• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.89-101
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• 2015

This study examined the effects of self-differentiation and psychological discomfort on antenatal attachment of pregnant couples in their third trimester of pregnancy. The subjects were 182 couples in J province who had participated in the first wave of the Korea Attachment Longitudinal Study (KALS). Data were analyzed by means of frequency, percentages, Pearson's correlations, and stepwise multiple regression models using SPSS 20.0. The findings were as follows. First, the independent t-test showed that the mean scores of pregnant women's self-differentiation were lower than their spouses in all subscales except emotional cutoff, and higher than in all psychological discomfort subscales. There was no significant difference in antenatal attachment quality between women and men, but the pregnant women significantly spent more time thinking about the fetus than their spouses. Second, the stepwise multiple regression models revealed that pregnant women's emotional cutoff in self-differentiation influenced the most on both quality and quantity of antenatal attachment. Among subscales of their spouses' self-differentiation, only emotional reactivity had an impact on quality of antenatal attachment, and fusion with others had the most impact on quantity of antenatal attachment. Among the pregnant women's and their spouses' psychological discomfort subscales, only depression influenced each quality and quantity of antenatal attachment. This is the very first and only study in which the impact of the pregnant couples' self-differentiation on antenatal attachment has been examined.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.22-28
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• 2007

The pregnancy and postpartum period appear to be a time of heightened vulnerability for the development of major depression in some women. Postpartum depression affects 10% of women within a few weeks immediately postpartum. Postpartum depression is associated with disturbances in the mother-infant relationship, which in turn have an adverse impact on the course of child cognitive and emotional development. Depression during pregnancy is also common, although it has been relatively neglected. Psychopathological symptoms during pregnancy have physiological consequences for the fetus. Understanding the aetiology of perinatal depression requires integrating of multiple psychosocial and biological risk factors. The treatment of depressed pregnant women requires skilled decision making by psychiatrists. Risk-benefit analysis is appropriate method for intervention fur depression in pregnancy. Effective treatments for depression in pregnancy include psychotherapy, antidepressant medication and electroconvulsive therapy. In treatment of postpartum depression, the biological, psychological, and social interventions are included. Prescribing antidepressants(such as fluoxetine), estrogen in severe and chronic cases, and counselling can be effective for improving maternal mood and aspects of infant outcome. Ongoing research is directed to further elucidating neurohormonal and psychosocial contributions to depression during pregnancy or postpartum. Screening for risk factors and symptoms for depression need to be incorporated into antenatal and pediatric clinics.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.193-198
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• 1997

To evaluate the efficacy of transabdominal myomectomy in the management of infertile patients, and to analyze on the results of abdominal myomectomy in 38 infertile patients with no other detectable cause except myomas were undertaken at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in Yonsei University Hospital from 1990 to 1996. The results are as follows; 1. Average age of patients was 31.1 years. The infertility duration ranged 12 months to 144 months, and average infertility period of patients was 29.4 months. 2. Fourteen of the 38 patients (8 of 23 patients with primary infertility, 6 of 15 patients with secondary infertility) conceived following myomectomy, with a pregnancy rate of 36.8%. 3. Patients with less than 4 years of infertility showed a higher pregnancy rate after myomectomy than those with more than 4 years of infertility (42.4% vs 0%, p<0.05). 4. Patients younger than 35 years showed significantly higher pregnancy rate than those older than 35 years (46.4% vs 9.0%, p<0.05). 5. The removal of a solitary myoma produced a significantly higher pregnancy rate than that of multiple myomas (47.8% vs 20.0%, p<0.05), and the size of the myomas did not influenced the pregnancy rate after myomectomy (p>0.1). 6. The average time period from operation to conception was 12.1 months. Eight of the 14 patients (57.1%) conceived in the first year after operation and 12 patients (85.7%) condeived within two years. In conclusion myomas are a possible cause of infertility and myomectomy can be strongly recommended with good success expectation for the infertile women if uterine myoma be considered as the main cause of infertility. And factors affecting the pregnancy rate after myomectomy in these patients are the age of the patient, the duration of infertiluty, and the number of myoma.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.53 no.10
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• pp.880-885
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• 2010

Purpose: The recent trends of multiple births (MBs) conceived by assisted reproductive technology (ART) in Korea were analyzed as well as the relationship with maternal age, especially advanced maternal age. Methods: Data were obtained from the Korean Statistical Information Service and annual ART reports from the ART committee of the Korean Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Results: MBs increased from the early 1990s; there was a 275% increase by 2008. The number of total live births was 448,153 and MBs accounted for 10,767; the MB rate was 24.0% in 2006. Among 2,326 deliveries conceived by ART, multiple deliveries accounted for 786 (33.8%). The total number of live births with ART was 3,125 and 1,585 (50.7%) of them were MBs. During 2006, 14.7% of the entire MBs in Korea were associated with ART. The proportion of women of advanced maternal age was much higher in the ART group than in the total live birth group. Conclusion: MBs in women of advanced maternal age have been increasing in Korea with the use of ART. The results of this study showed that ART was a significant factor associated with the increase in MBs in Korea.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.232-240
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• 2015

