Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Use Of Electroacupuncture For Cervical Ripening In Pregnant Women, Becky A. Nauta

Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compare cervical ripening outcomes, based on Bishop scoring methodology, of pregnant women receiving usual care treatment (UC) with those receiving electroacupuncture plus UC. A sample of 36 pregnant women completing their 39^th week of gestation was randomized into one of the two groups. The women in the UC group continued to meet with their provider on a weekly basis until delivery. The women in the electroacupuncture plus usual care group met with their provider on a weekly basis and also received electroacupuncture treatments: three in the 39th gestational week and two in …

Gestational Weight Gain And Maternal Health Among Hispanic Women, Megan W. Harvey

Doctoral Dissertations

More than 70% of women do not gain within their target range of gestational weight gain (GWG), as recommended by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) in 2009. Risks associated with inadequate GWG include small-for-gestational age, low birthweight, pre-term birth, and difficulty establishing breastfeeding. Risks associated with excessive GWG include large-for-gestational-age, macrosomia, and delivery complications. There are also long-term consequences for maternal and fetal metabolic processes. Higher pre-pregnancy BMI, lower education level, and higher parity are known risk factors for excessive GWG. There are also possible racial / ethnic differences, and Hispanic women, in particular, may be at high risk for …

Assessment Of Micronutrient Status In Pregnant Malawian Women Before And After Treatment For Moderate Malnutrition, Cambria M. Glosz

Master's Theses

Background: Multiple micronutrient deficiencies are prevalent in pregnant women in developing countries and can result in adverse effects to both the mother and infant. Multiple micronutrient supplements or supplementary foods may be a way to combat micronutrient deficiencies.

Objective: To assess change in micronutrient and protein levels in moderately malnourished pregnant Malawian women after receiving one of three nutritional interventions.

Methods: Serum retinol, 25-hydroxyvitamin D, ferritin, vitamin B₁₂, folate, zinc, albumin and C-reactive protein concentrations were measured in pregnant women with MUAC >20.6 cm and

Results: Baseline micronutrient concentrations indicated high rates of deficiency …

Human Papillomavirus And Its Impact On Vulnerable Populations, Harpriya Kaur

Theses & Dissertations

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection. The infection is higher in certain racial/ethnic groups and those who are immunocompromised including pregnant women. Because immune system is suppressed during pregnancy, women are at higher risk of various types of infection including HPV, a known risk factor for pregnancy complications. However, its role in adverse pregnancy outcomes is unclear. Another high risk population is Northern Plain American Indian. In the Northern Plains region, American Indian women have significantly higher rate of HPV infection than white counterparts and are infected with different types of HPVs than the general population. …

Examining The High Rate Of Infant Mortality Among Minorities In Norristown, Pa, Wendy Kaye

Graduate Theses & Dissertations

Background: According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) (2016), infant mortality is defined as “the death of a baby before his or her first birthday”. The statistics provided by the CDC (2016) state that 23,440 infants died in the US in 2013. Racial and ethnic minorities experience higher rates of infant mortality than White people. In Norristown, PA, between 2008 and 2012, the rate of infant death for African Americans was 25 percent, versus 15 percent for their Caucasian counterparts.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the reasons for high infant mortality, with the goal of …

Preeclampsia: The Roles Of Acute Inflammation And Intrauterine Stress, Nicholas Parchim

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Preeclampsia (PE) is a severe, acute disease of pregnancy affecting approximately 8% of pregnant women after week 20 of gestation. PE is characterized by hypertension and renal damage reflected by proteinuria and has significant morbidity to both mother and fetus. Maternal symptoms range from headaches, nausea, edema, to visual changes, but once maternal symptoms present, damage to the fetus has begun. Mothers who progress untreated through the disease can also experience a condition called eclampsia characterized by seizure, coma, and, ultimately, death. PE-affected newborns experience features similar to prematurity—abnormal lung and renal development, intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR), and, possibly, fetal …

Psychological And Sociocultural Influences Of Current And Historical Intimate Partner Violence In Pregnancy, Cindy D. Phillips

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 1.5 million women are victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) each year, and 324,000 of these women are pregnant (2013). Research on the predictability of certain factors and their relationship to current and historical IPV is limited. In order to better understand IPV as it related to a sample of 1,016 Appalachian pregnant women selected for the Tennessee Interventions for Pregnant Smokers (TIPS), it was important to evaluate various influences that may predict the prevalence of IPV in this population when compared to the State of Tennessee and the U.S. …

