Nursing Midwifery Commons^™

Maternal Prenatal Anxiety And Risk Of Preterm Birth And Low Birthweight: Evidence From A Cumulative Meta-Analysis With Stability Thresholds, Bereket Duko, Desta, Biniyam Sahiledengle, Yohannes Tekalegn Efa, Tenaw Tiruye, Lisa Whitehead, Gavin Pereira, Amanuel Tesfay Gebremedhin

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: We conducted cumulative meta-analyses to quantify the degree to which maternal prenatal anxiety impacts preterm birth (PTB) and low birthweight (LBW), and to identify when findings reached stability, enabling confident recommendations for early interventions. Methods: Following PRISMA guidelines, we systematically searched PubMed/MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Scopus, EMBASE, CINAHL (EBSCO), ProQuest, and the Cochrane Library from database inception to May 7, 2025. The methodological quality of included studies was assessed using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. Inverse variance weighted random-effects cumulative meta-analysis was performed to pool adjusted odds ratios (AORs) with sequential inclusion of newly published studies. Stability thresholds were computed to assess sufficiency …

Too Young, Too Risky: Maternal And Neonatal Outcomes Of Teenage Pregnancy In Pakistan, A Scoping Review, Sumia Andleeb Abbasi, Noor E Marfa Shivji, Warisha Qamar, Tayyaba Riaz Abbasi, Abdullah Riaz Abbasi, Raja Adan Asif

Journal of Asian Midwives (JAM)

Introduction: Teenage pregnancy is a global concern that affects both the developed and developing regions. Adolescent pregnancy is associated with serious maternal and child health outcomes. This paper aims to identify the prevalence and patterns of maternal child health outcome of adolescent’s pregnancies.
Methods: This review utilized the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. To identify the outcomes of the adolescent pregnancies, a wide-ranging search strategy was implemented. Data were extracted from 15 eligible studies with a total population of 5692participants from Pakistan. The studies included maternal characteristics, mode of delivery, and neonatal outcomes. Only quantitative methods were included.
Results: The review of 15 …

Determinants Of Poor Perinatal Outcomes Among Babies Born Of Mothers With Preeclampsia At Mama Lucky Kibaki Hospital, Nairobi County, Sarah Wambui Chege

MSc in Advanced Practice Midwifery

Background: Preeclampsia is a life-threatening pregnancy illness characterised by the onset of hypertension in a non-hypertensive woman after 20 weeks of pregnancy. Studies have connected preeclampsia to significant adverse effects on the mother and the newborn, a common obstetric emergency in Kenya. Determinants of poor perinatal outcomes in babies born to preeclamptic mothers have not been intensively investigated.

Objective: The study evaluated the determinants of perinatal outcomes among neonates born to mothers diagnosed with preeclampsia at Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital between July 2021 and June 2022.

Methodology: A quantitative retrospective cross-sectional inquiry was conducted. Data reviewed comprised …

Saliva Cortisol Diurnal Variation And Stress Responses In Term And Preterm Infants, David Q. Stoye, James P. Boardman, Clive Osmond, Gemma Sullivan, Gillian Lamb, Gill S. Black, Natalie Z. M. Homer, Nina Nelson, Elvar Theodorsson, Evalotte Mörelius, Rebecca M. Reynolds

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Objective:

To determine if preterm birth is associated with adaptation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis and whether HPA axis programming relates to the degree of prematurity (defined as extremely preterm birth at < 28 weeks or very preterm birth at 28–32 weeks gestation).

Design:

This study reports findings from a prospective birth cohort. Saliva cortisol concentrations were measured prevaccination and postvaccination, and in the morning and evening, at 4 months chronological age.

Setting:

Infants born at a single Scottish hospital.

Participants:

45 term-born, 42 very preterm and 16 extremely preterm infants.

Outcomes:

Cortisol stress response to vaccination (postvaccination minus prevaccination cortisol concentrations), diurnal slope (log-transformed morning minus log-transformed evening cortisol values) …

Perceived Stress May Mediate The Relationship Between Antenatal Depressive Symptoms And Preterm Birth: A Pilot Observational Cohort Study, Sharifa Bashir Lalani, Aliyah Dosani, Ntonghanwah Forcheh, Shahirose Sadrudin Premji, Sana Siddiqui, Kiran Shaikh, Ayesha Mian, Ilona S Yim Ilona S Yim, Maternal-Infant Global Health Team (Might) Collaborators In Research

School of Nursing & Midwifery

Background: Screening for changes in pregnancy-related anxiety and depressive symptoms during pregnancy may further our understanding of the relationship between these two variables and preterm birth.
Objectives: To determine whether changes in pregnancy-related anxiety and depressive symptoms during pregnancy influence the risk of preterm birth among Pakistani women; explore whether perceived stress moderates or mediates this relationship, and examine the relationship between the various components of pregnancy-related anxiety and preterm birth.
Methods: A prospective cohort study design was used to recruit a diverse sample of 300 low-risk pregnant women from four centers of Aga Khan Hospital for Women and Children …

The Association Between Advanced Maternal Age And Short Interpregnancy Intervals On Preterm Labor, Hannah N. Burns, Kristi L. Duchanois

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Abstract

Background: Preterm birth is the leading cause of neonatal and infant mortality and has become a major health concern due to the increasing rates of infant deaths in the United States (WHO, 2017). Studying maternal risk factors for preterm labor provides insight to this obscure condition and can assist in the identification of high risk women, as well as facilitate appropriate pregnancy planning. Purpose: Although research can be found on interpregnancy intervals and maternal age as independent risk factors for premature labor, gaps exist within the relation of these variables. This study was done to investigate whether there is …

The Association Between Advanced Maternal Age And Short Interpregnancy Intervals On Preterm Labor, Kristi L. Duchanois, Hannah N. Burns

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

Background: Preterm birth is the leading cause of neonatal and infant mortality and has become a major health concern due to the increasing rates of infant deaths in the United States (WHO, 2017). Studying maternal risk factors for preterm labor provides insight to this obscure condition and can assist in the identification of high risk women, as well as facilitate appropriate pregnancy planning. Purpose: Although research can be found on interpregnancy intervals and maternal age as independent risk factors for premature labor, gaps exist within the relation of these variables. This study was done to investigate whether there is a …

Better Together: Group Prenatal Care Improves Outcomes, Rachel Hanus

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Neonatal outcomes have not improved over the past 30 years in spite of increases in funding and utilization. New models of prenatal care, such as Centering Pregnancy, need to be evaluated for effectiveness. This critical review of the literature focuses on comparing birth outcomes, maternal weight gain, and adequacy of prenatal care between group and traditional care models. Results: Newborns with mothers in group care were more likely to be born at later gestational ages and with higher birth weights. Mothers in group care were more likely to use contraception postpartum and have better prenatal attendance. Women in at-risk …

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 …

Premature Births And Maternal Health: An Analysis Of Risk Factors That Affect The Rate Of Prematurity / Los Nacimientos Prematuros Y La Salud Materna: Un Análisis De Los Factores De Riesgo Que Afecta La Tasa De Prematuridad, Alexandria Mickler

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Research Question: What are the major socio-demographic risk factors influencing the rate of preterm birth in Valparaiso, Chile? Objectives: The objective of this study is to identify risk factors that influence the rate of preterm birth in an urban population of women living in Valparaiso, Chile. This study aims to understand whether a relationship exists between socio-demographic characteristics, such as economic level, education, lifestyle, access to medical attention and resources and the risk of prematurity. The outcomes of this study seek to determine the major biological, cultural, and social relationships and identify at-risk social groups. Additionally, this study considers the …