Journal articles on the topic 'Maternal wellbeing'

The impact of the coronavirus infection (COVID-19) on the physical health of individuals has been receiving widespread attention, especially for high risk segments of the population, including pregnant women, new mothers and their babies. However, equally important are the psychological consequences of the pandemic. A growing body of evidence supports the notion that this global pandemic translates into a massive source of maternal stressful agents causing psychological burden for some, which may further lead to mental health issues. Indeed, perinatal mental health disorders, such as depression and anxiety, are increasingly recognized as concerning effects of the COVID-19 outbreak, with a higher prevalence rate compared to the pre-pandemic period being reported. Additionally, an increase in self-harming thoughts and deaths by suicide during lockdown have also been described amongst perinatal women. This paper provides an overview of evidence-based data on perinatal mental health outcomes during this global pandemic. The catastrophic circumstances related to these unprecedented times and how these are shaping the mental health of pregnant and postnatal women will be outlined, as well as the impact the latter might have on the caregiving quality and child developmental outcomes. Consequently, the importance of prioritizing perinatal mental health in the current and ongoing pandemic is highlighted.

The importance of supporting and maintaining doctors’ health and wellbeing cannot be overstated. Combined with the undisputed status of work in medicine as both strenuous and stressful, pregnancy is a unique time during which the mother and unborn baby may be at risk of adverse outcomes. A narrative literature review is presented with a focus on studies of relevance to pregnancy in anaesthesia trainees, however much of the evidence is drawn from studies involving anaesthetic consultants, trainees in other specialties and pregnant workers in general. After a brief exploration into historical concepts in occupational hazards and adverse pregnancy outcomes, further discussion ensues on more recent evidence in relation to specialist training (or ‘residency’), the impact of work stressors and maternal psychological state on pregnancy outcomes and attitudes towards pregnancy during specialist training. Finally, occupational guidelines are considered along with the rationale for ‘pregnancy-friendly’ workplaces and suggestions for future research in this area for both the profession and employers.

Using data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study ( N = 3,605), the present study examined two aspects of maternal gatekeeping in relation to low-income predominantly nonresidential fathers’ engagement with young children: facilitation and encouragement. The results showed that maternal encouragement when children were 3 years old was positively and longitudinally related to higher levels of paternal engagement with 5 year old children. However, maternal facilitation at age 3 was negatively associated with later levels of paternal engagement. Moreover, the coresidential status of mothers and fathers did not influence the relationship among facilitation, encouragement, and paternal engagement. Implications for future research and practice are discussed in this article.

It was globally accepted that allowing Birth companion during labour and child birth is a core component for improving quality care for maternal and child health. But this concept is not universally applied to all health facility. So the researcher conducted “A study to assess effectiveness of presence of birth companion for intranatal women on maternal wellbeing and informative communication in selected government hospitals in West Bengal." The purpose of the study was to assess effectiveness of presence of birth companion for intranatal women on maternal wellbeing and informative communication. A descriptive evaluative research design was adopted to collect data among 64 (with birth companion-32, without birth companion-32) intranatal women selected by non-probability purposive sampling technique. Data were collected by validated and reliable observational checklist (part A), (part B) structured interview schedule and semi structured interview schedule (r=0.82, 0.76, 0.77). Finding revealed that all intranatal women with birth companion received more comfort measures for maternal wellbeing (deep slow breathing 53.13%, back rub 100%, ambulation 87.5%, micturition 62.5% intake sip of water 100% and continuous reassurance 100%) compare to without birth companion (deep slow breathing 28.13%, back rub 21.87%, ambulation 56.25%, micturition 53.13% intake sip of water 56.25% and continuous reassurance 59.37%). Study also revealed that most intranatal women with birth companion felt more comfort after practicing deep slow breathing (25%), back rub (84.37%), ambulating (31.25%), intake sip of water (53.13%) compare to only 6.25% intranatal women without birth companion felt more comfort after intake sip of water and other area those were received comfort measures felt little comfort. Another findings of this study was that most of the intranatal women with birth companion received information about intake fluid (100%), slow walking (34.37%), foetal wellbeing and lie in left lateral position (96.87%), birthing position (100%) and bearing down effort during child birth (96.87%) compare to intranatal women without birth companion received information about intake fluid (56.25%), slow walking (31.25%), foetal wellbeing and lie in left lateral position (87.5%), birthing position (100%) and bearing down effort during child birth (93.75%) during their 1st stage of labour. The main finding was that there was significant difference in maternal wellbeing in terms of comfort level after receiving comfort measures for maternal wellbeing between intranatal women with and without birth companion (t=7.77 at df (62), p<0.05). There was also significant difference in informative communication between intranatal women without birth companion (t=3.45 at df (62), p<0.05). There was statistically no significant association between maternal wellbeing in terms of comfort level and demographic variables and obstetrical profile of intranatal women with and without birth companion at 0.05 level of significance. But according to odd ratio (OR) most intranatal women with birth companion felt comfort in respect of having relationship with birth companion (of women 1.05 times higher than mother-in-law), with gravida ( primi gravida 1.05 times higher than multi gravida) and gestational age ( >37 weeks 1.63 times higher than <37 weeks).Hospital authority, nursing administrators can encourage and allow intranatal women to have reliable birth companion with her throughout birthing process. The further study can be done in the other area of informative communication in terms of progress of labour, maternal wellbeing in terms of reducing labour pain, duration of labour and effectiveness of birth companion in terms of maternal satisfaction, maternal and neonatal outcome. So we can conclude on the basis of findings that intranatal women feel more comfort and receive more information in the presence of birth companion during labour process. Keywords: birth companion, intranatal women, maternal wellbeing, informative communication.