Antenatal Depressive Symptoms And Antidepressant Use In Pregnancy, Jerry Yu-Hsiang Chen

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Review of the current literature reveals inconsistent findings on potential associations between antidepressant use during pregnancy and adverse fetal and child health and development. This study aims to examine the effect of antenatal SSRI exposure on several neonatal (preterm birth, small- and large-for-gestational age, Apgar score, and neonatal intensive care unit admission) and child developmental outcomes (measured by Ages and Stages Questionnaire) while controlling for confounding by indication. Data were obtained from the Prenatal Health Project, a longitudinal cohort study of 2,357 women in London, Ontario. Results from univariable analysis discovered that infants exposed to in utero SSRIs were more …

The Potential Benefits And Risks Of Antidepressant, Antipsychotic And/Or Mood Stabilizing Medications Use In Pregnancy: A Critical Review Of The Literature, Brittany Kaye Schultz

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Medication use in pregnancy walks a fine line between safety of the mother and adverse effects in the developing fetus. Medications are prescribed to either help the mother maintain mental stability or they are discontinued out of fear of fetal harm. Many providers hope that the shift in hormones during pregnancy will fulfill the medications requirement in the non-pregnant state but this is not always the case. Is a discontinuation in medications upon a positive pregnancy test warranted? Purpose: To determine if antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, and antidepressants should be continued or discontinued during pregnancy or if they negatively impact …

The Use Of Supplemental Progesterone In Preventing Preterm Birth In High-Risk Women: A Critical Review Of The Literature, Leah Marie Schroeder

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Twelve percent of births in the United States occur before 37 weeks of gestation and therefore are considered preterm births (Norwitz, 2015). While the ability to identify women at risk for preterm birth has improved dramatically over the past three decades, the application of primary and secondary interventions has failed to reduce the incidence of preterm delivery, which has actually been on the rise (Norwitz, 2015). Preterm birth is a phenomenon that needs to be reduced not only in the United States, but also across the world. Purpose: To determine to what extent the use of supplemental progesterone in …

Non-Antibiotic Alternatives For Reducing Antepartum Group B Streptococcus Colonization, Rebecca M. Smith

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Streptococcus agalactiae (known as Group B strep, or GBS) is a bacterium that resides in the gastrointestinal tract and/or vaginal canal and is typically benign, but during pregnancy and birth it can potentially colonize the neonate, causing early-onset group B streptococcal disease (EOGBSD) of the neonate. The use of antibiotics has reduced the morbidity and mortality associated with neonatal infections, but it is not an entirely effective means of preventing the infections and the development of antibiotic resistance may render antibiotics ineffective for this purpose. Alternative methods of preventing GBS colonization are in use by consumers and out-of-hospital birth …

Does Oral Gabapentin Administered Prior To Scheduled Cesarean Delivery Decrease Pain With Movement In Adult Women At 24 Hours As Compared To Placebo?, Ashley E. Boller

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective evidence based medicine review is to determine whether or not oral gabapentin administered prior to scheduled cesarean delivery decreases pain with movement in adult women at 24 hours postpartum as compared to placebo.

STUDY DESIGN: Review of three English language, peer-reviewed, primary studies published after 2000.

DATA SOURCES: Three randomized, placebo-controlled trials comparing the efficacy of oral gabapentin to a lactose placebo in adult women undergoing elective cesarean delivery. Sources were selected from PubMed, Medline, Ovid, and the Cochrane Database to include all studies matching the keywords that were published in peer-reviewed, English language …

Does Aerobic Exercise During Pregnancy Prevent Cesarean Sections?, Kait Lassen

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not aerobic exercise in pregnant women prevents cesarean sections (“C-sections”).

STUDY DESIGN: Review of two English articles and one English/Portuguese article, two of which were randomized control trials (RCTs) and one was a prospective study, all published after 2011.

DATA SOURCES: Two RCTs and one prospective study found via PubMed and Cochrane Database.

