• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
• /
• v.52 no.6
• /
• pp.613-619
• /
• 2014

Neospora caninum (Apicomplexa; Sarcocystidae) is a protozoan that causes abortion in cattle, horses, sheep, and dogs as well as neurological and dermatological diseases in dogs. In the central nervous system of dogs infected with N. caninum, cysts were detected that exhibited gliosis and meningitis. Flavonoids are polyphenolic compounds that exhibit antibacterial, antiparasitic, antifungal, and antiviral properties. In this study, we investigated the effects of flavonoids in a well-established in vitro model of N. caninum infection in glial cell cultures. Glial cells were treated individually with 10 different flavonoids, and a subset of cultures was also infected with the NC-1 strain of N. caninum. All of the flavonoids tested induced an increase in the metabolism of glial cells and many of them increased nitrite levels in cultures infected with NC-1 compared to controls and uninfected cultures. Among the flavonoids tested, 3',4'-dihydroxyflavone, 3',4',5,7-tetrahydroxyflavone (luteolin), and 3,3',4',5,6-pentahydroxyflavone (quercetin), also inhibited parasitophorous vacuole formation. Taken together, our findings show that flavonoids modulate glial cell responses, increase NO secretion, and interfere with N. caninum infection and proliferation.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.20 no.2 s.22
• /
• pp.322-330
• /
• 1987

The objectives of this study were to examine the changes of birth weight and relationship of birth weight with maternal age and parity. The study population included 13,634 single live births out of 14,346 births delivered at a general hospital in Busan between January 1, 1977 and December 31, 1956. Data were obtained from the delivery record. In 1979 the mean birth weight of male was 3,074 gm and that of female was 2,985 gm. In 1986 birth weight of male was increased to 3,266 gm and that of female to 3,210 gm. Low birth weight ($\leq$2,500 gm) incidence rate was 7.2% in 1977 and it was increased gradually to 10.4% in 1980 but decreased thereafter to 6.5% in 1986. Incidence rate of overweight infant (4,001 gm $\leq$) was 3.9% for 10 years and it ranged from 2.9% to 4.6% but no particular changing pattern was observed. The percentage of mothers who had history of induced abortion was decreased from 51.6% in 1979 to 45.1% in 1986. Also, stillbirth rate was decreased from 2.6% in 1977 to 1.5% in 1986. The proportion of the first and second births was increased from 55.4% in 1977 to 96.0% in 1986 and the proportion of mothers of 25-34 years increased from 72.1% in 1977 to 84.7% in 1986. The incidence rates of low birth weight and over weight infant are lower in the first and second births of 25-34 years old mothers than other parities and age groups. Increased mean birth weight and decreased low birht weight incidence rate indicate that the health status of newborn infants has been improved and substantial portion of these changes can be attributed to increase in family planning practice rate and delayed marriage. There is no evidence, however, for increasing incidence rate of overweight infant.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.10 no.1
• /
• pp.80-85
• /
• 1977

The Korean family planning program began in 1962, originating both in a concern for family well-being and in a concern over a high population growth rate which was cancelling advances in economic capacity. The new program was frank and vigorous in its advocacy of birth control. In recent years, voluntary sterilization as a family planning method has many attributes that cause users of contraceptives to regard it as an ideal method in Korea. A point of these view, author performed a follow-up study on effects of vasectomy and tubal ligation on sociomedical aspects of total 136 men sterilized and 96 women sterilized in Sunsan Gun, Kyungpook Province as of July, 1977. The results were summerized as follows: An average age of vasectomized men was 37.0 and that of tubal ligated women, 34.9. The average duration of marital life was 13.9 years in men sterilized and 14.6 years in women sterilized. An average number of living children at the time of sterilization was 3.6 in men sterilized and that of living children, 3.7 in women sterilized. The most predominant reason for the sterilization was birth control in both (91% in men, 52% in women) and the most common motivating socilitator was family planning field workers (71% in men, 48% in women). About 51 percent of men sterilized and 50 percent of women sterilized were used contraceptive methods before the operation. Experience of induced abortion is reported in 65 percent of wives of men sterilized and 64 percent of women sterilized. In sexual feeling after sterilization, respondents shelved increasing coital frequency 21 percent in men sterilized and 10 percent in women sterilized. Sixty-five percent in men sterilized and 64 percent in women sterilized would recommend the operation to others.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
• /
• v.26 no.3
• /
• pp.389-398
• /
• 1999

