Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Rural Heterosexual Female Adolescents' Decision-Making About Sexual Intercourse And Pregnancy In Ontario, Paulina Ezer

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Rural areas in Ontario tend to have higher rates of adolescent pregnancy. A constructivist grounded theory methodology was used to gain an in-depth understanding of rural female adolescents’ decision-making process regarding sexual intercourse and their reproductive health, and how they view rural factors and circumstances influencing this process. The adolescent sexual decision-making process that emerged from the analysis involved prioritizing four influences that affect and are affected by the rural context: personal values and circumstances, family values and expectations, friends’ influences, and community influences. Findings will improve our understanding of how rural female adolescents make choices regarding their reproductive health. …

The Influence Of Maternal Contexts On Infant Outcomes, Secondary Analysis Of Wpcr Data 2000-2010, Mary Roseanne Butler

Theses and Dissertations

Congenital heart defects (CHD) are the most prevalent birth defect in the world and occur in approximately 6-8 of every 1,000 live births (Hoffman & Kaplan, 2002). CHD continues to be one of the leading causes of infant morbidity and mortality today. Five to ten percent of all cases of CHD can be attributed to a chromosomal abnormality, 3%-5% are linked to single gene defects, and approximately 2% are a result of known environmental factors (Clark, 2001). With only 10%-15% of the causes of CHD are understood, the remaining 85%-90% of all CHD cases, the etiologies remain unknown. The purpose …

Cancer Diagnosis During Pregnancy: Evaluating The Challenges Faced By Oncologists, Shannon Kaye Mulligan

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Cancer during pregnancy is occurring more often than in the past, and it is estimated that cancer is diagnosed in approximately 1/1000 pregnancies. A consensus exists that management of these patients should prioritize survival of the mother and minimize teratogenic effects to the fetus, and utilize a multidisciplinary approach, involving medical oncology, surgical oncology, radiation oncology, radiology, and a maternal fetal medicine specialist. In spite of this consensus, there is not a standardized approach for treating cancer in women diagnosed during pregnancy. Due to the relative infrequency of this situation in the oncologic setting, the aims of this study were …

Cervical Remodeling/Ripening At Term And Preterm Delivery: The Same Mechanism Initiated By Different Mediators And Different Effector Cells, Juan Miguel Gonzalez Velez

Wayne State University Dissertations

Premature cervical remodeling/ripening is believed to contribute to preterm delivery (PTD), the leading cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality. Despite considerable research, the causes of term and PTD remain unclear, and there is no effective treatment for PTD. We tested the hypothesis that complement activation plays a role in cervical remodeling and PTD. We studied cervical remodeling at term.

We studied two mouse models of inflammation-induced PTD. The first model was induced by vaginal administration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)and the second one by administration of progesterone antagonist RU486. Increased cervical C3 deposition and macrophage infiltration and increased serum C3adesArg and C5adesArg …

Does Supplementation Of N-3 Fatty Acids Containing Dha Throughout Pregnancy And Breastfeeding Improve Child Cognition?, Bianca E. Parenti

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not the supplementation of N-3 fatty acids containing DHA throughout pregnancy and breastfeeding improve child cognition.

STUDY DESIGN: Review of three double blind randomized controlled clinical trials (RCTs) published in 2003 and 2011.

DATA SOURCES: Three peer-reviewed RCTs were found using PubMed and Medline. These studies compared DHA supplementation against various placebos.

OUTCOMES MEASURED: enhanced child cognition was assessed via various exams, including the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC) and Fagan tests. Significant outcomes were evaluated through the use of SD, Mean …

Associations Of Maternal Socio-Demographic And Psychosocial Characteristics With Alcohol Use During Pregnancy, Nneoma Adaobi Ilogu

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Alcohol is reported to be one of the most used legal substances among women of reproductive age, and its use during pregnancy is one of the most preventable causes of birth defects and developmental disabilities.1 Due to its teratogenic nature, alcohol use during pregnancy has been associated with a condition referred to as Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD).2 This comprises of a wide spectrum of disorders such as Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), alcohol-related birth defects, and alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorders, which are estimated to affect 1% of all births in the United States and can be prevented through the modification of …

Are There Benefits Of Smoking Reduction During Pregnancy? Smoking Status Of Pregnant Women And The Effect On Pre-Term Delivery, Kelli Ann Mclane

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Premature delivery is defined as a baby born before thirty-­‐seven completed weeks of pregnancy. Premature delivery can result in a longer hospital stay after delivery compared to babies born at full-­‐term.1 Babies born before 37 gestational weeks also have a greater potential for health problems such as acute respiratory, gastrointestinal, immunologic, central nervous system, hearing, and vision problems, as well as longer-­‐term motor, cognitive, visual, hearing, behavioral, social-­‐emotional, health, and growth problems.2 Premature births can impact at the individual level and at a societal level. “The birth of a preterm infant can bring considerable emotional and economic costs to families …

Impact Of Positive And Negative Health Behaviors On Female Mice And/Or Their Offspring, Kristen M. Platt

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences

Obesity is an ever-growing concern in the developed world that carries with it a plethora of health issues. For example, obesity increases an individual’s risk for Type 2 Diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Pregnancy is a vital time for a woman to maintain optimal health, both for her own benefit as well as that of her offspring, and yet almost half of women in the United States who are of age to bear children are overweight or obese. In mice, we found that offspring born to dams fed a high fat diet did not have impaired glucose tolerance, contrary to our …

Is Music Therapy A Complementary Treatment Option For Perinatal Women Experiencing Stress And Anxiety?, Samantha L. Wallace Mph

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not music therapy is a complementary treatment option for perinatal women experiencing stress and anxiety.

STUDY DESIGN: Literature review of three English language studies, published between 2006 and present.

DATA SOURCES: Three randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were found using a search of Pubmed, Medline, OVID, and Cochrane databases. These studies analyzed the use of a music therapy intervention among pregnant or postpartum women suffering stress, anxiety and/or depression.

OUTCOMES MEASURED: The outcomes of interest include stress, anxiety and severity of depression symptoms. Outcomes …

Formaldehyde Exposure In Pregnant Women And Its Relationship To Fetal Growth, Azita Amiri

All ETDs from UAB

Formaldehyde exposure during pregnancy has been linked to adverse pregnancy outcomes such as poor fetal growth, although few studies have examined formaldehyde exposure during pregnancy and its relationship to fetal growth. The purpose of this study was to determine the level of formaldehyde exposure during pregnancy and examine the relationship between formaldehyde exposure and fetal growth. Formaldehyde exposure was examined, using vapor monitor badge and urine formic acid, in 140 women in their second trimester of pregnancy. One time urine samples were collected during a routine prenatal visit, and women wore the vapor badges for 24 hours. Fetal growth was …

The Comparative Effectiveness Of Group Prenatal Care On Women's Psychosocial Health, Emily Heberlein

Theses and Dissertations

Background: High rates of adverse birth outcomes persist in the United States despite increased access to individual prenatal care (IPNC). Psychosocial factors influence birth outcomes and affect infant and child development and maternal functioning. Group prenatal care (GPNC) combines individual physical assessments and facilitated group education and support. Studies of GPNC show promising results, including lowered preterm birth rates, but the GPNC psychosocial mechanisms influencing birth outcomes are unclear.

Methods: Surveys at study enrollment (N=248), late pregnancy, and six weeks postpartum assessed psychosocial effects of each PNC model. Multiple regression models and planned moderator analyses tested whether GPNC participants had …