Digital Commons Network^™

Privacy Rights And Public Families, Khiara Bridges

Faculty Scholarship

This Article is based on eighteen months of anthropological fieldwork conducted among poor, pregnant women receiving prenatal care provided by the Prenatal Care Assistance Program (“PCAP”) at a large public hospital in New York City. The Prenatal Care Assistance Program (“PCAP”) is a special program within the New York State Medicaid program that provides comprehensive prenatal care services to otherwise uninsured or underinsured women. This Article attempts to accomplish two goals. The first goal is to argue that PCAP’s compelled consultations – with social workers, health educators, nutritionists, and financial officers – function as a gross and substantial intrusion by …

Octomom And Multi-Fetal Pregnancies: Why Federal Legislation Should Require Insurers To Cover In Vitro Fertilization, Camille M. Davidson

William & Mary Journal of Race, Gender, and Social Justice

This article examines the public health, legal, and policy implications of multi-fetal pregnancies resulting from in vitro fertilization (IVF), using the 2009 “Octomom” case as a catalyst for discussion. Camille M. Davidson argues that the high rate of multi-fetal pregnancies in the United States is a direct consequence of the unregulated fertility industry, the financial burden of IVF on patients, and the incentive structures created by the Fertility Clinic Success Rate and Certification Act. She contends that lack of mandated insurance coverage compels patients and physicians to transfer multiple embryos per cycle to maximize pregnancy chances, increasing the risks of …

The Effects Of Resistance Training On Strength And Body Composition In Postpartum Women, Katherine Bishop Pratt

Theses and Dissertations

The postpartum period represents a high-risk period for body weight retention and obesity. Several studies have investigated the role of aerobic exercise on postpartum weight retention and other body composition outcomes; however, there has been little attention given to resistance training in postpartum women. Thus, the purpose of this four-month randomized study was to determine the effectiveness of resistance training on strength, body composition, return to pre-pregnancy weight, and bone mineral density (BMD) in postpartum women. Sixty postpartum women were randomly assigned to either a resistance training group or a comparison group. The resistance training group participated in a progressive …

Contributing Factors To Excess Weight Gain During Pregnancy Among Low Income Women In Utah, Tianna Noelle Watson

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: To evaluate factors influencing excessive weight gain during pregnancy and changes in eating patterns from the pre-pregnancy period among low-income women (<185% poverty level). Design, Setting, & Participants: Low-income women who were at least 7-months pregnant and gained excess weight (n= 14) or normal weight (n=15) were interviewed. Questions pertained to previous nutritional knowledge, eating patterns, and sources for obtaining nutrition information.
Outcome Measures and Analysis: Transcripts were coded independently by two researchers, with any differences reconciled. Common themes were discussed and tallied to determine the most commonly re-occurring topics reported in the interviews.
Results: Most of the excess weight gainers …

Barriers And Facilitators To Prenatal Care For Pregnant Latina Women In Cobb County, Georgia, Carol Holtz, Annette Bairan

Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective

This research study seeks to identify factors that serve as barriers and/or facilitators to prenatal care for Latina women and to provide data to assist health care providers, health care agencies, and policy makers in developing programs that maximize access to prenatal care for Latina women. In addition, other groups may also find this data useful, such as scholars in Latin American studies, immigration, cultural diversity, minority health care, and health care in general. The research questions consist of the following: (1) What do indigent pregnant (or recently delivered) Latina women believe about prenatal care? (2) What are the barriers …

The Association Between Prenatal Care Content And Quality With Preterm Birth And Maternal Postpartum Health Behaviors, Susan Cha

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Health policies that seek to improve pregnancy outcomes focus on increasing the availability and access to prenatal care (PNC) services based on studies that support an association between insufficient PNC and adverse birth outcomes. These studies employ PNC utilization indices that measure the adequacy of PNC use, but these indices fail to account for the content or specific components of PNC. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to utilize PRAMS and birth certificate data to evaluate the content and quality of PNC in Virginia, and its impact on preterm birth and maternal postpartum health behaviors. Methods: Data was …

The Effects Of Aerobic Exercise On Embryonic And Fetal Development In The Pregnant Mare, Jason Anton

