• Health Policy and Management
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.277-284
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• 2015

Background: This study investigates the relationship of socioeconomic status with adverse birth outcomes (low birth weight, preterm birth) and the relationship of socioeconomic status with infant mortality, using the birth cohort in Korea, 1995-2010. Methods: 8,648,035 births from National Statistics Offics, 1995-2010 were studied with respect to social variation in adverse birth outcomes and infant mortality in Korea. The effect of social inequality was examined against adverse birth outcomes and infant mortality using multivariate logistic regression after controlling for other covariates. Results: Social inequality were observed in adverse birth outcomes: low birth weight (LBW, 1,500-2,499 g), very LBW (1,000-1,499 g), and extremely LBW (500-999 g) as well as moderately preterm birth (PTB, 33-36 weeks), very PTB (28-32 weeks), extremely PTB (22-27 weeks), and infant mortality. The effect of social inequality was higher among moderately LBW (1,500-2,499 g) and PTB (33-36 weeks) than very or extremely LBW and PTB. Conclusion: The social inequality in adverse birth outcomes (low birth weight and preterm) and infant mortality existed and increased in Korea from 1995 to 2010. The effect of maternal education on adverse birth outcomes as well as infant mortality was apparent in the study results. Especially, social inequailiy in infant mortality was greater among the sub-normal births (low birth weight [1,500-2,499 g] or preterm birth [33-36 weeks]), which suggests, social interventions should aim at more among the subnormal births. This study suggest that tackling inequality in births as well as infant mortality should be focused on the social inequality itself.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.273-285
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• 2022

Objectives: This study compared the nutritional intakes of early and late preterm infants in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and at home. The dietary problems and the need for community care services for premature infants were further investigated. Methods: This is a cross-sectional and descriptive study on 125 preterm infants and their parents (Early preterm n = 70, Late preterm n = 55). The data were collected by surveying the parents of preterm infants and from hospital medical records. Results: No significant differences were obtained between the early and late preterm infant groups when considering the proportion of feeding types in the NICU and at home. Early preterm infants were fed with a greater amount of additional calories at home and had more hours of tube feeding (P = 0.022). Most preterm infants had feeding problems. However, there was no significant difference between early and late preterm infants in the mental pain of parents, sleeping, feeding, and weaning problems at home. Many parents of preterm babies had no external support, and more than half the parents required community care to take care of their preterm babies. Conclusions: Regardless of the gestational age, most preterm infants have several problems with dietary intake. Our study indicates the need to establish community care services for preterm infants.

• Journal of East-West Nursing Research
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.59-65
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• 2012

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of Kangaroo Care (KC) on physiological marker of preterm infant in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Methods: The research design was a nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest. Data were collected from July 1, 2007 to February 29, 2008. The participants were 26 people of experimental group and 27 people of control group. KC was applied three times per day, for a total ten times of 4 days to the experimental group. Results: There was significant difference between experimental and control groups on the skin temperature on of preterm infants. The skin temperature in the intervention group was significantly higher than in the control group. Conclusion: Kangaroo care can be applied as a supportive nursing intervention to preterm infant at neonatal intensive care unit.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.57 no.10
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• pp.425-433
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• 2014

Adrenal and thyroid hormones are essential for the regulation of intrauterine homeostasis, and for the timely differentiation and maturation of fetal organs. These hormones play complex roles during fetal life, and are believed to underlie the cellular communication that coordinates maternal-fetal interactions. They serve to modulate the functional adaptation for extrauterine life during the perinatal period. The pathophysiology of systemic vasopressor-resistant hypotension is associated with low levels of circulating cortisol, a result of immaturity of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in preterm infants under stress. Over the past few decades, studies in preterm infants have shown abnormal clinical findings that suggest adrenal or thyroid dysfunction, yet the criteria used to diagnose adrenal insufficiency in preterm infants continue to be arbitrary. In addition, although hypothyroidism is frequently observed in extremely low gestational age infants, the benefits of thyroid hormone replacement therapy remain controversial. Screening methods for congenital hypothyroidism or congenital adrenal hyperplasia in the preterm neonate are inconclusive. Thus, further understanding of fetal and perinatal adrenal and thyroid function will provide an insight into the management of adrenal and thyroid function in the preterm infant.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.7-13
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• 2010

Early nutritional support for preterm infants is critical because such support influences long-term outcome. Minimal enteral feeding should be initiated as soon as possible if an infant is stable and if feeding advancement is recommended as relevant to the clinical course. Maternal milk is the gold standard for enteral feeding, but fortification may be needed to achieve optimal growth in a rapidly growing premature infant. Erythromycin may aid in promoting gastrointestinal motility in cases that exhibit feeding intolerance. Selected preterm infants need vitamins, mineral supplements, and calorie enhancers to meet their nutritional needs. Despite all that is known about this topic, additional research is needed to guide postdischarge nutrition of preterm infants in order to maintain optimal growth and neurodevelopment.

