Maternal and Child Health Commons^™

Nurturing Beginnings, Madison K. Hanson

Occupational Therapy Capstone Presentations

Early intervention for postpartum mothers and their infants plays a critical role in supporting long-term health outcomes for both members of the dyad. Maternal well-being is closely linked to a child’s development, and challenges such as stress, physical changes, and undiagnosed postpartum depression can disrupt bonding, parenting, and early skill development. Because the transition to motherhood is complex, consistent support and interventions are essential for both mom and baby. Strengthening public education and improving developmental screening practices can help ensure mothers and infants are receiving needed support early in life. Nurturing Beginnings worked to bridge the service gaps between healthcare …

Impacts Of Fasting Holy Month Of Ramadan During Pregnancy On Pregnancy/Birth Outcomes: An Umbrella Review, Md Estiar Rahman, May Salama, Abdullah Al-Taiar

Graduate Student Government Association Research Conference

Fasting during the holy month of Ramadan is one of the obligatory duties in Islam, which includes refraining from consuming food and drinks and engaging in sexual activity from dawn to sunset. Though pregnant women are exempted from this practice, approximately 80-90% of Muslim pregnant women choose to fast during Ramadan as part of their religious and cultural beliefs. The impact of fasting holy month of Ramadan during pregnancy on pregnancy/birth outcome remains under debate, despite several primary research studies and literature reviews. Up to date, no guidelines or recommendations have been formulated regarding fasting holy month of Ramadan for …

Maternal Physical And Mental Health In The State Of South Carolina: Creating High-Quality Educational Materials, Elizabeth Chard

Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Doctorate - Doctoral Capstone Symposium

This capstone project, in collaboration with the Empowering Moms team at the Medical University of South Carolina, aimed to establish the foundation for a statewide occupational therapy initiative focused on maternal mental and physical health education as a preventative approach to addressing rising maternal mortality rates. The project involved assessing the needs of mothers, developing evidence-based educational materials, and compiling a comprehensive resource list to enhance access to information for mothers and community health partners (CHPs) across South Carolina. To support this initiative, a website and REDCap surveys were created to facilitate information dissemination and track outcomes. Embedded within the …

Unmeasured Confounding In Summary Estimates Of Maternal Periodontitis And Adverse Birth Outcomes: Meta-Analyses Of Observational Studies, May Salama, Abdullah Al-Taiar, Denise Mickenny

Graduate Student Government Association Research Conference

Abstract

Importance Maternal periodontitis has been consistently linked to adverse birth outcomes. However, a causal relationship is not established due to potential unmeasured confounding factors in observational studies and inconclusive results from randomized controlled trials.

Objective To assess the impact of unmeasured confounding factors in meta-analyses examining associations between maternal periodontal disease and preterm birth or low birth weight.

Data Sources PubMed/Medline, the Cochrane database for systematic reviews, Embase, Google Scholar, and a manual search of the reported references between 2002 and 2023.

Study Selection Systematic reviews with meta-analyses of observational studies were included if either preterm birth or low …

Community Health Workers, Stress Reduction, And Racial Equity In Infant Vitality, Justin Rex

ICS Fellow Lectures

How can communities help mothers reduce stress during pregnancy and provide the social supports that contribute to infant vitality? This talk presented findings from an evaluation of the Northwest Ohio Pathways HUB program, a nationally recognized best practice program model that pairs at-risk mothers with community health workers (CHWs) who connect mothers to services that reduce pregnancy risks. The talk included stories from mothers and CHWs about the challenges and stresses they face as well as data from interviews and surveys that quantify the impact CHWs have for reducing mothers' stress and providing supports that help mothers and their children …

Post-Partum Depression (Ppd) Screening Tools Effectiveness In Refugee Populations, Joshua Jensen

Annual Research Symposium

Purpose:

Immigrant mothers check all the boxes that are significant risk factors for developing or exacerbating Postpartum Depression (PPD). These risk factors include, suffering in solitude, cultural conceptualizations, barriers to help seeking, and a lack of facilitators to help seeking. Despite this very little research has been done to find effective screening methods for this population.

The purpose of this research project is to compile the works of those before me to determine whether the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression or the PHQ 9 screening tool is the most effective for immigrant mothers.

Methods:

Research determining the effectivity of the two tests …

Early Marriage And Reproductive Health Outcomes Among Women In South Asia, Sameen Kazmi

Annual Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

The Lifecourse Perspective Theory As A Strategy For Improving Maternal Mortality In Georgia, Joanne Chopak-Foss, Alisha Riggins

Georgia Public Health Association Annual Meeting & Conference

Background: Maternal mortality and morbidity outcomes in Georgia are among the highest in the United States, with women of color experiencing higher rates of morbidity and mortality compared to their White counterparts. Public health policies such as Medicaid expansion have been suggested as one method for improving maternal mortality. In addition, the Life Course Perspective or Theory approach to maternal and child health suggests a complex interplay of biological, behavioral, psychological and social protective factors contributes to health outcomes across the span of a person’s life.

