine viability of the child--according to the constitutional preservation of life and our legal tradition--strictly to those cases where the pregnant woman's life is in danger.

Changes in Quality of Life for Pregnant Women in Substance User Treatment: Developing a Quality of Life Index for the Addictions

Using preference weights from a community sample, items from the Addiction Severity Index (ASI) were converted into a quality of life index (QOLI) and used to compare the cost-effectiveness of five addiction treatment modalities for pregnant women. Methods: Interviews using the time trade-off methodology were conducted with 143 members of Massachusetts local health planning boards to determine preference weights for different health states resulting from active addiction. A multi-attribute utility formula was used to convert these seven preference weighted scores into a single QOLI. To apply the QOLI, these preference weights were combined with the number of problem days reported in each ASI domain by a sample of 439 pregnant women in MA in five treatment modalities, 1992–1996. Results: Starting at 10 years with an addiction problem, board members indicated that they would give up between 0.83 and 3.96 years to avoid the problems in one domain caused by addiction. The average QOLI was 0.68 at intake but increased by 0.19 points by 6-month follow-up to 0.87. All five treatment groups showed notable improvement in their quality of life. Mean improvements ranged from a high of 0.23 QOLIs for clients who received both residential and outpatient treatment to a low of 0.16 for clients who received only detoxification. Treatment costs ranged from $10,187 for residential and outpatient combined to $2,535 for detoxification only, with costs per QOLI ranging from $14,912 to $44,291. Conclusions: Although this QOLI could benefit from further refinement and development, it showed promise as a single outcome measure for CEAs in the chemical dependency field. This QOLI was sensitive enough to distinguish between the treatment groups, it correlated well with other outcome measures and can be easily converted from the ASI using spreadsheet software and a simple formula.

The Development of a Social Support Intervention among African American Women

The purpose of this feminist qualitative study was the development of a psychosocial intervention to reduce the number of low birthweight babies among lower income, socially isolated, pregnant, African American women. Using data from both group and individual interviews, we constructed a series of interactive sessions. The focus of these sessions was skill building, both to develop self-esteem and to access social support; and acknowledgment of the pregnant women's lives and experiences.

From Driving to Drugs: Governmental Regulation of Pregnant Women's Lives after Webster

From Driving to Drugs: Governmental Regulation of Pregnant Women's Lives after Webster

Abortion: The New Standard for U.S. Population Aid

Abortion: The New Standard for U.S. Population Aid