All Theses

Horses are natural athletes and are commonly competed during early pregnancy. Because horses have singleton pregnancies and are conditioned to human interaction, they may prove to be a useful model in lending greater understanding of the numerous etiologies of intra-uterine growth restriction that is found in women and other mammals. Currently, there has been little research conducted to determine the effects that stress, in the form of aerobic exercise, has on early embryonic and fetal development in the horse. More research is needed to further understand the effects that stress has on early conceptus development in the mare.
The research …

The Relationship Of Maternal Age, Trimester Of Entry Into Prenatal Care, Maternal Postpartum Depression, And Race With Birth Weight Of Infants Born In Cincinnati, Ohio, Kelli Kohake

Master of Public Health Program Student Publications

Healthcare, resources, and technology in the United States (U.S.) has improved, yet the U.S. ranks 29th in the world for the highest infant mortality rates – behind other less developed countries. Within the U.S., Ohio (and Hamilton County in particular) has high rates of infant mortality. Low birth weight and preterm births are a major cause of infant mortality. Data analysis was done consisting of descriptive statistics and Analysis of Variance of the prenatal patients served at the Cincinnati Health Department health centers who delivered in 2009, with dependent variables of birth weight and postpartum depression. Independent variables included maternal …

Effects Of Maternal Nutrition On Conceptus Growth And Offspring Performance: Implications For Beef Cattle Production, Richard N. Funston, David M. Larson, K. A. Vonnahme

West Central Research and Extension Center, North Platte

Developmental programming is the concept that a maternal stimulus or insult at a critical period in fetal development has long-term effects on the offspring. Historically, considerable effort has been made to understand how nutrition influences health and productivity during the postnatal period. Whereas maternal nutrition during pregnancy plays an essential role in proper fetal and placental development, less is known about how maternal nutrition affects the health and productivity of the offspring. Conceptus growth is sensitive to direct and indirect effects of maternal dietary intake. Even from the earliest stages of embryonic life, when nutrient requirements for conceptus growth are …

Effects Of Early Developmental Stress On Adult Physiology And Behavior, Michael James Frederick

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Events during early development can have long-term effects on physiology and behavior. While extreme developmental stress is known to be associated with a variety of behavioral problems, it is less well understood how milder stress may affect behavior, personality, and reproductive success. This research project assessed a variety of behavioral dimensions in a college age sample, while assessing early development using size at birth, fluctuating asymmetry, and retrospective surveys. Maternal stress during pregnancy was found to reduce adolescent growth spurts and adult handgrip strength in the offspring. In males, lower birth weights were associated with higher scores of impulsivity and …

Macular Pigment Optical Density During Pregnancy And Its Relationship To The Diet, Alicia Page

LSU Master's Theses

Women, compared to men, are at higher risk for age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of blindness in the elderly. The accumulation of dietary carotenoids, lutein (L) and zeaxanthin (Z) within the macula make up macular pigment and provide important protection to the retina. Macular pigment optical density (MPOD) gives a measure of macula pigment density. MPOD has been shown to be influenced by fruit and vegetable L and Z and docosahexanoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3), cold water marine fish being the dietary source. A high MPOD may protect against AMD. Intake of DHA by women is low (40-120 mg/d) …

Socio-Cultural Factors Influencing Male Involvement In Reproductive Health During Pregnancy, Childbirth And The Postnatal Period In Rural Districts Of Malawi, Jane Dzumbila-Namasasu

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This thesis focuses on socio cultural factors influencing male involvement in reproductive health during pregnancy, childbirth and the postnatal period in rural districts of Malawi. This research stems from my fourteen years of experience in designing and overseeing the implementation of reproductive health services in Malawi, which led me to question why men as partners/husbands are not considered in the design and implementation of such services. Men as partners/husbands bear witness to most of the reproductive health problems that women go through and they are in a position of power, making decisions for their families‟ welfare. In addition to men‟s …

Partner Violence During Pregnancy: Prevalence, Effects, Screening, And Management, Beth A. Bailey

