• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.212-216
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• 2012

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between maternal periodontal disease and the health status of newborns using Apgar scores. Methods: One hundred pregnant women with periodontal disease were included in the case series and 100 pregnant women without periodontal disease were placed in the control group, respectively. The periodontal parameters of bleeding on probing (BOP), clinical attachment loss (CAL), probing depth (PD), birth weight, and Apgar scores were recorded in both groups. T-tests and Pearson's correlation coefficient were used to determine the birth weight odds ratio to analyze the relationship between the periodontal parameters of BOP, CAL, and PD on the one hand and an Apgar score of less than 7. An unpaired Student's t-test was used to analyze differences in means between the case and control groups using SPSS ver. 13. Results: The means of the ages, periodontal pocket depths, attachment loss, areas with BOP, Apgar score in the first 5 minutes and infant birth weight exhibited statistically significant differences between the case and control groups. The ratio of an Apgar score of <7 to periodontal disease was 3.14; the ratio of low birth weight risk in mothers with periodontal disease to that in mothers without periodontal disease was 2.74. Pearson's correlation coefficient revealed a significant correlation between the infant birth weight and BOP, CAL, and PD of the mother. In addition, there was a significant correlation between the Apgar score and BOP, CAL, and PD and also between the Apgar score and infant birth weight. Conclusions: The results of this study showed a significant relationship between periodontal disease and infant birth weight; in addition, there was a significant relationship between the periodontal indexes of BOP, CAL, and PD on the one hand and the Apgar score on the other.

• 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.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.233-236
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• 2008

In recent years, Korea has experienced a steadily declining birth rate, which is a serious social problem in the country. Although living conditions have improved, the birth rates for low birth weight infants and preterm babies has increased because more and more women choose to give birth later in life and the social environment has changed. The rise in low birth weight infants may increase infant mortality rates and morbidity rates. However, the recent improvements in neonatal care has elevated the survival rate of low birth weight infants up to 90 percent and lowered the weight of the very low birth weight infants that can now be saved. In this study, we used dynamic population statistics from the Korea National Statistical Office, which represents the current trend of social stratification and the population of this period. We analyzed birth records for a seven-year period and studied the changes in the delivery rate of preterm and low birth weight infants and the problems related to those changes. The results show that the rate of low birth weight infants has increased from 3.79% to 4.35% for the past seven years. The rate of preterm babies rose from 3.79% to 4.89%. The number of babies born from mothers aged 35 or more went up from 6.69% to 11.83% of the total number of the babies born. As maternal age has risen, the risks of delivering a preterm or low birth weight infant have also increased.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.21 no.2 s.24
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• pp.207-216
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• 1988

Premature rupture of membrane is the most frequent cause of low birth weight infant delivery which increase the maternal and fetal morbidity and perinatal mortality. A retrospective case-control study was performed on 315 mothers who delivered low birth weight infants($\leq$2.5kg) with premature rupture of membrane and as control group 546 mothers who delivered normal birth weight infants(2.9-3.7kg) without premature rupture of membrane were chosen. The results obtained from this study were as follows: 1. The proportion of low birth weight infants due to premature rupture of membrane among all low birth weight infant deliveries was 14.5%, and this is equivalent to 1.1% among all deliveries. 2. The most significant maternal risk factor of low birth weight infant deliveries with premature rupture of membrane was infections on vagina, cervix and uterus during pregnancy. Compared with control, adjusted odds ratio was 7.61(95% confidence interval(CI) 1.88-30.88, p=0.004). Other significant maternal risk factors were the history of induced abortion, spontaneous abortion, and the experience of premature delivery. The risk ratios were 1.82, 2.07, 4.42, respectively. 3. Breech presentation did increase the risk of low birth weight infant delivery with premature rupture of membrane compared with control(Adjusted Odds ratio=2.66, 95% CI 1.35-5.26, p=0.005). 4. Mothers who had not taken antenatal care were having higher risk of low birth weight infant delivery with premature rupture of membrane against control(Adjusted odds ratio=1.73, 95% CI 1.19-2.53, p=0.004). These study results show that maternal factors such as the infection of genital organs during pregnancy, the history of induced abortion and breech presentation are significantly associated with the premature rupture of membrane in the low birth weight deliveries, and that most of these risk factors are controllable ones through proper antenatal cares.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.24 no.3 s.35
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• pp.356-362
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• 1991