Purpose: The purpose of this descriptive survey study was designed to identify the stress coping types of married immigrant pregnant women and find out the differences in maternal-fetal attachment and maternal identity based on each types. Methods: 151 married immigrant women who visited 3 women's hospitals located in J-do for pre-pregnancy checkup were selected as study objects. Data were analyzed by dsecriptive statistics, cluster analysis, t-test, ANOVA, and $Scheff{\acute{e}}$ multiple comparison test. Results: Cluster analysis revealed 4 distinct stress coping styles; low stress-coping involvement social support-oriented type, high stress-coping involvement hopeful thinking type, low stress-coping involvement type, effective stress coping types. Women frequently using effective stress coping type among the four types reported higher maternal-fetal attachment. The group of active coping styles got significantly higher score on maternal identity. Conclusion: Proper stress coping of married immigrant pregnant women regarding pregnancies proved to result in high levels of maternal-fetal attachment and maternal identity. Studies measuring the stress coping styles that affect pregnancies should be continuously conducted.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.210-214
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• 2004

This study was carried out to predict the value of serum ${\beta}$ subunit of humans chorionic gonadotropin(${\beta}$- hCG) in early pregnancy viability. This was performed among 85 women in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer(IVF-ET). The serum ${\beta}$-hCG levels were established for 30 normal singleton pregnancies, 10 twin and triplet pregnancies, 10 preclinical abortions, 10 clinical abortions, 20 biochemical abortions and 5 ectopic pregnancies. In comparison to normal singleton pregnancies, multiple pregnancies showed higher ${\beta}$-hCG. But clinical abortions, preclinical abortions and ectopic pregnancies showed lower ${\beta}$-hCG levels than singleton pregnancies. In conclusion, if we predict the value of serum ${\beta}$-hCG of variable early pregnancies and analyze it, we could predict the dilution protocol. Also, it can be useful in other ways.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.295-300
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• 2000

Objective: To report three cases of monozygotic twinning after IVF-ET transfer. Methods: Private practice in two different assisted reproductive technology clinics. Results: Three intrauterine monozygotic twin pregnancies occurred after IVF-ET. One of them was complicated by cord entanglement, another is progressing normal pregnancy without complication and the other was had a normal pregnancy without complication and delivered twin by cesarean section. Conclusion: The reported prevalence of multiple gestations in IVF-ET is a approximately 30%, and it is only 2.7% to be monozygotic twinning in IVF-ET. We report three cases of monozygotic twining after IVF-ET.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.239-249
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• 1999

The role of amino acids in culture media for IVF-ET was examined in a total of 76 cycles. Patients received clomiphene citrate (CC) followed by hMG or GnRH-a combined with gonadotropins (FSH/hMG) for controlled ovarian hyperstimulation. Severe male (<$4{\times}10^6$ motile sperm) or age factor (>39 y) patients were excluded in this study. Pregnancy was classified as clinical if a gestational sac or fetal cardiac activity was seen on ultrasound. No significant differences were found in age, duration of infertility, follicle size, the level of $E_2$ on the day of hCG injection, the mean number of oocytes retrieved, total motile sperm count, fertilization rate and the mean number of embryos transferred between bHTF (without amino acids) and mHTF (with amino acids) groups. However, total ampules of gonadotropins were higher (p<0.01) in mHTF group than bHTF group. Significantly (p<0.05) more clinical pregnancies were recorded in mHTF group (13/30) compared with bHTF group (9/46). The multiple pregnancy rates were 11.1% in bHTF group and 7.7% in mHTF group. There were one ectopic pregnancy in mHTF group and one heterotopic pregnancy in bHTF group. Abortion rates were 22.2% in bHTF group and 7.7% in mHTF, respectively. The ongoing pregnancy or livebirth rate was significantly (p<0.05) higher in mHTF group (12/30) than bHTF group (7/46). These results suggest that the addition of amino acids in culture media is essential for culture of zygotes in vitro and adjustment of energy substrates in phosphate-free culture media appears to be beneficial for human IVF-ET procedure.

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

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.232-238
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• 2017

Objective: To determine whether reducing the cetrorelix dose in the antagonist protocol to 0.125 mg had any deleterious effects on follicular development, the number and quality of retrieved oocytes, or the number of embryos, and to characterize its effects on the affordability of assisted reproductive technology. Methods: This randomized controlled study was conducted at the Fertility Unit of Tanta Educational Hospital of Tanta University, the Egyptian Consultants' Fertility Center, and the Qurrat Aien Fertility Center, from January 1 to June 30, 2017. Patients' demographic data, stimulation protocol, costs, pregnancy rate, and complications were recorded. Patients were randomly allocated into two groups: group I (n = 61) received 0.125 mg of cetrorelix (the study group), and group II (n = 62) received 0.25 mg of cetrorelix (the control group). Results: The demographic data were comparable regarding age, parity, duration of infertility, and body mass index. The dose of recombinant follicle-stimulating hormone units required was $2,350.43{\pm}150.76$ IU in group I and $2,366.25{\pm}140.34$ IU in group II, which was not a significant difference (p= 0.548). The duration of stimulation, number of retrieved oocytes, and number of developed embryos were not significantly different between the groups. The clinical and ongoing pregnancy rates likewise did not significantly differ. The cost of intracytoplasmic sperm injection per cycle was significantly lower in group I than in group II (US $ $494.66{\pm}4.079$ vs. US $ $649.677{\pm}43.637$). Conclusion: Reduction of the cetrorelix dose in the antagonist protocol was not associated with any significant difference either in the number of oocytes retrieved or in the pregnancy rate. Moreover, it was more economically feasible for patients in a low-resource country.