In 2015, 17 sustainable development goals were established for 2030. These global goals aim to ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all. In support of the sustainable development goals, the World Health Organization proposed a new global strategy for women’s, children’s, and adolescents’ health in 2016 with three overarching objectives: to survive, to thrive, and to transform. We are now globally seeking not only to end preventable deaths but also to ensure health and wellbeing, and expand enabling environments. This strategy builds on several prior initiatives in maternal and newborn health, such as the Every Woman, Every Child initiative, and the strategy to end preventable maternal mortality and implementation of an action plan to end preventable newborn death. This confluence of initiatives, strategies, and novel financing mechanisms under the umbrella of the sustainable development goals and the global strategy pave the way for a global agenda in which securing women’s health is critical.

The widespread accessibility and use of the internet provides numerous opportunities for women to independently seek out pregnancy-related information and social and emotional support during the antenatal period. Given the heightened psychological vulnerability of the pregnancy period there is a critical need to examine digital media use within the context of the feelings that women have about themselves and towards their fetus. The current study examined the relationship between digital media use during pregnancy, psychological wellbeing and their maternal-fetal attachment using an online survey. Forty-eight pregnant women completed a self-report questionnaire on their reasons for using digital media, and standardised measures of self-criticism, negative affect, social quality of life (QOL), and maternal-fetal attachment. The mean age of participants was 29.4 years (SD = 5.26), with a mean of 24.3 weeks gestation (SD = 9.95). Information seeking, emotional support and social support were highly endorsed reasons for digital media use (85.42%, 66.67%, 62.5% respectively). However, digital media use was positively correlated with negative affect (p = .003) and self-criticism (p < .001). Digital media use was also negatively correlated with QOL (p = .007). There was no evidence of a relationship between digital media use and maternal-fetal attachment (p = .330). Digital environments may be an important social context within which a pregnant woman develops her own maternal identity and knowledge. There are a number of benefits and limitations of this medium for providing information and support for women during pregnancy. Enhancing the opportunities to promote pregnant women’s wellbeing in this context is an important avenue for further research and practice.

Objective Perinatal mental health problems affect between 1 in 3 and 1 in 10 women globally. Using social media could offer helpful support to new mothers to mitigate this. This research examines the impact of online social support on parental stress, and the mediating effect of maternal wellbeing. The goal is to improve understanding of how to optimise online maternal support to improve anxiety and reduce long-term stress for mother and child. Design A mixed-methods, convergent parallel design (QUANT-QUAL) is adopted to facilitate examination of the complex association between constructs. Methods A Qualtrics online survey was administered via social media to mothers of children under two (n = 151). Quantitative multiple regression analyses assessed perceptions of online social support overall and in separate domains (Social Networking Sites Usage and Needs Scale) as a predictor of parental stress (Parental Stress Scale) and the potential mediation effect of mental wellbeing (Short Warwick–Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale). Purposely designed survey open-text questions allowed participants to describe the detail and impact of online support experiences and common stresses and formed the basis of a qualitative reflexive thematic analysis examining online support and maternal mental health. Results Mixed-method findings indicate that mothers perceiving more value in online support have higher stress levels and lower wellbeing than others. Mental wellbeing was a partial mediator of the relationship between online support and parental stress. Non-significant statistical effects were reinforced by qualitative themes indicating online support provided safe guidance, peer solidarity and parenting escape. Conclusions Maternal online support was predominantly used to cope with high stress, explaining positive stress correlations. Statistically, online coping strategies contributed little to mental wellbeing. Nevertheless, online support was regarded as a valuable and reassuring tool by some participants. Health professionals could improve perinatal anxiety coping by facilitating quality online support networks.