ETSU Faculty Works

The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the current state of knowledge regarding the experience of intimate partner violence (IPV) during pregnancy. Pregnancy IPV is a significant problem worldwide, with rates varying significantly by country and maternal risk factors. Pregnancy IPV is associated with adverse newborn outcomes, including low birth weight and preterm birth. Many mechanisms for how IPV may impact birth outcomes have been proposed and include direct health, mental health, and behavioral effects, which all may interact. Screening for IPV during pregnancy is essential, yet due to time constraints and few clear recommendations for …

Association Between Birth Outcomes And Aflatoxin B1-Biomarker Levels Among Pregnant Women In Kumasi, Ghana, Faisal Mohammed Barbas Shuaib

All ETDs from UAB

Aflatoxins are fungal metabolites that contaminate staple food crops in many developing countries. Although studies have linked these toxins to adverse health outcomes, few studies have investigated the association between birth outcomes and aflatoxin B1-lysine adduct levels among pregnant women. The objective of this dissertation was to investigate the association between birth outcomes and aflatoxin B1- lysine adduct levels among pregnant women in Kumasi, Ghana. In a cross-sectional study of 755 pregnant women, Aflatoxin B1-lysine adduct (AF-ALB) levels were determined by High Performance Liquid Chromatography. AF-ALB associations were assessed as both continuous and categorical values. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was …

A Critical Appraisal Of Guidelines For Antenatal Care: Components Of Care And Priorities In Prenatal Education, Lisa Hanson, Leona Vandevusse, Joyce Roberts, Amanda Forristal

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

There are a variety of published prenatal care (PNC) guidelines that claim a scientific basis for the information included. Four sets of PNC guidelines published between 2005 and 2009 were examined and critiqued. The recommendations for assessment procedures, laboratory testing, and education/counseling topics were analyzed within and between these guidelines. The PNC components were synthesized to provide an organized, comprehensive appendix that can guide providers of antepartum care. The appendix may be used to locate which guidelines addressed which topics to assist practitioners to identify evidence sources. The suggested timing for introducing and reinforcing specific topics is also presented in …

Reducing Stillbirths: Behavioural And Nutritional Interventions Before And During Pregnancy., Mohammad Yawar Yakoob, Esme V Menezes, Tanya Soomro, Rachel A Haws, Gary L Darmstadt, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta

Woman and Child Health

Background:The vast majority of global stillbirths occur in low- and middle-income countries, and in many settings, the majority of stillbirths occur antenatally, prior to the onset of labour. Poor nutritional status, lack of antenatal care and a number of behaviours increase women's risk of stillbirth in many resource-poor settings. Interventions to reduce these risks could reduce the resulting burden of stillbirths, but the evidence for the impact of such interventions has not yet been comprehensively evaluated.

Methods:

This second paper of a systematic review of interventions that could plausibly impact stillbirth rates covers 12 different interventions relating to behavioural …

Reproductive Desires And Intentions Among Hiv-Infected Individuals In Chennai, India, Elizabeth Houle

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

Despite the personal and cultural importance of childbearing in India, limited information exists on the extent of childbearing desires and intentions among HIV-infected individuals in this setting. The purpose of this study was to measure the extent of childbearing desires among HIV-infected individuals in Chennai, India, thereby testing the hypothesis that HIV significantly influences the desire to have children. Three hundred HIV-infected individuals were interviewed about childbearing desires and intentions during routine visits for HIV care at an HIV specialty care clinic in Chennai, South India. Sixteen percent of participants expressed desire for childbearing, and 9% expressed intention to have …

Antenatal Peer Support Workers And Initiation Of Breast Feeding: Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial, Christine Macarthur, Kate Jolly, Lucy Annang Ingram Phd, Nick Freemantle, Cindy-Lee Dennis, Ros Hamburger, Julia Brown, Jackie Chambers, Khalid Khan

Faculty Publications

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness of an antenatal service using community based breastfeeding peer support workers on initiation of breast feeding. DESIGN: Cluster randomised controlled trial. SETTING: Community antenatal clinics in one primary care trust in a multiethnic, deprived population. PARTICIPANTS: 66 antenatal clinics with 2511 pregnant women: 33 clinics including 1140 women were randomised to receive the peer support worker service and 33 clinics including 1371 women were randomised to receive standard care. INTERVENTION: An antenatal peer support worker service planned to comprise a minimum of two contacts with women to provide advice, information, and support from approximately 24 …