Objective: This study was designed to evaluate the effects of endogenous LH surge, GnRH agonist (GnRH-a) or human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) as ovulation trigger on pregnancy rate by intrauterine insemination (IUI). Method: Patients received daily 100 mg of clomiphene citrate (CC) for 5 days starting on the third day of the menstrual cycle followed by human menopausal gonadotropin (hMG) for ovulation induction. Follicles larger than >16 mm in diameter were present in the ovary, frequent LH tests in urine were introduced to detect an endogenous LH surge. Final follicular maturation and ovulation were induced by GnRH-a 0.1 mg (s.c.) or hCG $5,000{\sim}10,000$ IU (i.m.) administration except natural ovulation. Pregnancy was classified as clinical if a gestational sac or fetal cardiac activity was seen on ultrasound. Results: There were no differences in age, duration of infertility and follicle size, but more ampules of hMG were used in GnRH-a group compared to hCG 10,000 IU treated group (p<0.05). Lower level of estradiol ($E_2$) on the day of hCG or GnRH-a injection was observed in hCG 10,000 IU group than other treatment groups (p<0.01). The overall clinical pregnancy rate was 19.8% per cycle (32/162) and 22.2% per patient (32/144). Pregnancy rate was higher in natural-endogenous LH surge group (37.5%, 9/24) than GnRH-a (18.8%) or hCG treated group (20.9% & 13.9%), but this difference was not statistically significant. No patient developed ovarian hyperstimulation. Abortion rate was 22.2% (2/9) in hCG 5,000 IU group. Delivery or ongoing pregnancy rate was 37.5% (9/24), 18.8% (3/16), 16.3% (7/43) and 13.9% (11/79) in endogenous LH surge, GnRH-a, hCG 5,000 IU and hCG 10,000 IU treatment groups, respectively. Conclusion: These results support the concept that use of natural-endogenous LH surge in stimulated cycles may be more effective to obtain pregnancies by IUI than GnRH-a or hCG administration.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.9 no.1
• /
• pp.65-75
• /
• 1976

To compare the maternal health status between women in island and land, the study was conducted to adjacent land (kukdong) and island (kyonghodong) areas in Yosoo city during April 1976. The results obtained from 174 interviewee in island and 192 in land areas were the same as follow, 1. General characteristics of both area. Age: Land, group 20-29 year of age was the largest. Island, 30-39 year of age was the largest. Education; Low educated group, less than primary grade (land 88.6%, island 93.1%), was predominant in both area. Occupation of herself; agriculture and labor was the main occupation (land 50%, island 82.2%) in both area. Occupation of husband: labor and fishery was general (81.2%) in land, and agriculture and fishery was general (81.6%) in island. Duration of residence; Land, 25.0% being resided here more than 10 years. Island, 64.3% being resided here more than 10 years. 2. Marriage, Pregnancy, and Present children. Average age at marriage; Land, 20.7 years. Island, 20.9 years. Average frequency of pregnancy; Land, 4.4 times. Island, 4.3 times. Wastage of pregnancies: Land, 236 per 1000 pregnancies. Island, 151 per 1000 pregnancies. Wastage occupied by induced abortion; land, 73.5%. island, 60.5%. Number and sex of present children; Land, 3.3 per family, sex ratio 52.4 to 47.6. Island, 3.6 per family, sex ratio 53.3 to 46.7. 3. Prenatal and postnatal care. Prenatal consutation: Land, 16.1% received by doctor or midwife. Island 9.2% received by doctor or midwife. Complications during last pregnancy; Land, 46.6% complained. Island, 51.1% complained. Return to work within 1 week after delivery; Land, 40.6%. Island, 50.6%. 4. Delivery environment Home delivery; Land, 97.4% Island, 97.3%. Delivery attdended by non medical professions at home; Land, 80.2% Island, 93.7%. Solo home delivery; Land, 13.0%, Island, 12.9%. Delivery attended by layman without taking any disinfective preparations; Land, 48.1%, Island, 49.1%. Material mainly used to cut umbilical cord at home; Land, scissors (97.4%). Island, scissora (98.8%). Cord cutting material used without giving any disinfective preparations; Land, 79.9%, Island, 84.0%. Delivery sheets used at home; Cement bag paper (land 50.0%, island, 31.3%). Vinyl sheets (land,17.5%, island, 27.6%). News paper (land, 3.2%. island, 11.7%). No sheets (land 19.5%. island, 12.9%). etc. Maternal Meal; Seaweed soup with rice was the most general in both area. (land 95.3%, island, 91.4%).

