Who Will Speak for Me? Advocating for Pregnant Women in Prison

The 1999 publication of a report by Amnesty International on the use of shackles and restraints with pregnant incarcerated women by correctional facilities in the United States was an attempt to highlight this ongoing practice. Despite the initial outrage expressed in many professional arenas, it continues in many states. This commentary provides a snapshot of incarcerated pregnant women and briefly discusses the risks associated with the use of shackles and restraints. Specific strategies describing how to advocate for this invisible and vulnerable population are provided with the hope that more nurses will be the voice for these women in correctional institutions, hospitals and in state government. © The Author(s) 2011

Mothers’ Thoughts and Feelings About Using a Pediatric Scale in the Home to Monitor Weight Changes in Breastfed Newborns

Objective: To document mothers’ thoughts and feelings about using a pediatric digital scale in their homes to monitor the weights of their newborns. Design: Cross-sectional design. Setting: A community hospital in the northeastern region of the United States. Participants: Women (N = 63) who gave birth between August 2015 and September 2016 to healthy, full-term singleton newborns who were exclusively or predominantly breastfed at the time of hospital discharge. Measurements: We used an online survey to document participants’ thoughts and feelings about the use of a pediatric scale in their homes to monitor the weights of their newborns every day for 2 weeks after birth. Results: Most participants (81%) had positive responses about the use of a pediatric scale in their homes. The collection of daily weight provided valuable knowledge (67%) and elicited feelings of reassurance (32%) and increased confidence in breastfeeding (14%). For some women (14%), using the scale caused concern about neonatal weight. If a participant believed her newborn was not feeding or gaining weight well (n = 9), she was more likely to have mixed or negative feelings about the scale (67%). Conclusion: Women who breastfeed may benefit from the use of a pediatric scale in their homes. They may gain valuable knowledge and have increased confidence in breastfeeding if they monitor neonatal weight changes. Use of the scale may also alert mothers to early problems with newborn feeding or growth

Drunkorexia and the Motives Behind Substance Abuse and Eating Disorder Pathology Amongst College Culture

Amongst college campuses throughout the United States, binge drinking has become a major concern. It seems to be integrated into campus culture, and considered “normal behavior”. However, binge drinking is not without its consequences. There are programs and educational materials which warn about the dangers of binge drinking. While binge drinking behaviors are common, there are other troublesome behaviors that are experienced amongst college students which are not discussed as often. In addition, there is an increase in the integration of binge drinking and eating disorder behaviors. This behavior is referred to as “drunkorexia”. Drunkorexia involves the exhibition of eating disorder behavior, such as restricting calories or over-exercising, prior to or just after binge drinking. The direct motives for these behaviors are the focus of my Honors project. The goal of my Honors project is to investigate the motives behind drunkorexia behaviors as they exist amongst college students. I am particularly interested in exploring if there are differences between genders. To address this issue, college students attending URI were asked to complete a survey which requests information about their binge drinking habits, their experience of eating disorder pathology, and the interaction between these two behaviors. Through this investigation, the analysis of gendered behaviors and ideas surrounding drunkorexia, eating disorder pathology, and binge drinking behavior will help to explore if there is a relationship among these factors