Pursuing The Perfect Mother: Why America's Criminalization Of Maternal Substance Abuse Is Not The Answer- A Compartive Legal Analysis, Linda C. Fentiman

Michigan Journal of Gender & Law

In this Article the author will examine not only the substantive legal differences between the United States, Canada, and France, but will also explore how these legal rules fit within a broader social, political, and religious setting. This Article will pursue four lines of inquiry. First, it will briefly chronicle the history of criminal prosecution of pregnant women in America and show how these prosecutions have become markedly more aggressive over the last twenty years. Second, it will situate these prosecutions in the full context of American law and culture, demonstrating how the fetus has received increasing legal recognition in …

Calling A Spade A Spade: Maternal Mortality As A Human Rights Violation, Luisa Cabal, Morgan Stoffregen

Human Rights Brief

No abstract provided.

Implications Of Going Against The Dogma Of Feed Them To Breed Them, A. J. Roberts, E. E. Grings, M. D. Macneil, R. C. Waterman, L. Alexander, T. W. Geary

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Effects of providing differing levels of harvested feed during postweaning development and subsequent winters on reproduction, BW, BCS, and calf BW were evaluated in heifers produced over a 7-yr period from dams fed levels of harvested feed from Dec to March that were expected to be marginal (MARG) or adequate (ADEQ), based on average quality and availability of winter forage. Heifers were either fed to appetite (CON) or restricted fed at 80 % of that consumed by CON on common BW basis (REST) for 140-d period from about 2 mo after weaning to 1 mo before breeding. Heifers were managed …

Answering The Millennium Call For The Right To Maternal Health: The Need To Eliminate User Fees, Margaux J. Hall, Aziza Ahmed, Stephanie E. Swanson

Faculty Scholarship

Complications during childbirth and pregnancy are a main source of death and disability among women of reproductive age. Approximately 536,000 women die from pregnancy-related complications each year. Developing countries suffer most profoundly, accounting for 99% of deaths. The world's nations, by endorsing U.N. Millennium Development Goals, recognized that most deaths are preventable; they have pledged to reduce maternal mortality by 75% by 2015. This Article assesses the barriers presented by user fees - formal charges for health services still charged by many countries - to the attainment of MDGs. It shows that user fees hamper healthcare access, particularly in emergency …

Understanding A Woman's Moral Obligation To Her Fetus: Maternal-Fetal Conflict As A Covenant Relationship, Marianne Burda

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Maternal-fetal conflict refers to a perceived incompatibility between the interests of a pregnant woman and her fetus. Maternal-fetal conflict occurs when a pregnant woman declines a medical treatment or procedure that her physician believes is necessary to benefit her fetus. In some situations, the pregnant woman's health is also at risk. The question explored in this dissertation is: what is the pregnant woman's moral obligation to her fetus when a cesarean section is recommended to save the life of or to prevent serious harm to her term viable fetus? The pregnant woman's life is not endangered.

Inconsistencies exist between normative …

Methadone For Treatment Of Pregnant Opiate Addicted Women: Is There A Safer Alternative? A Review Of Literature, Holly L. Tichelkamp, Thomas G. Parish

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Methadone is commonly used for the treatment of pregnant opiate-addicts. But, it can have severe effects on the neonate including Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome, increased length of stay in the neonatal intensive care unit, and intrauterine growth retardation. Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome includes neurological excitability, gastrointestinal dysfunction, and autonomic signs. Because of these adverse effects, studies have been conducted to determine what can help reduce the severe complications caused by methadone. Varied dosages of methadone and alternative medications, such as buprenorphine, slow-release morphine, and others have been studied. Most of the alternative medications, especially buprenorphine, are gaining popularity in Europe where there …

Preterm Birth Rates In Pregnant Women With Sexually Transmitted Infections: Cincinnati Public Health Centers 2005 And 2006 Deliveries, Elizabeth Singhoffer

Master of Public Health Program Student Publications

Objective: To evaluate the differences in prenatal maternal infections in women served by the City of Cincinnati health centers that have or have not had a preterm birth.

