Initiation of breastfeeding within 120 minutes after birth is associated with breastfeeding at four months among Japanese women: A self-administered questionnaire survey

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The proportion of mothers in Japan who breastfeed exclusively has been low since the 1970s. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between the time of first breastfeed after birth and the proportion of mothers fully breastfeeding up to four months postpartum.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A survey was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire. The participants were 318 mothers who participated in a physical examination of their four month old infants in Nagasaki City, Japan in 2003.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The time of first breastfeeding up to 120 minutes was significantly associated with the proportion of mothers fully breastfeeding during their stay in the clinic/hospital (p = 0.006), at one month (p = 0.004) and at four months after birth (p = 0.003). There was no significant difference in the proportion of full breastfeeding in mothers who first breastfed between the period of less 30 minutes after birth and that of between 31 and 120 minutes after birth. Logistic regression analysis indicated that the proportion of mothers who continued full breastfeeding at four months was significantly higher in those who breastfed their baby within 120 minutes compared with more than 120 minutes (OR 2.5, p = 0.01), but was not significantly different in those who breastfed within 30 minutes compared with more than 30 minutes (OR 1.8, p = 0.06). Early breastfeeding was affected by caesarean section, premature delivery and severe bleeding during delivery.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Commencement of early breastfeeding was associated with the proportion of mothers who fully breastfed their infants up to four months. Early breastfeeding, especially within two hours, is recommended for child and maternal health.</p

Customs and practices during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period in the Kilimanjaro area, Tanzania

Introduction: Here, we report the traditions, customs, and beliefs of rural women during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period in rural Tanzania, and discuss how they compromise between traditional and modern perceptions of maternity care and experiences. Methods: A focus group interview with nine women who have children under 5 years old was conducted by a midwife researcher（ one of the authors） in Rombo, a village in the Kilimanjaro region, in Tanzania, in December 2009. The interview was translated from the local language into English and transcribed. The data were assessed by describing and categorizing as pregnancy, childbirth, after childbirth, and feeding of the baby.Results: The women recognized the importance of institutional delivery, but also appreciated cultural practices related to childbirth. Goats, bananas, local beer made from bananas, and kanga（ Tanzanian pareu or wraparound skirt） were important items not only for pregnancy and childbirth, but also for daily life in the study area. They integrated medical approaches by health professionals and traditional approaches by the family in childbirth.Conclusions: A transition gap regarding the modern and traditional practices was not clearly observed as in urban areas in the present study area, but it is possible that the same conditions will arise in this area in future. It is necessary to take traditional customs and practices into consideration to improve women’s satisfaction regarding childbirth and delivery

Fetal Response to Mozart\u27s Music

Objective: This study aimed to determine whether fetal arm movements change when music is presented to the mother or directly to the fetus through the mother\u27s lower abdomen, and whether maternal mood influences changes in fetal arm movements. Methods: Using a diagnostic ultrasound apparatus, fetal arm movements were measured in 47 pregnant women in the 35-36th week of pregnancy. Subjects were divided into two groups: a maternal presentation group, in which the mothers listened to music through headphones; and a fetal presentation group, in which music was presented directly to the fetus through headphones placed on the mother\u27s abdomen. Fetal arm movements were observed and recorded by ultrasound for a total of 10 min (5 min without music followed by 5 min with music). The music used was Mozart\u27s Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major, K. 448. The Profile of Mood States-Brief Form (POMS) was used to investigate the influence of maternal mood on fetal arm movements. Results: In the maternal presentation group, changes in fetal arm movement did not differ between mothers with different moods. In the fetal presentation group, fetal arm movements increased when the mother was energetic and decreased when the mother lacked energy. Fetal arm movement also decreased when the mother had a high level of fatigue and increased when the mother had a low level of fatigue. Conclusion: Presenting music directly to the fetus while the mother is relaxed has the potential to increase fetal response to the music and may possibly promote fetal well-being

Fetal response to induced maternal emotions.

This study investigated the relationship between fetal movements and acute maternal emotional changes during pregnancy. Two empirically validated feature film clips were used for the external generation of two subjectively and facially well-characterized target emotions: happiness and sadness. We simultaneously monitored separate fetal arm, leg, and trunk movements by means of two ultrasound apparatuses while maternal emotions were manipulated by film clip presentation. The number of fetal arm movements, but not the duration, was increased when pregnant women were being shown a happy film. Both the number and the duration of fetal arm movements decreased with the sad film presentation. Neither the presentation of happiness nor the presentation of sadness affected fetal leg or trunk movements. These findings suggest that induced emotions in pregnant women primarily affect arm movements of their fetuses, and that positive and negative emotions have the opposite effects on fetus movement

