• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Toxicology Conference
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• 한국독성학회 2006년도 추계학술대회
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• pp.55-64
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• 2006

The fetal central nervous system (CNS) is sensitive to diverse environmental factors, such as alcohol, heavy metals, irradiation, mycotoxins, neurotransmitters, and DNA damage, because a large number of processes occur during an extended period of development. Fetal neural damage is an important issue affecting the completion of normal CNS development. As many concepts about the brain development have been recently revealed, it is necessary to compare the mechanism of developmental abnormalities induced by extrinsic factors with the normal brain development. To clarify the mechanism of fetal CNS damage, we used one experimental model in which 5-azacytidine (5AZC), a DNA damaging and demethylating agent, was injected to the dams of rodents to damage the fetal brain. 5AzC induced cell death (apoptosis)and cell cycle arrest in the fetal brain, and it lead to microencephaly in the neonatal brain. We investigated the mechanism of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in the neural progenitor cells in detail, and demonstrated that various cell cycle regulators were changed in response to DNA damage. p53, the guardian of genome, played a main role in these processes. Further, using DNA microarray analysis, tile signal cascades of cell cycle regulation were clearly shown. Our results indicate that neural progenitor cells have the potential to repair the DNA damages via cell cyclearrest and to exclude highly affected cells through the apoptotic process. If the stimulus and subsequent DNA damage are high, brain development proceeds abnormally and results in malformation in the neonatal brain. Although the mechanisms of fetal brain injury and features of brain malformation afterbirth have been well studied, the process between those stages is largely unknown. We hypothesized that the fetal CNS has the ability to repair itself post-injuring, and investigated the repair process after 5AZC-induced damage. Wefound that the damages were repaired by 60 h after the treatment and developmental processes continued. During the repair process, amoeboid microglial cells infiltrated in the brain tissue, some of which ingested apoptotic cells. The expressions of genes categorized to glial cells, inflammation, extracellular matrix, glycolysis, and neurogenesis were upregulated in the DNA microarray analysis. We show here that the developing brain has a capacity to repair the damage induced by the extrinsic stresses, including changing the expression of numerous genes and the induction of microglia to aid the repair process.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• 제11권3호
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• pp.218-224
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• 2005

Purpose: The Purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between state anxiety and maternal fetal attachment of unmarried mothers in a welfare center. Methods: The subjects were 25 unmarried mothers in a welfare center. The data was collected through personal interviews using a questionnaire. The instruments used for this study were the modified Spielberger's state anxiety inventory and Cranley's Maternal-Fetal Attachment Scale. Data was analyzed descriptive statistics, mean, standard deviation, t-test and the pearson correlation coefficient with the SPSS computer program. Results: The age of the subjects ranged from 15 to 25, and their average age was 20.0. The mean score of state anxiety was 58.2. There was significant difference in the degree of maternal state anxiety between the group whose pregnancy was known by their family and the group whose pregnancy was hidden. The group whose pregnancy was known showed a low state anxiety score. There was a significant difference in the degree of maternal state anxiety by the gestational period. The group who were in the second and third gestational trimester showed lower state anxiety score than in the first trimester. The mean score of maternal-fetal attachment(MFA) was 64.9. There were significant differences in the degree of maternal fetal attachment, by an ultrasound scan experience. The most frequently practiced attachment item was "I think the fetus is able to feel(mean 3.8)". Unmarried mothers degree of state anxiety showed a negative correlation with the degree of maternal fetal attachment(r=-.25), but there was no significant difference between the two variables. Conclusions: The unmarried mothers made an effort in striving to reduce their high state anxiety and to enhance maternal fetal attachment. They also realize how to take care of their state anxiety.

• Korean Journal of Cleft Lip And Palate
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• 제11권2호
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• pp.49-58
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• 2008

The development of fetal surgery has led to promising options for many congenital malformations, such as congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH), obstructive uropathy, twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS), and sacrococcygeal teratoma. However, preterm labor (PTL) and premature rupture of membranes continue to be uniquitous risks for both mother and fetus. To reduce maternal morbidity and the risk of prematurity, minimal access techniques were developed and are increasingly employed recently. Lift-threatening diseases as well as severely disabling but not life-threatening conditions are potentially amenable to treatment. Recently, improvement of video-endoscopic technology has boosted the development of operative techniques for feto-endoscopic surgery, which has been demonstrated to be less invasive than the open approach. Fetal surgery for repair of cleft lip and palate, a congenital anomaly which is not life threatening, is inappropriate until such time that the benefits are shown to outweigh the risks of both the procedure itself and preterm delivery. Further animal studies will be needed before intrauterine surgery for humans should be considered. For the better understanding of recent techniques and complications associated with fetal intervention of congenital facial defect patients, we reviewed recent related articles about the current knowledge and new perspectives of experimental fetal fetal surgery in the cleft lip and palate defects.

