Zika virus and pregnant women: A psychological approach

Zika virus presents risk of physical harm to pregnant women, but the fear of infection is also affecting women around the world. There is a gap in the research on Zika virus in the areas involving the impact on the psychosocial well-being of pregnant women. Therefore, this study is aimed at the investigation of the psychosocial adjustment of pregnant women to the risks of Zika virus infection during pregnancy. We investigated 14 pregnant women who were classified in three different groups: six in the first trimester, five in the second trimester and three in the third trimester, aged from 28 to 40 years (33.43 ± 3.76 years). Content analysis was used to interpret data. Our results show that the psychosocial adjustment of participants was significantly negative and included five aspects: (1) negative feelings, (2) changes in family planning, (3) adopting new customs (avoiding places of risk, use of specific clothes and use of repellent), (4) changed attitudes regarding body image and (5) feeling of external demand regarding prevention. The fear of Zika virus infection and all its associated risks have a negative biopsychosocial impact on the pregnant women in this study.     

Pregnancy Plans of First‐time Mothers and Their Children's Outcomes: An Examination of Mechanisms

Unintended pregnancy is prevalent in the United States and has been linked to challenges for both mothers and their children over time. However, studies have not yet identified mechanisms through which pregnancy intention is associated with children's outcomes. Identification of mechanisms among families at risk for negative outcomes will inform early clinical intervention. This current study examined the association between mothers' pregnancy plans reported during pregnancy and children's externalizing, internalizing, dysregulation, and social–emotional competence outcomes at 3 years old among an at‐risk sample of 682 first‐time mothers from the Predicting and Preventing Neglect in Teen Mothers Study. Further, this study identified mechanisms in the association that can be targeted in clinical intervention. Mediation analyses revealed that mothers' parenting stress when children were 24 months old served as a mechanism in the association between unplanned pregnancy and children's low social–emotional competence at 36 months. Implications for research and clinical practice are discussed. Specifically, early intervention with mothers experiencing unplanned pregnancies may help to promote healthy outcomes among their children over time. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Intolerance to ambient odors at an early stage of pregnancy

Adverse reactions to ambient odorous and pungent substances in daily activities among pregnant women who are half-way through pregnancy, and changes in odor perception at predominantly an early stage of pregnancy motivated the present study of odor intolerance at an early pregnancy stage. Ninety-five women averaging gestational week 11 and 102 non-pregnant women were compared with the Chemical Sensitivity Scale for Sensory Hyperreactivity (CSS-SHR). General environmental intolerance was assessed with items from the Noise Sensitivity Scale that are analogous to the CSS-SHR ("NSS-SHR"). Pregnant women were found to have higher scores on the CSS-SHR, but not on the "NSS-SHR". This suggests an odor intolerance that affects pregnant women's daily activities, which appears not to be due to a general environmental intolerance. The effect size of pregnancy on CSS-SHR score is larger in the present study of early pregnancy than in the previous study of women half-way through pregnancy.     

Prenatal attachment in future parents of twins

The present study aims at contributing to a better understanding of prenatal attachment in parents expecting twins. In particular, the relationship between prenatal attachment (measured with the Questionnaire for Antenatal Emotional Attachment) and three other psychosocial factors—the parents' psychosocial well-being and the quality of the marital relationship (respectively assessed with the General Health Questionnaire and the Relational Interactional Satisfaction Scale) and the presence of older children in the family—was investigated in both future mothers and fathers at 27 weeks of gestation. Multiple regression analysis revealed no significant relationship between the intensity of prenatal attachment and either of the three variables. For the mothers, a significant positive relationship was found between the quality of attachment on the one hand and psychosocial well-being and quality of the marital relationship on the other hand. For the fathers, the quality of attachment was only significantly predicted by the quality of the marital relationship. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Factors influencing maternal attack on conspecific intruders by lactating female “TO” strain mice

Factors regulating maternal attack in “TO” strain mice were investigated to determine 1) optimal conditions for inducing this behaviour and 2) the likely utility of this activity. Lactating females were more likely to attack male intruders than female intruders. The mate's presence reduced maternal attack in this strain, or (putting it conversely) aggression was generated in the male's absence. Removal of the mothers from their litters for four to five hours also suppressed maternal attack. Investigation of the bite targets in the maternal attack suggested that it is a defensive, rather than an offensive, response.     

Attack by female mice on “Strangers”

In this study the aggressive responses directed by small groups of female mice towards virgin, pregnant, and lactating female strangers, which were individually introduced into their cages, were compared. The results obtained show that, except when lactating, pregnant females are neither attacked much more often nor any more severely than virgin mice. It is suggested that only the state of lactation favors the production of stimuli (olfactory) which release attack by female mice.     

‘You've got to grow up when you've got a kid’: Marginalized young women's accounts of motherhood

Teenage motherhood has been a source of considerable debate in policy and media circles in recent years. This paper explores the meanings of teenage motherhood for young women who were mothers before the age of 21, who were living in economically deprived areas of England and most of whom had been in residential or foster care. Qualitative interviews were carried out at several sites across England, with a total of 33 young women taking part in group interviews and one‐to‐one interviews. The accounts of the young women suggest that they talk about motherhood in three main ways: as ‘hardship and reward’, ‘growing up and responsibility’ and ‘doing things differently’. It is argued that these ways of talking about motherhood present a different picture of teenage motherhood from that of dominant discourses. Furthermore, the young women are active in negotiating and constructing their own identities as mothers, carers and women. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Interrelations between maternal smoking during pregnancy,birth weight and sociodemographic factors in the prediction of early cognitive abilities

Maternal prenatal smoking, birth weight and sociodemographic factors were investigated in relation to cognitive abilities of 1544 children (aged 3.5 years) participating in the Québec Longitudinal Study of Children's Development. The Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT) was used to assess verbal ability, the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence‐Revised (WPPSI‐R) block design test to assess visuospatial ability, and the Visually Cued Recall (VCR) task to assess short‐term memory. Prenatal smoking was related to performance on the WPPSI‐R, the PPVT, and the VCR, although it did not independently predict any cognitive ability after maternal education was taken into account. Birth weight was a more robust predictor of all outcome measures and independently predicted VCR‐performance. Birth weight interacted significantly with family income and maternal education in predicting visuospatial ability, indicating a greater influence of birth weight under relatively poor socio‐economic conditions. Parenting and family functioning mediated associations between maternal education/family income and cognitive task performance under different birth weight conditions, although there were indications for stronger effects under relatively low birth weight. We conclude that investigations of moderating and mediating effects can provide insights into which children are most at risk of cognitive impairment and might benefit most from interventions. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

重复异位妊娠的临床处理策略

为了探讨重复异位妊娠适宜的临床治疗方案,对2006年1月至2006年12月我科收治的251例异位妊娠中42例重复异位妊娠患者的资料进行回顾性分析,资料显示:重复异位妊娠的发病率为16.7%(42/251),平均发病年龄30.7岁,42例患者中异位妊娠部位与上次发生在同侧输卵管12例,对侧输卵管30例,两次异位妊娠发生间隔的时间最短为2个月,最长为9年,平均3.2年。其中10例为第3次异位妊娠。此次患病手术治疗25例,包括切除输卵管13例,保守性手术12例。因盆腔炎症和保守性手术是重复异位妊娠的危险因素,预防和彻底治疗盆腔炎症是降低重复异位妊娠发生的重要手段,采取保守性治疗或保守性手术时应慎重考虑其对患者将来生育和心理的影响。