日韓における出産・育児に関する慣習の比較研究

韓国（晋州）と日本（長崎県・対馬）において出産・育児に関する慣習について調査し，結果を比較した．里帰りの慣習は日本独自のものであった．出産は韓国では神聖視されており，日本では不浄視されていた．しかし，二つの地域での出産・育児の慣習は類似していた．産後の禁忌に関する慣習では，妊娠中の慣習と比較して科学的に納得のいくものが多かった．科学的知識の乏しかった時代の人々は，経験から産後の回復過程をよく観察し理解していたと思われる．誕生後はさまざまな儀式がとり行われていたが，これらは子どもの無事を願う両親や家族及び近隣社会の人々の気持ちを反映したものであった．出産・育児に関する慣習の本質は母子の安全への願いであり，それは文化の違いに関係なく存在するものであろう．The cultural background of patients who require in nursing must be considered because it has effects on the quality of nursing care. Traditional customs regarding delivery and child rearing in Korea and Japan were investigated and compared. Inherited customs in the two areas were very similar. Many taboos concerned the type of eaten food and behavior during after delivery were scientifically persuasive. Before the development of medical science, such customs whereas were the fruits of traditional wisdom. Concerning childbirth, taboos in Korea involved the element of sacredness, in Japan taboos guarded against pollution. Various rites performed after birth reflected not only the wishes of the parents and other family members, but of neighbors for the healthy growth of the child. The essence of these birth customs, regardless of differences in culture, is that people wished for the safety of the mother and child

日韓における妊娠に関する慣習の比較研究

韓国（晋州）と日本（長崎県・対馬）において妊娠に関する慣習について調査し，結果を比較した．妊婦の食生活では，韓国では82．7％，日本では16．0％が禁食を伝承していた．禁食には類感呪術というべきものが多かったが，禁食の種類は両地域に共通性がみられ，両地域とも「このタブーをおかすと胎児に何らかの影響がある」という形での伝承であった．一方，妊婦の行動上の禁忌は，韓国では79．8％，日本で34．7％が伝承していた．行動上の禁忌の内容も両地域は非常に似かよったものであった．妊婦の禁忌には明らかに迷信であるものが多く含まれていたが，禁忌の背景には医療が未発達だった時代に母子の安全を願う人々の心があったと考えられた．The cultural background of patients who require in nursing must be considered because it has effects on the quality of nursing care. Traditional customs regarding pregnancy in Korea and Japan were investigated and compared. Inherited customs in the two areas were very similar. Many taboos concerned the type of eaten food and behavior during pregnancy, and although obviously superstitions reflected underlying wishes for the safety of the mother and baby. Before the development of medical science, such customs whereas were the fruits of traditional wisdom

Mental health problems and influencing factors in Japanese women 4 months after delivery

BACKGROUND: Postpartum mental health problems are a major public health issue; however, studies on the mental health status of mothers and its influencing factors between 8 weeks and 1 year postpartum are scarce. Furthermore, it would be necessary to examine the factors influencing mothers\u27 mental health in order to evaluate their physiological adaptations to the nursing environment.METHODS: We examined the mental health status of postpartum women and the factors influencing poor mental health at 4 months after delivery. A cross-sectional study of 584 postpartum women was conducted. Information on mental health status, delivery, and other factors was collected using a self-administered questionnaire. Women were asked about their age, height, weight, gestational or marital status, whether they were eating regular meals, appetite, frequency of going out, financial difficulty, stressful life events, and history of depression. The Japanese version of the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) was used to identify potential poor mental health status. Participants with GHQ-12 scores of ?4 were classified as the high GHQ-12 score group (poor mental health status) and participants with GHQ-12 scores of ?3 were classified as the low GHQ-12 score group (good mental health status).RESULTS: Forty-five women (7.7%) were classified as having high GHQ-12 scores. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that older age, not eating meals regularly, and history of depression were significantly associated with poor mental health. Financial difficulty had a borderline association with poor mental health in this model.CONCLUSIONS: These risk factors might help practitioners identify women at high risk of poor mental health after delivery