Methods: Using the Lifecourse Theory Perspective/Theory along with current maternal health policies the presenters …

Evidence-Based Practice: Delaying Infant Bathing, Gabrielle Wadle, Grace Frankland

Scholars Week

A hospital's policy regarding infant bathing is currently not congruent with best nursing practice. The hospital’s current policy is to bathe an infant once they are stable and their rectal temperature is at or above 98.6 °F. Although the infant may become stable within the first 24-hours of birth, the World Health Organization recommends that, “Bathing should be delayed until 24 hours after birth.” (2013, p. 4). Research has been completed to support delaying infant bathing until 24 hours post-delivery, suggesting potential modifications to current policy.

Quantitative Analysis Of Sexual Function In Women Up To 1-Year Postpartum, Amber Kelly

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Background. Sexual satisfaction is a strong predictor of relationship satisfaction and a component of general well-being. Changes in sexual behavior are common during pregnancy and the subsequent transition to parenthood. Currently, little literature exists that examines the breadth of factors contributing to decreased female sexual functionality during the postpartum period. Identifying factors associated with decreased female sexual function following childbirth has the potential to improve postpartum women’s sexual satisfaction and overall quality of life. The study seeks to answer the following research questions: RQ 1: What impact has childbirth had on frequency of sexual activity in women within the first …

Unintended Pregnancy Among The Lgbtq+ Population, Kenna M. Barnes

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Unintended births are related to adverse health outcomes for both parents and children (Mosher, et al., 2012). For the context of this research, unintended will include both mistimed (too early) and unwanted (wanted to avoid pregnancy) pregnancies. Non-heterosexual women, defined as anyone who has same-sex sexual behaviors, attractions, or identities, make up about 5.1% of the population according to Williams Institute (2019). The impact of unintended pregnancy among non-heterosexual individuals is not well understood, creating large disparities in the community. This has manifested in emotional, physical, and social wellness gaps compared to their heterosexual counterparts (Buchmueller & Carpenter, 2010; Everett …

The Effect Of Parent-Infant Swim Classes On Maternal Parenting Competence, Emotional Availability, And Aquatic Handling, Hope Sadowski, Chanele Molano

Showcase of Graduate Student Scholarship and Creative Activities

Low parenting competence and limited emotional availability decrease the quality of the parent-infant relationship (Young, 2011; Sturge-Apple et al., 2012). However, co-occupations, or reciprocal relationships where the occupations of two or more individuals are interactively shaping each other, have been associated with strengthening parent-infant relationships (Pierce, 2009; Price & Stephenson, 2009). Parent-infant swim classes are co-occupation based interventions that facilitate close bodily contact and teach parents handling skills that can generalize into the home. Numerous websites allude to the benefits of these classes; however, there are currently no evidence-based claims supported by the occupational therapy literature. The researchers hypothesized that …

Why Doula Services Should Become An Essential Health Benefit In New York State, Jalisha Hanshaw, Amy White

Publications and Research

Doulas are birth workers who assist expecting mothers through pregnancy, birth and postpartum using holistic techniques. Techniques include: prenatal yoga, birth affirmations and induction acupuncture. Doulas are underrated healthcare providers who deserve the same respect as clinical and non-clinical providers. Doulas are well-rounded alternative care providers who focus on mental, emotional, and physical well being of mothers. Also, they know special alternative medical techniques that prevent mothers from maternal mortality among other negative health outcomes. The amount of time and effort doulas perform with expecting mothers are equal or more than the average medical healthcare provider and should be a …

Postpartum Physical Activity And Sleep Levels In Overweight And Normal Weight Mothers, Shane Warehime

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Objective: Objectively examine postpartum mothers’ physical activity (PA) and sleep. Compare PA and sleep of overweight/obese and normal weight postpartum mothers. Setting: A mid-sized city in the Midwestern United States. Participants: Twenty-one mothers who had an infant at least three months old. Participants were classified as normal weight (n = 8) or overweight (n = 13). Methods: PA and sleep levels were gathered for four days at three time intervals in the six months following childbirth. Wrist-worn Actigraph accelerometers were used to collect data. Results: All participants increased PA over time, especially from visit two to visit three. When separated …

Maine's Breastfeeding Gap: How Initiation And Duration Differ By Socioeconomic Status, Zoe Miller

Thinking Matters Symposium Archive

The preventive health benefits of breastfeeding for both mothers and children are widely recognized. Leading health authorities recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life.

Though breastfeeding rates in the United States have been increasing for the past decade, significant disparities continue across race and socioeconomic status.