This study was performed to identify the maternal risk factors for the low birth weight. During the period from February to June in 1991, the medical record review and questionnaire interview were conducted upon the 465 pregnant women who were admitted to and delivered a baby in 3 general hospitals and an obstetric hospital in Kwangju area. The health and other related information from women who bore the low birth weight infant was compared with those from women who bore the normal birth weight infant. The results obtained were as follows : 1. Maternal age, low body weight at term, illegitimate birth, and maintaining work activity during pregnancy were positively associated with low birth weight. 2. The positive association was revealed between low birth weight and the previous abortion, short gestational weeks, anemia, low maternal weight gain during pregnancy, the obstetric present illness and hypertension. 3. Some maternal working conditions were associated with low birth weight although statistically not significant. 4. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, gestational weeks and maternal weight gain during pregnancy were related with low birth weight.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.60 no.3
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• pp.64-69
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• 2017

Purpose: The goal of nutritional support for very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants from birth to term is to match the in utero growth rates; however, this is rarely achieved. Methods: We evaluated postdischarge growth patterns and growth failure in 81 Korean VLBW infants through a retrospective study. Weight and height were measured and calculated based on age percentile distribution every 3 months until age 24 months. Growth failure was defined as weight and height below the 10th percentile at 24 months. For the subgroup analysis, small-for-gestational age (SGA) and extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants were evaluated. The growth patterns based on the Korean, World Health Organization (WHO), or Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) standard were serially compared over time. Results: At postconception age (PCA) 40 weeks, 47 (58%) and 45 infants (55%) showed growth failure in terms of weight and height, respectively. At PCA 24 months, 20 infants (24%) showed growth failure for weight and 14 (18%) for height. Growth failure rates were higher for the SGA infants than for the appropriate-weight-for-gestational age infants at PCA 24 months (P=0.045 for weight and P=0.038 for height). Growth failure rates were higher for the ELBW infants than for the non-ELBW infants at PCA 24 months (P<0.001 for weight and P=0.003 for height). Significant differences were found among the WHO, CDC, and Korean standards (P<0.001). Conclusion: Advancements in neonatal care have improved the catch-up growth of VLBW infants, but this is insufficient. Careful observation and aggressive interventions, especially in SGA and ELBW infants, are needed.

• Korean Parent-Child Health Journal
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.50-61
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• 2002

The purpose of this study was to compare the temperamental differences between the normal infants and low-birth-weight infants. The subjects of this study were 70 mothers with normal infants and 62 mothers with the low-birth-weight. Convenient sampling was done at three regions. The infant temperament scale developed by Pridham & others (1994) was used. Data were analyzed by SPSS WIN program. The results were as follows; 1) There was a significant difference in total temperament score between the low-birth-weight infants and normal infants. The scores of the low-birth-weight infants were significantly lower than those of normal infants in the subscales of amenability and persistence, activity, and reactivity. In adaptability, there was no significant difference between two groups. 2) In both groups, there were no significant difference by socio-economic status of parents, delivery type, and birth order. But, in the case of low-birth-weight infants, the temperament score of infants over 6 months was significantly higher than that of infants under 6 months. 3) In the correlation analysis among subscales of the temperament, amenability and persistence, activity, and reactivity showed the significant relationship. But adaptability showed significant correlation only with the amenability and persistence. In conclusion, temperament score of low-birth-weight infants were significantly lower than that of normal infants. It was suggested that parenting education for low-birth-weight infants would be needed to understand and impact the positive infant temperament.

• Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.361-370
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• 2008

The purpose of this study is to provide basic data for the medical nutrition therapy of premature infants. The general characteristics, presence of metabolic disorders, hematological profile and feeding methods were compared between the premature infant group (<37 weeks, n=61) and the full-term infant group (37$\sim$42 weeks, n=165). Birth weight (p<0.0001), birth length (p<0.005), head circumference (p<0.0001), chest circumference (p<0.0001), and Apgar scores (p<0.0001) of the neonates were all statistically lower in the premature infant group. Jaundice cases (p<0.0001) were statistically higher in the premature infant group. White blood cell counts (WBC: p<0.005), mean corpuscular volume (MCV: p<0001), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH: p<0.005), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC: p<0.005), and mean platelet volume (MPV: p<0.05) were statistically lower in the premature infant group. The premature infant group were fed a higher rate of premature formula than breast milk and the full-term infant group were fed a high rate of human milk at a higher rate, showing differences in kinds of feeding methods (p<0.0001) between the two groups. An infant's birth weight showed a significantly positive correlation with the infant's birth length (p<0.0001), head circumference (p<0.0001), chest circumference (p<0.0001), and Apgar scores(p<0.0001). The birth length also showed a significantly positive correlation with both head circumference (p<0.05) and chest circumference (p<0.05). Head circumference showed a significantly positive correlation with chest circumference (p<0.0001) and Apgar scores (p<0.0001). Chest circumference showed a significantly positive correlation with Apgar scores (p<0.0001). In addition, the Apgar Score at of 1 minute after birth showed a significantly positive correlation with the Apgar score at of 5 minute after birth (p<0.0001).