乳房切断術患者の術後遠隔期におけるQOLに関する研究

根治的乳房切断術を受けた乳癌患者137例について，術後遠隔時のQOLをアンケート調査票を送付して行った．QOLの構成因子を患側上肢の機能障害，Activity　of　Daily　Life（以下ADL），State of　Daily　Life（以下SDL），就労状況，身体的活動意欲，精神的活動意欲，手術満足度，癌再発不安度，ボディ・イメージの変容とした．患側上肢の自覚症状として，腫脹32％，筋力低下25％，疼痛14％，可動域制限14％，知覚異常7％が認められた．ADLを各項目別に検討すると，過半数の例に何らかの支障を認めた．これら機能障害の高度な例では，身体的・精神的活動意欲などの他のQOL因子も有意に不良であった．SDLが術前と不変と回答した例は108例中79％であった．手術不満例は16％であり，上肢の高度機能障害例に多かった．癌再発不安は，65歳以上の高齢者群に比し，65歳未満の若年者群に有意に高く，長期経過例であっても不安は解消されていなかった．乳房喪失というボディ・イメージの変容に対して，大多数の症例がブラジャー，衣服の工夫を行っていた．　以上により種々の程度の上肢の機能障害に対し，各人に適合した補整具の開発やアフタケアを含めた指導や，癌再発不安などに対する継続的な看護が重要であると考えられた．We conducted a questionnaire survey to evaluate the long-term quality of life (QOL) in 137 patients with breast cancer who underwent radical mastectomy. QOL factors consist functional impairment in the upper limb on the affected side, activity of daily life (ADL), state of daily life (SDL), the status of postoperative rehabilitation, mental activities, physical activities, satisfaction of the surgery, anxiety for recurrence of cancer, cosmetic factor (changes in the body image). In the upper limb on the affected side, swelling was observed in 32％, decreased muscle strength in 25％, pain in 14％, limitation in the range of motion in 14％, and sensory impairment in 7％. However, evaluation of the items of the ADL questionnaire revealed specific disturbance in daily life in more than 50％ of respondents. Patients who showed marked functional impairment in this limb had other QOL factors, such as the desire to do mental and physical activiies which were also significantly poor. Of these patients, 108 (79％) replied that state of daily living (SDL) did not change after the survey. Sixteen percent of the patients were not satisfied with the results of their surgery, and they often noted marked functional impairment in the upper limb. Anxiety about recurrence of cancer was more in the middle aged group (65 years or more) than in the aged group (less than 65 old). Anxiety persisted even in patients showing a long survival without regard to aging. Against changes in the body image, ie., loss of the breast, most patients used prosthetic devices in a brassiere and clothes. These results suggested the need to develop prosthetic consultation for each patient, and instruction in post operative care to help prevent functional impairment in the upper limb, continuous nursing intervention to the anxiety about recurrence of cancer might be needed. to various level of the functional impairment in the upper limb

The mental health status of children who have been evacuated or migrated from rural areas in Fukushima prefecture after the Fukushima daiichi nuclear power station accident: results from the Fukushima health management survey

Introduction: We evaluated the mental health status of children residing in Kawauchi village (Kawauchi), Fukushima Prefecture, after the 2011 accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, based on the children's experience of the nuclear disaster. Methods: We conducted this cross-sectional study within the framework of the Fukushima Health Management Survey (FHMS);FHMS data on age, sex, exercise habits, sleeping times, experience of the nuclear disaster, and the "Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ)" scores for 156 children from Kawauchi in 2012 were collected. Groups with and without experience of the nuclear disaster - "nuclear disaster (+)" and "nuclear disaster (-)" - were also compared. Results: Our effective response was 93 (59.6%);the mean SDQ score was 11.4±6.8 among elementary school-aged participants and 12.4±6.8 among junior high school-aged ones. We statistically compared the Total Difficulties Scores (TDS) and sub-item scores of the SDQ between "elementary school" and "junior high school" or "nuclear disaster" (+) and (-). There was no significant difference between these items. Conclusions: We found indications of poor mental health among elementary and junior high school-aged children in the disaster area immediately following the accident, but no differences based on their experience of the nuclear disaster. These results indicate the possibility of triggering stress, separate to that from experiences related to the nuclear disaster, in children who lived in affected rural areas and were evacuated just after the nuclear disaster

Knowledge, experience, and potential risks of dating violence among Japanese university students: a cross-sectional study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The Domestic Violence Prevention Act came into effect in Japan in 2001, but covers only marriage partner violence and post-divorce partner violence, and does not recognize intimate partner violence (IPV). The present study was performed to determine the experience of harassment, both toward and from an intimate partner, and recognition of harassment as IPV among Japanese university students.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A self-administered questionnaire survey regarding the experience of harassment involving an intimate partner was conducted as a cross-sectional study among freshman students in a prefectural capital city in Japan.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A total of 274 students participated in the present study. About half of the subjects (both male and female students) had experience of at least one episode of harassment toward or had been the recipient of harassment from an intimate partner. However, the study participants did not recognize verbal harassment, controlling activities of an intimate partner, and unprotected sexual intercourse as violence. Experience of attending a lecture/seminar about domestic violence and dating violence did not contribute to appropriate help-seeking behavior.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>An educational program regarding harassment and violence prevention and appropriate help-seeking behavior should be provided in early adolescence to avoid IPV among youth.</p