• Journal of the Korean Data and Information Science Society
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.713-721
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• 2013

The purpose of this study was to compare the breast feeding practice rates and mothers' breast feeding empowerment in preterm (gestation age [GA]<34), late preterm ($34{\leq}$GA<37), early term infants ($37{\leq}$GA<39). We surveyed 33 preterm, 22 late preterm, and 30 early term infants at a 'Baby-Friendly Hospital' in D city. The data were collected from October 1st, 2008 to February 28th, 2010 through the medical records of the infants and their mothers. We also checked the mothers' breast feeding empowerment at discharge day. The rate of breast feeding in the late preterm and preterm infants was significantly lower than that of the early term infants. The score of mothers' breast feeding empowerment in the late preterm and preterm infants was also significantly lower than that of the early term infants. The breast feeding education program is required for the mothers who have preterm and late preterm infants considering the low rate of breast feeding.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.14-17
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• 2006

Infants who are born prematurely or with low birth weight should be immunized at the same postnatal chronologic age. They should receive BCG, DTaP, IPV vaccines according to the same recommended schedule as full term infants. Hepatitis B vaccine schedule is modified when hepatitis B vaccine is administered a infant with birth weight less than 2,000 g. The recommended standard dose of each vaccine should be administered. Proportion of children experiencing vaccine-related adverse events dose not differ between full-term and preterm infants. Immunization with routinely recommended childhood vaccines is safe for preterm and low birth weight infants.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.71-80
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• 2009

Purpose: This study was done to investigate the effects of an infant massage on physical growth and stress response in preterm babies. Method: A nonequivalent control group with pre-posttest design was used with 56 preterm babies in the NICU of E medical center at Daejeon. Data were collected from July 2004 to May 2005. The intervention was given for 15 minutes, once a day for 7 days. Physical growth was measured by weight, length, head circumference, and stress response was measured by serum cortisol level. Mean, %, paired-test, t-test with the SPSS/W in 16.0 program were used to analyze the data. Results: After the intervention, physical growth variables (weight, length, head circumference) in experimental group were higher than that of the control group. Also, the serum cortisol level in the experimental group was lower than that of the control group. But none of these results were not statistically significant. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that a 7-day intervention period may not be long enough to confirm the effects of infant massage on physical growth and stress reaction. Therefore it is suggested that a longer period of infant massage should be tested to determine if it is effective in improving the physical growth and stress reduction in preterm babies.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.234-247
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• 2018

The goal of nutrition of the preterm infant is to "provide nutrients to approximate the rate of growth and composition of weight gain for a normal fetus of the same postmenstrual age and to maintain normal concentrations of blood and tissue nutrients" (American Academy of Pediatrics 2014). Failure to provide the necessary amounts of all of the essential nutrients to preterm infants has produced not only growth failure, but also increased morbidity and less than optimal neurodevelopment. This continues to be true despite many efforts to increase nutrition of the preterm infants. In contrast, enhanced nutrition of very preterm infants, both intravenous and enteral, beginning right after birth, promotes positive energy and protein balance and improves longer term neurodevelopmental outcomes. The benefits are long lasting too, particularly for prevention of later life chronic diseases.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.215-227
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• 1994

Changes in total lipid content, total cholesterol content and fatty acid composition of preterm milk were investigated during early lactation. Milk samples were collected from Korean mothers of 16 premature(34 to 36 weeks gestation age) infants on day 2 to 5(colostrum) and at 6 weeks(mature) postpartum. We estimated the lipid nutrition of preterm milk by comparing with the lipids of term milk. The total lipid content of preterm colostrum was significantly lower than the lipid content of preterm mature milk(p<0.001). Lipid content, determined gravimetrically in colostrum and matured milk, was 1.50g/이 and 3.2g/dl, respectively. Also the total cholesterol content(mg/dl) in preterm milk tends to increase from 14.16mg/dl to 15.20mg/dl, while the total cholesterol(mg/g lipid) concentration higher significantly in colostrum(12.36mg/g) than in mature(5.73mg/g)(p<0.001). The total unsaturated fatty acid contents in preterm milk were higher in colostrum than in mature milk and the total saturated fatty acids were higher in mature milk. The average DHA contents of colostrum and matured milk was 0.64%, 0.53% and the P/M/S ratio of preterm milk were 0.63 : 1.05 : 1.00, 0.47 : 0.79 : 1.00, respectively. Also, $\omega$6/$\omega$3 ratio of preterm milk were 2.35 in colostrum and 5.81 in mature. Therefore, colostrum in preterm milk contained higher amounts of $\omega$3 PUFA than mature milk. The levels of total lipid in preterm milk were higher than term milk. Also, preterm milk is richer in cholesterol, and long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid than term. It appears that the milk secreted by mothers who delivered prematurely differs from milk in several important respect. These components may serve as precursors for membrane, myelin development in the preterm infants. Therefore, it would be necessary to study further into the machanism of how the gestation age might affect to the lipid composition in human milk. These data may provide a basis for better construction of infant formaulas to provide more adequately for the lipid requirements of the Korean premature infant.