Methods: A retrospective and observational study of medical records of 738 patients seen at the City of Cincinnati health centers, who delivered in the years of 2005 and 2006. The usable data resulted in 668 total subjects. Data collected included types of health care visits prior to index pregnancy, if preconception/ reproductive health care was discussed, demographics, gestational age at first prenatal visit and at delivery, insurance at first prenatal visit and …

The Roles Of Nutrition And Psychosocial Stress In A Causal Model Of Maternal Prenatal Depressive Symptoms, Amrita Roy

Digitized Theses

BACKGROUND: Prenatal depression is a significant public health concern. OBJECTIVES: To contextualize the roles of zinc intake, psychosocial stress and baseline sociodemographic factors, as they inter-relate in the development of depressive symptoms, in a cohort of pregnant women from London (ON). HYPOTHESES: 1) Psychosocial stress serves as a partial mediator between baseline sociodemographic factors and zinc intake; 2) Zinc intake serves as a partial mediator between baseline sociodemographic factors and the development of depressive symptoms, and between psychosocial stress and the development of depressive symptoms. METHODS: Data were from the Prenatal Health Project. Regression methods were used. Baron and Kenny …

The Roles Of Nutrition And Psychosocial Stress In A Causal Model Of Maternal Prenatal Depressive Symptoms, Amrita Roy

Digitized Theses

BACKGROUND: Prenatal depression is a significant public health concern. OBJECTIVES: To contextualize the roles of zinc intake, psychosocial stress and baseline sociodemographic factors, as they inter-relate in the development of depressive symptoms, in a cohort of pregnant women from London (ON). HYPOTHESES: 1) Psychosocial stress serves as a partial mediator between baseline sociodemographic factors and zinc intake; 2) Zinc intake serves as a partial mediator between baseline sociodemographic factors and the development of depressive symptoms, and between psychosocial stress and the development of depressive symptoms. METHODS: Data were from the Prenatal Health Project. Regression methods were used. Baron and Kenny …

Nonobstetric Laparoscopy Versus Laparotomy During Pregnancy: Maternal And Fetal Outcomes, Jeannine Ruby

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

The purpose of this study was to compare maternal and fetal outcomes between nonobstetric laparoscopy and laparotomy during pregnancy at Yale-New Haven Hospital. A retrospective chart review was conducted of all nonobstetric intraabdominal surgeries during pregnancy at Yale-New Haven Hospital between 1987 and 2007. Of 159 potential cases, 103 cases (57 laparoscopies, 46 laparotomies) fit the criteria for analysis. Data were collected for the maternal surgical admission, maternal delivery admission, and infant outcome for both groups, and were then analyzed using Statistical Analysis Software (SAS) Version 9.1. There was no difference in age or BMI between groups. Mean gestational age …

Pregnancy, Medicaid, State Regulation, And The Production Of Unruly Bodies, Khiara M. Bridges

Northwestern Journal of Law & Social Policy

This paper represents a concretization of thoughts generated during a year and a half of anthropological fieldwork in the obstetrics clinic of a large, public hospital located on the . As a condition of receipt of Medicaid coverage of prenatal care expenses, poor, uninsured pregnant women are compelled to meet with a battery of professionalsnamely nutritionists, social workers, health educators, and financial officerswho inquire into areas of women's lives that frequently exceed the realm of the medical. This paper argues that, as a result, Medicaid mandates an intrusion into women's private lives and produces pregnancy as an opportunity for state …

Timing Of Fetal Exposure To Stress Hormones: Effects On Newborn Physical And Neuromuscular Maturation, Lauren M. Ellman, Christine Dunkel Schetter, Calvin J. Hobel, Aleksandra Chicz-Demet, Laura M. Glynn, Curt A. Sandman

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

The purpose of the study was to determine the specific periods during pregnancy in which human fetal exposure to stress hormones affects newborn physical and neuromuscular maturation. Blood was collected from 158 women at 15, 19, 25, and 31 weeks' gestation. Levels of placental corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and maternal cortisol were determined from plasma. Newborns were evaluated with the New Ballard Maturation Score. Results indicated that increases in maternal cortisol at 15, 19, and 25 weeks and increases in placental CRH at 31 weeks were significantly associated with decreases in infant maturation among mates (even after con trolling for length …