Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Role Of Mitochondrial Dysfunction In Causing Hypertension During Pregnancy As Observed In The Rupp Model Of Preeclampsia, Michael Franks

Honors Theses

Preeclampsia (PE) is a disease characterized by new-onset hypertension in the third trimester of pregnancy, endothelial dysfunction, and placental ischemia. Contributory to these characteristics are circulating factors such as agonistic autoantibodies to the angiotensin I type II receptor (AT1-AA), CD4+ T cells, natural killer cells (NK), and oxidative stress, which I will show to contribute to renal and placental mitochondrial dysfunction during pregnancy. The adoptive transfer of CD4+ T cells from the Reduced Uterine Perfusion Pressure (RUPP) rat model of PE to a healthy normal pregnant rat has been shown to result in many of these characteristics, including AT1-AA production. …

Assessing The Impact Of Covid-19 Restrictions On The Perinatal Experience In Mississippi, Baylee Grimsley

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study is to assess how COVID-19 restrictions affected the perinatal experience of women in Mississippi. A flyer detailing the purpose and inclusion criteria of the study was sent via social media platforms. Five postpartum women from the Hattiesburg, Mississippi area participated in this study. Eight open-ended questions were asked in an interview format, and a seven-question demographic survey was given to each participant at the conclusion of the interview. Five restrictions related to COVID-19 were identified: visitor restrictions in the hospital, mask requirements in healthcare facilities, screening of patients upon admission to the Labor and Delivery …

An Examination Of The Association Between State Medicaid Perinatal Services And Birth Outcomes, Joy Morgan Myers

Honors Theses

This thesis investigated the connection between socioeconomic status, healthcare coverage, and birth outcomes. The research question that was posed specifically looked at twenty perinatal services that states covered under Medicaid to varying degrees to see their association, if any, with premature birth rates and low birthweight rates. State-level and Mississippi county-level data were compiled regarding preterm birth rates, low birthweight rates, presumptive eligibility adoption, and coverage of twenty different perinatal services. Using these data, the correlation between state Medicaid expansion status and birth outcomes was first calculated in order to determine if variation in birth outcomes was associated with expanded …

The Nightmare Before Delivery: A Study Of Nightmares, Depressive Symptoms, And Suicidality In Pregnant Women, Denise Frantz

Honors Theses

Pregnancy is notoriously a time of immense changes. Some of which are characterized by disturbances in sleep such as trouble falling asleep, trouble staying asleep, waking after sleep onset, snoring, leg discomfort, and nightmares (Foley, Ancoli-Israel, Britz, and Walsh, 2004; Lee and Gay, 2004; Köthe & Pietrowsky, 2001). Nightmares specifically have been associated with depressive symptoms and suicidality in non-pregnant individuals (Cukrowicz et al., 2006; Tanskanen et al., 2001), but these relations are not as well understood in the pregnant population. The aim of this study was to assess any potential relation between nightmares and depressive symptoms and suicidality in …

Socioeconomic Status And Symptoms Of Anxiety And Depression In Pregnant Women, Meagan Mandabach

Honors Theses

Pregnancy is a period of great change in a woman’s body as her baby develops. During this period, women commonly experience symptoms of anxiety (Dennis et al., 2017) and depression (Shidhaye & Giri, 2014). Literature has suggested that socioeconomic status (SES) can contribute to the severity at which pregnant women experience anxiety and depression (Arora & Aeri, 2019; Field et al., 2008; Shagufta & Shams, 2019), and women of low socioeconomic status may be more likely to experience symptoms of anxiety and depression during pregnancy (Field et al., 2008). The present study aimed to assess the relationships between household income …

Assessment Of The Nutrition Knowledge And Nutrition Practices Of Crisis Pregnancy Center Clients, Sarah Harger

Honors Theses

Nutrition affects people's health. People often suffer illnesses and premature death that are largely due to poor dietary choices. Some people are aware that they are eating foods that are harmful and others eat poorly out of ignorance. Pregnancy is a time during the lifecycle when nutritional intake is of particular importance. Good choices can promote health and prevent major health problems or even death for the mother and the baby.

Many people are unaware of the benefits or consequences caused by the food they eat. Particularly low-income people may not be exposed to nutrition education. Many young people are …