• Proceedings of the KOSOMBE Conference
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• 대한의용생체공학회 1993년도 추계학술대회
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• pp.40-43
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• 1993

Electronic fetal monitoring system is an easier ar d usual method in various prenatal and labor period fetal surveilence methods currently in use. But there haven't been enough cases of using the central monitoring system despite the fact that the bedside fetal monitoring system have already been widely in use in Korea as an essential medical equipment item. We have developed more efficient central fetal monitoring system based on the personal computer with the visual maternal monotoring device using infrared camera which processes the signals from existing bedside fetal monitoring systems such as H/P's 8040 series. And we have performed the clinical application on 41 pregnant women and the results were satisfactory. In conclusion, more efficient and familial fetal monitoring is possible with our PC based central fetal monitoring system which provides the medical personnel with the view of a selected pregnant woman on the same screen where the electronic waveforms and data are displayed.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• 제26권2호
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• pp.180-190
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• 2020

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of a supportive program on uncertainty, anxiety, and maternal-fetal attachment in high-risk pregnant women. Methods: The participants were 59 high-risk pregnant women admitted to the maternal-fetal intensive care unit. The control group (n=30) received usual treatment and antenatal care, while the experimental group (n=29) received an additional supportive program. Uncertainty, anxiety, and maternal-fetal attachment were measured in both groups prior to the intervention and at 3 days and 10 days after the intervention (or at discharge). Data were analyzed with the t-test, chi-square test, repeated-measures analysis of covariance, and the Greenhouse-Geisser correction in SPSS version 23.0. Results: A supportive program including information provision, nutritional care, emotional care, and exercise care was developed from the literature. All variables except women's length of stay were found to be homogeneous the between experimental and control groups in the pre-test. Length of stay was calculated as a covariate for testing hypotheses. There was a significant difference in state anxiety over time between the two groups, while there were no differences in uncertainty or maternal-fetal attachment. Conclusion: This supportive program was identified as an effective nursing intervention on state anxiety in high-risk pregnant women during their stay in the maternal-fetal intensive care unit. It is suggested that nurses could apply this program to alleviate high-risk pregnant women's state anxiety, and that this program could be modified to be more effective on uncertainty and maternal-fetal attachment in high-risk pregnant women.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• 제27권2호
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• pp.104-112
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• 2021

Purpose: This study investigated the mediating effect of family support in the relationships of anxiety and depression with maternal-fetal attachment among pregnant women admitted to the maternal-fetal intensive care unit (MFICU) in Korea. Methods: The participants were high-risk pregnant women with a gestational age of at least 20 weeks who were admitted to MFICUs in Busan and Yangsan. The Korean versions of four measurement tools were used for the self-report questionnaire: Spielberger's State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, Cobb's family support measurement, and Cranley's maternal-fetal attachment scale. Data were collected from June 22 to September 20, 2020. Out of 124 participants, data from 123 respondents were analyzed. Descriptive statistics and regression analysis were done. Results: The average age of participants was 34.1 years. Their anxiety level was moderate (43.57±11.65 points out of 80) and 53.6% were identified as having moderate depression (average 10.13±5.48 points out of 30). Family support was somewhat high (average 43.30±5.03 points out of 55). The average score of maternal-fetal attachment was also somewhat high (73.37±12.14 points out of 96). Family support had a partial mediating effect in the relationships of anxiety and depression with maternal-fetal attachment among high-risk pregnant women admitted to the MFICU. Conclusion: Maintaining family support is challenging due to the nature of the MFICU. Considering the mediating effect of family support, establishing an intervention plan to strengthen family support can be helpful as a way to improve maternal-fetal attachment for high-risk pregnant women admitted to the MFICU.