• Journal of Korean Medical Science
• /
• v.33 no.47
• /
• pp.296.1-296.7
• /
• 2018

Background: Antepartum, intrapartum, and postpartum preventive measures with antiretroviral drugs, appropriate delivery methods, and discouraging breastfeeding significantly decrease the risk of mother-to-child transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Herein, we investigated the pregnancy outcomes in HIV-infected Korean women. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed medical records of childbearing-age HIV-infected women between January 2005 and June 2017 at four tertiary care hospitals in Korea. Results: Among a total of 95 HIV infected women of child-bearing age with 587.61 years of follow-up duration, 15 HIV-infected women experienced 21 pregnancies and delivered 16 infants. The pregnancy rate was 3.57 per 100 patient-years. Among the 21 pregnancies, five ended with an induced abortion, and 16 with childbirth including two preterm deliveries at 24 and 35 weeks of gestation, respectively. The two preterm infants had low birth weight and one of them died 10 days after delivery due to respiratory failure. Among the 14 full-term infants, one infant was small for gestational age. There were no HIV-infected infants. Conclusion: The pregnancy rate of HIV-infected women in Korea is lower than that of the general population. Although several adverse pregnancy outcomes were observed, mother-to-child transmission of HIV infection was successfully prevented with effective preventive measures.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
• /
• v.24 no.2
• /
• pp.167-177
• /
• 1997

Oocyte donation program developed to reach the pregnancy in those patients suffering from premature ovarian failure or surgery induced menopause, particularly in their reproductive age. With technical advances and popularity of ART (assisted reproductive technology), the indication of oocyte donation program extended to low responders, and even to naturally menopaused patients that has led them quite successfully to getting in pregnancy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate which one is involved in the decline of fertility between the oocyte and uterine factor. One hundred five cycles of oocyte donation program were performed in 84 patients from Jan., 1993 to Dec., 1996. Oocytes were donated from healthy, young, fertile anonymous donors or relatives or infertile patients with supernumerary oocytes. The study population was divided into 3 groups according to the age of recipients. Group 1 was less than 35 years old, Group 2 was between 35 to 39 years old, and Group 3 was more than 39 years old. The results were as follows: The mean age of oocyte donor was $31.5{\pm}3.3$ (range; 25-36). The mean concentration of basal serum FSH and peak serum estradiol were not different among groups. The mean number of oocytes retrieved from donors, embryos transferred to recipients, and fertilization rate were not different among groups. The clinical pregnancy rate was 37.3% in Group 1, 31.6% in Group 2, and 31.6% in Group 3, respectively. The spontaneous abortion rate was 16.0% in Group 1, 16.7% in Group 2, and 16.7 in Group 3, respectively. The multiple pregnancy rate was 20.0% in Group 1, 16.7% in Group 2, 16,7% in Group 3, respectively, The implantation rate was 11.3% in Group 1, 10.3% in Group 2 and 10.0% in Group 3, respectively. All of the pregnancy outcomes were not different statistically among groups. In conclusion, endometrial receptivity does not seem to be impaired as age increases with transfer of good quality embryos and adequate endometrial preparation.

• Korea journal of population studies
• /
• v.11 no.1
• /
• pp.14-31
• /
• 1988

The national family planning program in Korea, which was instituted as an integral part of the nation's economic development plans since 1962, has contributed greatly to a reduction in the fertility and population growth rate. The total fertility rate dipped from 6.0 births per women in 1960 to 2.0 in 1985, and the population growth rate rom 2.84 percent per year to 1.25 percent during the same period, while the contraceptive practice rate for the 15-44 married women increased from 9 percent in 1965 to 70 percent in 1985. Study findings indicate that the fertility reduction in the past 26 years is largely attributed to the virgorous implementation of the national family planning program, rising age at marriage, wide-spread use of induced abortion, and the changes in attitude regarding the value of children that came into being in the wake of the rapid socio-economic development over the period. Among the strengths of the national family planning program are the following : 1) a pluralistic system of program manageent with active participation of various government and voluntary organizations, 2) utilization of a large corps of family planning field workers to conduct face-to-face communication and motivation activities, 3) use of private physicians with government support to provide contraceptive services, 4) a systematic program management system including program planning of traget allocation, evaluation, and supervision with a broad MIS and award system, 5) numerous incentive and disincentive schemes for stimulating the small family norm and contraceptive use, and 6) strong commitments to the family planning program by political leaders. The new demographic targets during the Sixth Five-Year Economic and Social Development plan period(1987-91) have been set for a further reduction in the population growth rate to 1.0 percent by 1993, assuming that the TFR will decline to 1.75 level in 1995. This target is, however, not easy to achieve due to anticipated unfavorable factors like the strong boy preference, high discontinuation rates of reversible contraceptive methods, fertility termination-oriented contraceptive use, a plateau level of contraceptive practice rate that has mostly accounted for a sterilization, shortened length of birth intervals, and the changing patterns of contraceptive mix. The recent changes in contraceptive and fertility behaviors clearly indicate that the past quantity-oriented management system of the national program should be redirected toward a quality-oriented approach. Particularly, program efforts should be expanded to recruit new contraceptive users in the 20s of younger age groups, both for birth spacing and controlling their fertility since the women aged 20 to 29 account for more than 80 percent of the total annual births in recent years. In addition, the current contraceptive fee system of the national family planning program should be gradually shifted from free contraceptive services to a acceptor's charge system, and the provision of contraceptive services through the medical insurance system, which will cover the entire population by 1989, should be accelerated as a means of integration of family planning program with other health programs.