OUTCOMES MEASURED: The main clinical outcome in all studies measured the incidence of C-section as compared to vaginal delivery. The outcomes were measured by method of delivery which was categorized as either vaginally or …

Referral And Treatment Settings For Pregnant Women, Linda D. O'Daniel

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Drug and alcohol addiction in pregnant women is a significant public health issue. The purpose of this study was to assess drug and alcohol addiction in pregnant women and the setting in which they sought service or treatment to determine whether U.S. census regions and race data could predict the type of addiction service or treatment that pregnant addicts chose. The theories of self-efficacy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and rational emotive behavioral therapy were used as the theoretical framework for this study. The research questions were used to examine whether there was a relationship between the source of addiction treatment referral …

Life Events, Initial Sexual Behaviors, And Teenage Pregnancy Among African American Females, Yonzetta Brook Tillman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teenage pregnancy is disproportionate between African American and Caucasian females. This disproportion is notable because African American teenagers are 3 times more likely to become pregnant than their Caucasian counterparts are. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a relationship exists among major life events, sexual behaviors, and resultant teenage pregnancy among African American females in the United States. The theoretical framework for this study was social learning theory. Three key research questions focused on relationships among (a) major life events and initial sexual behavior, (b) ethnicity, and (c) teenage pregnancy. Independent variables were life event and ethnicity, …

Implementation And Evaluation Of Dietary Modification With Gestational Diabetes, Celia T. Ojeaga

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) negatively affects the health of both mothers and babies, and is the most common pregnancy complication in the United States. Many dietary modification programs for pregnant women diagnosed with GDM rely on a one-size-fits-all approach to menu planning. The purpose of this project was to develop a diet modification program for GDM management using a patient-centered approach. The project objective was to develop the policies, procedures, and supporting documents needed to implement a successful GDM management program for pregnant women receiving antenatal care at an obstetrical clinic. The developed program incorporated strategies for clinic nursing staff …

Influence Of Thyroid Disorders On Pregnancy Outcomes, Brittany Sullivan

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: The objective of this thesis is to investigate the effects of maternal thyroid dysfunction on maternal pregnancy outcomes.

Setting and Participants: The NICHD Consecutive Pregnancy data set contains information on a total of 114,679 pregnancies from 51,086 women who delivered ≥ 20 weeks of gestation. The data come from 20 different hospitals throughout the state of Utah and were collected between the years of 2002 to 2010.

Main Outcomes: Main outcomes of interest included: breech presentation, chorioamnionitis, gestational diabetes, gestational hypertension, hemorrhage, inductions, placental abruption, placental previa, preterm birth, premature rupture of membranes (PROM), preeclampsia, and …

Maternal Surgery Or Anesthesia Use During Pregnancy And The Risk Of Adverse Birth Outcomes In The National Birth Defects Prevention Study, 1997-2009, Youjung Byun

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Background: 50,000 to 75,000 pregnant women are estimated to undergo surgery during pregnancy. This number comprises of 1.5 to 2 percent of the total confirmed pregnancies. Considering most pregnancies are unintended (49%), the number of women undergoing surgery unaware of the pregnancy is expected to be higher than the historical estimate. This study objective is to identify the characteristics of mothers who undergo surgery and assess the association between surgery or anesthesia exposure and the risk of adverse birth outcomes.

Early Life Events And Motor Development: A Longitudinal Study, Tegan Grace

Theses

Longitudinal studies are important to fully understand the processes of neurological development during gestation and how risk factors present during this time impact motor development outcomes, yet few to date have focused on this critical time period.

The purpose of this study was to identify modifiable risk factors influencing motor development during the prenatal period. Of particular interest was finding out whether these risk factors differed between the sexes.

Participants (N=2900) were from the Western Australian Pregnancy Cohort (Raine) Study. The Raine Study began in May 1989 and women were recruited between 16-20 weeks gestation (m = 18 weeks) from …

Malaria, Changes In Angiogenesis Factors, Cytokine Profiles And Birth Outcomes, John A. Keenan

All ETDs from UAB

Malaria remains an important public health problem, with over three billion people at risk of infection and as many as 214 million new cases each year. Of particular concern is the effect Plasmodium falciparum malaria has on reproductive health. Malaria is responsible for a wide array of adverse birth outcomes including infant death, low birth weight, preterm delivery and small for gestational age. The mechanism by which malaria influences adverse birth outcomes remains poorly understood. Cross-sectional data from 291 women delivering infants in Ghana are used to investigate whether malaria during pregnancy was associated with select cytokines or angiogenesis factors …