Fetal exposure in adverse environmental factors during intrauterine life can lead to various biological adjustments, affecting not only in utero development of the conceptus, but also its later metabolic and endocrine wellbeing. During human gestation, maternal bone turnover increases, as reflected by molecules involved in bone metabolism, such as vitamin D, osteocalcin, sclerostin, sRANKL, and osteoprotegerin; however, recent studies support their emerging role in endocrine functions and glucose homeostasis regulation. Herein, we sought to systematically review current knowledge on the effects of aforementioned maternal bone biomarkers during pregnancy on fetal intrauterine growth and metabolism, neonatal anthropometric measures at birth, as well as on future endocrine and metabolic wellbeing of the offspring. A growing body of literature converges on the view that maternal bone turnover is likely implicated in fetal growth, and at least to some extent, in neonatal and childhood body composition and metabolic wellbeing. Maternal sclerostin and sRANKL are positively linked with fetal abdominal circumference and subcutaneous fat deposition, contributing to greater birthweights. Vitamin D deficiency correlates with lower birthweights, while research is still needed on intrauterine fetal metabolism, as well as on vitamin D dosing supplementation during pregnancy, to diminish the risks of low birthweight or SGA neonates in high-risk populations.

Women are exposed to increased burden of mental disorders during the perinatal period: 13–19% experience postpartum depression. Perinatal psychological suffering affects early mother-child relationship, impacting child’s emotional and cognitive development. Return-to-work brings additional vulnerability given the required balance between parenting and job demands. The MAternal Mental Health in the WORKplace (MAMH@WORK) project aims to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of a brief and sustainable intervention, promoting (a) maternal mental health throughout pregnancy and first 12 months after delivery, and (b) quality of mother–child interactions, child emotional self-regulation, and cognitive self-control, while (c) reducing perinatal absenteeism and presenteeism. MAMH@WORK is a three-arm randomized controlled trial. A short-term cognitive-behavioral therapy-based (CBT-based) psychoeducation plus biofeedback intervention will be implemented by psychiatrists and psychologists, following a standardized procedure manual developed after consensus (Delphi method). Participants (n = 225, primiparous, singleton pregnant women at 28–30 weeks gestational age, aged 18–40 years, employed) will be randomly allocated to arms: CBT-based psychoeducation intervention (including mindfulness); psychoeducation plus biofeedback intervention; and control. Assessments will take place before and after delivery. Main outcomes (and main tools): mental health literacy (MHLS), psychological wellbeing (HADS, EPDS, KBS, CD-RISC, BRIEF COPE), quality of mother–child interaction, child–mother attachment, child emotional self-regulation and cognitive self-control (including PBQ, Strange Situation Procedure, QDIBRB, SGS-II, CARE-Index), job engagement (UWES), and presenteeism. Intention-to-treat and per-protocol analyses will be conducted; Cohen’s d coefficient, Cramer’s V and odds ratio will be used to assess the effect size of the intervention. MAMH@WORK is expected to contribute to mental health promotion during the perinatal period and beyond. Its results have the potential to inform health policies regarding work–life balance and maternal mental health and wellbeing promotion in the workplace.

Abstract This study investigates the effects of mother's immunization against tetanus on child health in Cameroon using data from demographic and surveys for 2004 and 2011, enriched with data from the Ministry of Agriculture for the same periods. The results show that maternal immunization during pregnancy is associated with a large increase in birth weight nationally as well as in rural and urban areas. Further, child health correlates positively with the economic wellbeing of the household. Other variables that are significantly associated with birth weight include mother's age, father's education, a twin birth, and a child's gender. These finding can help design policies to improve child health in Cameroon.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, breastfeeding women have experienced restricted access to support, placing them at increased risk of mental health concerns and limited breastfeeding assistance. This study investigated the effect of the pandemic on feeding choices and maternal wellbeing amongst breastfeeding mothers living in Australian and New Zealand. We conducted a cross-sectional online survey that examined feeding methods, maternal mental wellbeing, worries, challenges, and positive experiences during the pandemic. Most women were exclusively breastfeeding (82%). Partial breastfeeding was associated with perceived low milk supply and longer pregnancy duration during the pandemic. Reduced mental health and wellbeing was associated with lower levels of family functioning, increased perceived stress, and perinatal anxiety. Longer pregnancy duration during the pandemic was associated with lower mental health wellbeing scores, while higher perceived stress scores were reported for regions with higher COVID-19 infection rates and women with perceived low milk supply. Women reported that the pandemic resulted in less pressure and more time for family bonding, while worries about the pandemic, family health, and parenting challenges were also cited. Mental health concerns of breastfeeding women appear to be exacerbated by COVID-19, highlighting a critical need for access to mental health and broader family support during the pandemic.