• Korea journal of population studies
• /
• v.14 no.1
• /
• pp.55-69
• /
• 1991

The objective of the study is to figure out the status of reproductive health and general characteristics related to maternal health for Korean-Americans living in Los Angeles. We collected data from the married women who wanted no more additional child birth and were attending the Family Planning Clinic of Koryo Health Foundation in Los Angeles during 1988. There were 494 women met the eligibility requirement for this study. The results are summarized below. 1. In the age distribution of the women who desired no more additional child birth, women 30-34 age group constituted the largest proportion at 36.6 percent ; the mean age of women was 35.1915.55. The mean number of child birth was 1.77, and the proportion of the women by number of child birth were 35.2 percent for one children, 50.1 percent for two children 10.5 percent for three children, and 2.6 percent for four children. All of the women experienced pregnancy at least once, and mean number of pregnancy was 3.42. The mean number of total experience of induced abortion was 1.56. and 76.7 percent of these women had experience with induced abortions. To prevent further pregnancies, 90.1 percent of the women were utilizing the contraceptive methods, and the highest proportion by the contraceptive methods was condoms(53.7%), 9.3 percent in spermicides, 8.7 percent in IUDs, 8.7 percent in rhythm method, and 6.9 percent in oral pills. 2. The mean age of women at each stage of reproductive life cycle were 14.74 years at time of menarche, 24.55 years at time of marriage, 26.60 years at time of the first child birth, and 28.75 years at time of the last child birth. In age distribution of the women by birth cohort (Group I : birth cohort 1940-1954, Group H : birth cohort 1955-1970), the mean menar-cheal age of the women was 14.96 years in group I , and 14.53 years in group H . Mean age at time of marriage was 25.01 years in group I and 24.08 years in group H . Mean child birth age of the women by birth cohort was 27.19 years In group I and 26.01 years in Group II for the first child birth and 30.07 years in group I and 27.45 years in group II for the last child birth. The total length of reproductive life cycle from menarche to menopause (presumed to be at 49 of age years) was 34.26 years. The len-gth of phase I (from menarche to marriage) was 9.81 years, while phase H (marriage to first birth) was 2.05 years, and phase Ill (first birth to last birth) was 2. 15 years, and the last phase of reproductive life cycle, phase IV (last birth to menopause) was 20.25 years. The proportion of each phase 10 total length of reproductive life cycle was 28.6 percent, 6.0 percent 6.3 percent, and 59.t percent respectively. In the tendency of each phase in reproductive life cycle by birth cohort (group I , U ), the length of phase I, II , III of birth cohort group II was diminished in comparison with those of birth cohort group I , but the length of phase IV was extended by 2.38 years. 3. Among the women, the mean number of total pregnancy by birth cohort group was 2.01 in group I and 1.10 in Group II, and mean number of child birth was 1.97 in group I and 1.58 in group II. In terms of pregnancy was-tage rate by birth cohort group, among the total pregnancy of birth cohort group I , 51.8 percent of the cases resulted in induced abortions or spontaneous abortions whils 48.2 percent resulted in live births, and 42.2 percent or total pregnancy in group II resulted in pregnancy wastage and 57.8 percent of the cases resulted in live births.

• Korea journal of population studies
• /
• v.21 no.2
• /
• pp.182-227
• /
• 1998

Korean government decided to adopt an explicit population control policy in 1961 and from the following year the establishment and operation of the national family planning programme was included in each of the Five-Year Economic Development Plans that began in 1962. This policy was pursued in the understanding that without proper population control measures korea could not be able to achieve economic development. Korean national family planning programme is characterized by contraceptive target system through public health network with distribution of free contraceptives by family planning field workers and clinical contraceptive services such as IUD, vasectomy and tubaligation at designated clinics by the government. In addition, IE&C activities by the Planned Parenthood Federation of Korea and programme evaluation and research by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs contributed to the development of the government programme. Between 1960 and mid 1980s the nation's total fertility rate was reduced from 6.0 to population replacement level of 2.1 and thereafter it has been maintained at 1.6 to 1.7 of below replacement level. With a short period of less than three decades fertility transition was completed in Korea. It is estimated that if the current level of below replacement fertility continues, the population in Korea stabilize at around 52.78 million people by the year 2028, and it will begin to decrease thereafter. Under this circumstances, the government adopted new directions and strategies of the population policy in June 1996, focused primarily on population quality and social welfare than on demographic arenas. In spite of over 80 percent of high contraceptive prevalence among married women, high incidence of induced abortions is maintained. Moreover, the prevalence of sex selective induced abortions using procedures to determine the sex of the fetus has resulted in an imbalance in the sex ratio at birth. In order to overcome those problems associated with reproductive health new policy for population quality control and health promotion programme should be highly strengthened in the future.