• Journal of Home Health Care Nursing
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.5-24
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• 2001

The purpose of this study was to develop a parenting intervention program and determine the efficacy of the program with low-birth weight infants and their mothers. Nine dyads for the experimental group and twelve dyads for the control group discharged from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of a University Hospital in Seoul were recruited for the study. For the intervention group, programmed education and support which focused on the maternal sensitivity of the infant's behavior. rearing environment. motherinfant interaction and infant care were given to each subject. Individual counseling and home visits were provided at discharge, one week after discharge. and one and three months of corrected age in every infant. Structured questionaires were administered and feeding interactions were videotaped and coded by a blinded certified observer. A Quasi-experimental design was conducted for this study. Postpartum depression, maternal self esteem. infant care burden, HOME. mother-infant interaction, and infant development were measured. Results were in favor of the intervention versus the control group. On the Beck depression inventory, intervention mothers showed decreasing trends in depressive symptom vs control mothers although, there were statistically no significant differences between the two groups at each time. The mean score of experimental group was 11.55(mild depression state) at discharge and became 8,6(normal state) at 1 month of corrected age. On the other hand, the mean score of the control group was 13.92(mild depression state) at discharge and became 14.0. Maternal self esteem in both groups improved over time. Infant care burden in both groups was also shown to increase over time. There was a significant difference between the two groups in HOME(p=.0340) at 3 months of corrected age. HOME scores of the experimental group and the control's were 31.10 and 25.58, respectively. Mothers' emotional and language responses were significantly high in the intervention group compared with the control group(p=.0155). Intervention group (53.33) showed a significantly high quality of motherinfant interaction compared with the in control group (42.80)(p =.0340). Intervention group mothers appeared have a better quality of mother-infant interaction behaviors. On the other hand, there was no statistical difference in the infant part between groups. Intervention group infants had higher trends in a general developmental quotient: although, there was no statistical difference between groups. The general developmental quotient of intervention infants was 102.56 and control's was 91.28. However, the developmental quotient of the domain of 'individuality-sociality' was higher in the intervention group infants compared with the control's(p=.0155). The concerns identified by parents revealed two domains of an infants' health management -knowledge and skills in caregiving of lowbirthweight-infants, characteristics of lowbirthweight infants, identifying a developmental milestone, coping with emergency situations and relaxation strategies of mothers from the infant care burden. Interview data with the mothers of low-birth weight infants can be used to develop intervention program contents. Limited intervention time and frequency due to time and cost limitations of this study should be modified. The intervention should be continuously implemented when low-birth weight infants become three years old. An NNNS demonstration appeared to be a very effective intervention for the mothers to improve the quality of mother-infant interactions. Therefore intervening in the mothers of low-birth weight infants as early after delivery as possible is desirable. This study has shown that home visit interventions are worthwhile for mothers only beyond the approach as an essential factor in ability of facilitating a growth fostering environment. In conclusion. the intervention program of this study was very effective in enhancing the parenting for the mothers of low-birth weight infants, resulting in health promotion of low-birth weight infants. The home-visit outreach intervention program of this study will contribute to the health delivery system in this country where there is a lack of continuous follow-up programs for low-birth weight infants after discharge from NICU, if it is activated as part of the home visit programs in community health systems.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.245-249
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• 2000

Listeria monocytogenes is one of the important causes of neonatal sepsis and listerial neonatal infection manifests in two forms : Early-onset sepsis syndrome, associated with spontaneous abortion, still birth, preterm labor, granulomatosis infantiseptica, respiratory distress, sepsis, hemodynamic compromise and late-onset listerosis mainly associated with meningitis. Cases of neonatal listerosis reported in Korea have been rare and all were full term newborns. We, herein, report a case of early-onset sepsis due to L. monocytogenes in a extremely low birth weight infant who were born in a critical condition and succumbed in the second day of life despite the intensive care.