• Journal of Cardiovascular Imaging
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• 제30권2호
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• pp.125-134
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• 2022

BACKGROUND: To assess the interventricular septum (IVS) volume of fetuses from pre-gestational diabetes mellitus (DM) pregnant women by 3-dimensional ultrasound using spatiotemporal image correlation (STIC) and virtual organ computer-aided analysis (VOCAL) methods. METHODS: This was a prospective cross-sectional study of 45 fetuses from pre-gestational DM and 45 fetuses from healthy pregnant women (controls). Only singleton pregnancies between 20 and 34 + 6 weeks of gestation were included. The fetal IVS volumes were obtained off-line using STIC and VOCAL methods. To analyze differences among variables, the Student's t-test and Mann-Whitney U test were used. The correlation among continuous variables was determine using Spearman's correlation test (r). RESULTS: The median of fetal IVS volume was significantly higher in pre-gestational DM than in healthy pregnant women (0.3 cm³ vs. 0.2 cm³, p = 0.032). A strong positive correlation was observed between fetal IVS volume and gestational age at the time of ultrasound examination (r = 0.75, R² = 0.48, p < 0.0001) and between fetal IVS volume and estimated fetal weight (r = 0.63, R² = 0.37, p < 0.0001). No significant correlation was noted between fetal IVS volume and glycated hemoglobin levels (r = -0.16, R² = 0.01, p = 0.540) in the pre-gestational DM pregnant women. CONCLUSIONS: Significant differences were observed in fetal IVS volumes between pre-gestational and healthy mothers, with higher values in the fetuses of pre-gestational DM pregnant women.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• 제13권3호
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• pp.265-272
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• 2007

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop a Maternal-Fetal Interaction Belief Scale (MFIBS). Method: The research design was a methodological study. The items generated for this scale were drawn from a comprehensive literature review. Content validity was established for the MFIBS. The 26-item scale was developed to measure the construct of the MFIBS during pregnancy and tested on 186 pregnant women. Results: The final tool consist of 20 items which were sorted into 6 factors by factor analysis. The factors were identified as 'influence of pregnancy (5 items)', 'ability of fetus (3 items)', 'maternal-fetal interaction behavior (3 items)', 'practice of taegyo (3 items)', 'ability of infant (3 items)', and 'taemong (3 items)'. The six factors explained 62.37% of the total variance in the MFIBS. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient for internal consistency was .81 and the reliability of the subscales ranged from .60-.85 Guttman split-half coefficient was .66. Conclusions: This scale proves to be a effective, useful tool and suitable in Korean women for measuring the Maternal-Fetal Interaction Belief. Future studies are required for further refinement of the scale.

• Applied Microscopy
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• 제28권3호
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• pp.283-297
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• 1998

Hemopoiesis and morphogenesis of the human fetal liver through from 10 to 32 weeks of gestation were investigated by light and electron microscopy. The results obtained were as follows. Hemopoiesis of fetal liver tissue was found from 10 to 32 weeks of gestation, but the hemopoiesis was decreased at 32 weeks of gestation. At the 32 weeks of gestation, matured erythrocytes were observed in the sinusoid, and formation of liver cell cord and portal triad were established. Differentiation of hepatic cell was characterized by the increase of amount of cell organelles within cytoplasm, decrease of hemopoietic cell, morphological change of nuclear envelope from folding form to round form during the developmental period. These results suggest that human fetal liver plays a hematopoietic function until bone marrow and spleen play their function, but morphology of liver at 32 weeks of gestation was differed with structure observed in liver of adult.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• 제34권8호
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• pp.1409-1415
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• 2004

Purpose. To examine the effect of Taegyo-focused prenatal classes on maternal-fetal attachment and self-efficacy related to childbirth. Methods. Over 4 weeks, 49 women, 20 to 36 weeks of gestation participated in a prenatal program led by the nurse who developed it. In addition to Lamaze content it included; understanding ability of fetus to respond, sharing motivation, purpose of pregnancy, and preconceptions of experiencing childbirth, training in maternal-fetal interaction, writing letters and making a declaration of love to unborn baby. Using a pre-experimental design, data were collected by self-report, before and after program, using Cranley's Maternal-Fetal Attachment Scale (1981), and Shin's(1997) Labor Self-Efficacy Measurement. Results and Conclusion. Paired t-test showed significant changes in scores of maternal-fetal attachment (t=6.91. p<.001) and self-efficacy related to childbirth (t=10.19, p<.001). Taegyo opens the possibility of integrating Western ideas with Korean traditional health behavior. Incorporation of Taegyo into existing prenatal classes is recommended.