This study investigates how the availability and expansion of childcare services for children aged under 3 years relate to the subjective wellbeing of German mothers and fathers. It extends previous studies by examining in more detail the relationship between day-care availability and use, maternal employment and parental subjective wellbeing during early childhood in a country with expanding childcare services and varying work–care cultures. The empirical analysis links annual day-care attendance rates at the county-level to individual-level data of the Socio-Economic Panel Study for 2007–2012 and the ‘Families in Germany’ Study for 2010–2012. We apply fixed-effects panel models to samples of 2002 couples and 376 lone mothers. We find some evidence of a positive effect of the day-care expansion only on satisfaction with family life for lone mothers and for full-time employed partnered mothers. Transitions to full-time employment are associated with reductions in subjective wellbeing irrespective of local day-care availability among partnered mothers in West Germany but not in East Germany. These results suggest that varying work–care cultures between East and West Germany are more important moderators of the relationship between maternal employment and satisfaction than short-term regional expansions of childcare services.

<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:RelyOnVML /> <o:AllowPNG /> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; mso-line-height-alt: 1.2pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">It is possible to achieve the above development goals, if disposable income, especially of the poor, is increased. A joint research project in Bangladesh was initiated by BRAC and ICDDR,B to evaluate the extent to which socioeconomic development engineered through microcredit might enhance maternal and child health programs and to determine the impact of rural community development programs on community well-being. We conducted a systematic review on BRAC-ICDDR,B Joint Research Project Working Paper Series. The series contained 32 working papers out of which we only selected papers that examined or had references to maternal and child health (n=13). We developed a checklist based on the Transparent Report of Evaluations with Nonrandomized Designs (TREND) criteria. The BRAC papers show promising positive linkages between implementation of microcredit programs in rural areas and (1) increase in income, (2) increase in health status and (3) improvement in women’s health. The assumption that increasing women’s empowerment through income and education leads to improvements health and survival is referred a number of times in the BRAC studies, however, this assumption has not been tested in well controlled intervention studies and further independent research needs to be conducted in order to test the hypotheses set out by the BRAC papers. 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<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:RelyOnVML /> <o:AllowPNG /> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; mso-line-height-alt: 1.2pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">It is possible to achieve the above development goals, if disposable income, especially of the poor, is increased. A joint research project in Bangladesh was initiated by BRAC and ICDDR,B to evaluate the extent to which socioeconomic development engineered through microcredit might enhance maternal and child health programs and to determine the impact of rural community development programs on community well-being. We conducted a systematic review on BRAC-ICDDR,B Joint Research Project Working Paper Series. The series contained 32 working papers out of which we only selected papers that examined or had references to maternal and child health (n=13). We developed a checklist based on the Transparent Report of Evaluations with Nonrandomized Designs (TREND) criteria. The BRAC papers show promising positive linkages between implementation of microcredit programs in rural areas and (1) increase in income, (2) increase in health status and (3) improvement in women’s health. The assumption that increasing women’s empowerment through income and education leads to improvements health and survival is referred a number of times in the BRAC studies, however, this assumption has not been tested in well controlled intervention studies and further independent research needs to be conducted in order to test the hypotheses set out by the BRAC papers. The data from BRAC is a unique opportunity to examine pre and post intervention of the impact of microcredit and such data sets can provides researchers with the prospect of conducting continuous rigorous research in the country. </span></p><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves /> <w:TrackFormatting /> <w:PunctuationKerning /> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas /> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF /> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables /> <w:SnapToGridInCell /> <w:WrapTextWithPunct /> <w:UseAsianBreakRules /> <w:DontGrowAutofit /> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark /> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp /> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables /> 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This article aims to assess the current state of health and wellbeing in South Asia, identify the major challenges that are currently facing the region, and propose solutions for addressing these challenges and charting a path forward. The article begins by providing an overview of the current state of health and wellbeing in South Asia, highlighting the progress that has been made in recent years as well as the areas where progress has been slow. It then goes on to discuss the major challenges that are facing the region, such as inadequate healthcare infrastructure, lack of access to quality healthcare services, and high rates of maternal and child mortality. The article then proposes solutions for addressing these challenges, including increasing access to healthcare, improving maternal and child health, addressing non-communicable diseases, promoting universal access to sexual and reproductive health services and rights, strengthening health systems, increasing domestic resource allocation to health, and enhancing regional cooperation and coordination. Ultimately, this article serves as a call to action for policymakers, healthcare providers, and other stakeholders to work together to improve the health and wellbeing of the people of South Asia.

The coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) infection is a public health emergency of international concern. Pandemics pose a challenge to psychological resilience and can have an adverse impact on mental health. The impact of the ensuing social isolation and loneliness imposed by quarantine along with the worries about the risks of the infection and its economic fallout would appear likely to affect the mental health of the population. It has been reported that women are more likely to experience anxiety and depression symptoms during COVID-19 than men. COVID-19 pandemic had a profound impact on the level of anxiety and depression of pregnant women according to their basal level and pregnancy characteristics. Antenatal mental disorders may be a risk factor for maternal mental health problems such as an increased likelihood of postnatal depression and adverse obstetric and developmental outcomes. Effective coping strategies are associated with better psychological wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic, including reduced anxiety and depression. The increased risk of mental disorders due to COVID-19 requires policies to be developed to address prenatal and postpartum care to promote maternal-child wellbeing outcomes.

This study examined the social wellbeing of working mothers of preschool children with the aim of identifying relationships between social wellbeing and influencing factors, focusing on the individual, relationship, and work environment of the mothers. Data on 390 working mothers were used for this study. The data were analyzed using the SPSS 18.0 program and descriptive statistics. Pearson’s correlation analyses and hierarchical regression analyses were performed. The results show that social wellbeing has significantly positive correlations with education, monthly household income, number of children, age of the first child(8 and over), social capital for childcare, division of childcare, maternal role values, spouse’s beliefs about paternal parenting involvement, and family-supportive work environment, as well as significantly negative correlations with weekly working hours, sociological ambivalence, spouse’s beliefs about father’s breadwinner role and gender-role values, job overload, and gender-role attitudes of coworkers. In addition, hierarchical regression revealed that spouse’s beliefs about paternal parenting involvement and a family-supportive work environment were significantly positive predictors of working mothers’social wellbeing, whereas working mothers’sociological ambivalence toward their roles, job overload, and gender-role attitudes of coworkers were significantly negative predictors of working mothers’social wellbeing. These results point to ways of changing education and policy to improve the social wellbeing of working mothers.

Thyroid hormones are important in the development of the fetus and the placenta as well as in maintaining maternal wellbeing. Thyroid disorders are common in the population as a whole, particularly in women, and therefore are common during pregnancy and the puerperium. Biochemical derangement of thyroid function tests are present in approximately 2.5–5% of pregnant women.

Objective: To examine the risk of perinatal depression, parenting stress and infant sleep practices in Australian culturally and linguistically diverse (CaLD) women. Method: Within the Mercy Pregnancy and Emotional Wellbeing Study, we examined 487 pregnant women of whom 52 were CaLD and 435 non-CaLD. Depression was measured using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. In addition, Parenting Stress Index and infant sleep measures were collected. Results: Fewer CaLD women had a depression diagnosis but there were no differences between CaLD and non-CaLD women for perinatal mental health symptoms. More mothers in the CaLD group were bed sharing with their infant during the night at six months; however, bedsharing was only associated with higher parenting stress for non-CaLD mothers. Conclusions: Findings suggest both differences in infant sleep parenting practices and in parenting stress but not general emotional wellbeing. Future research is required to replicate these findings.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been shown to affect the vasculature, including placental changes. Insults to the placenta, especially in the first and second trimester, can affect placental functionality with a resultant impact on fetal growth and wellbeing. Thus, we explored the relationship between antenatally acquired maternal COVID-19 infection and neonatal birth characteristics. A retrospective chart review was completed using the University of New Mexico electronic medical record system. ICD-10 codes were used to identify individuals that had a positive pregnancy test and positive COVID-19 screening test between 1 March 2020 to 24 March 2021. Chi-square and nonparametric Wilcoxon analyses were used, with p < 0.05 considered significant. A total of 487 dyad charts was analyzed, with 76 (16%) individuals identified as being COVID-19-positive (CovPos) during pregnancy. CovPos mothers were significantly more likely to deliver via a cesarean section compared to CovNeg mothers (33% vs. 20%, p < 0.01). There was a significant difference in gestational age at delivery, with infants born to CovPos individuals born at an earlier gestational age than those born to CovNeg individuals (37.6 vs. 38.5 weeks; p < 0.01). Our findings showed differences in maternal and infant characteristics following COVID-19 infection during pregnancy. Additional investigations are required to further delineate these relationships with a focus on potential long-term impacts on the neonate.