• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.227-234
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• 2007

Recent epidemiologic studies show that gestational exposure to air pollution adversely affects pregnancy outcomes including low birth weight in preform birth. In this study, we evaluated the effect of air pollutants on LBW (low birth weight) on firstborn fetus throughout the gestational period using the birth cohort between 1999 and 2003 in Seoul. Using birth cohort data from the National Statistics Office of Korea we identified 288,346 firstborn births (excluded missing data on lack of information for birth weight and discordance between residential and certificated address from a total of 316,451) during 1999 to 2003 with complete covariate (gender, parity, date of birth, gestational age, parental age and educational level, maternal occupation etc.) and maternal residential history data. Our subjects were defined as more than 37 weeks and less than 44 weeks of completed gestation and we identified 5,457 persons (1.89%) by low birth weight (<2.5 kg) in this study. Using logistic regression, we estimated the risk of mean (entire pregnancy and trimester period) air pollution concentrations for CO, $O_3,\;PM_{10},\;NO_2\;and\;SO_2$. In terms of trimester-specific exposure, we found that some air pollutants exposure in each trimester would increase the risk for LBW. Results also showed that the effect size of air pollutants exposure during the first and third trimester is higher than during the second trimester. In all trimester, the estimated risk of LBW was 1.831 (95% CI=1.573-2.132) with unit increase for CO, 1.139 (95% CI=1.107-1.172) for 50, and 1.009 (95% CI=1.001-1.017) for $O_3$. Our results suggest that exposure during the gestation period to relatively low levels of some air pollutants may be associated with a reduction in birth weight on first-born fetus. These findings implicate the effective risk management strategies should be applied to minimize the public health impacts for pregnant women.

• (The)Study of the Eastern Classic
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• no.32
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• pp.311-362
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• 2008

This study aimed to make clear the education process, from antenatal training to early childhood education, of Joseon Royal Family. Centered on the successors to the throne and reviewed also the education of other Royal Family members, this study carried out comparative analysis on them. Antenatal training is pregnant woman's essential physical and mental attitude. It is indispensable to the health and good nature of unborn baby. Antenatal training had been based on the theory of Oriental medical science that fetus can sympathize what mother see and feel. Such theory, combined with Confucian self-culture theory, had taken very important position in Confucianism. Not to speak of Royal Family, noble family regarded antenatal training very essential as beginning of education and root of nature formation. For firstborn son and firstborn grandson, Boyangcheong (輔養廳, special nursery agency) was set up before their age became three, but not for other sons and grandsons of Royal Family. When firstborn son or firstborn grandson grew up to read letters, Ganghakcheong (講學廳) was set up for their early education. Other sons of king also learned in their early ages at Ganghakcheong while other grandsons of king learned at Gyohakcheong (敎學廳). Education courses were almost same between successors and non-successors but there were wide difference in the ranks of their tutors; firstborn son's tutor marked 2nd Jeong(正) class, firstborn grandson's tutor marked 2nd Jong(從) class and other royal sons' tutors were just 9th Jong(從) class.