Search Results (337)

Background/Objectives: This study aimed to determine whether postpartum mothers exhibit a uniform trajectory of postpartum emotional status (PES) changes or if distinct subgroups with differing trajectories of PES exist. Additionally, it investigated whether intensified tactile stimulation of the infant through Shantala massage influences maternal PES. Method: A quasi-experimental design with a matched control group was employed. Eighty women following their first physiological delivery volunteered to participate. The intervention involved applying intensified tactile stimulation to the infant via Shantala massage over a 12-week postpartum period. Maternal PES, divided into negative and positive emotional domains, was assessed using four standardized questionnaires. Results: Two opposing trajectories of PES change were identified: adverse and favorable. Intensified tactile stimulation was associated with improvement in maternal emotional status along both trajectories. Conclusions: PES changes do not follow a uniform course across all women; notably, those with a favorable trajectory often begin with more severe symptoms. Overlooking this distinction in diagnosis, prevention, and treatment may result in suboptimal care. The factors influencing PES trajectories remain unidentified but may affect clinical intervention outcomes. The Shantala massage intervention appears to slow the progression of emotional disorders in women with adverse PES changes and accelerate recovery in those with favorable changes. Implementation of this approach in clinical settings is recommended. Full article

Oral health during pregnancy is essential for maternal and child well-being, as hormonal and physiological changes increase women’s susceptibility to oral diseases. Despite the recognized importance of prenatal dental care, adherence to dental services remains a challenge in the public health context. This study aimed to analyze oral health and the use of dental services during pregnancy through the perception of pregnant women. It represents the qualitative phase of a mixed-method study conducted with 25 pregnant women (with and without dental care) receiving prenatal care in the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS). Participants were selected through saturation sampling, and data were collected via semi-structured interviews, followed by content analysis. The findings revealed four major themes: barriers and facilitators to dental care, changes during pregnancy and oral health. Discomfort from oral changes was a common concern. Barriers included misinformation, fear, cultural beliefs, and service organization. In contrast, facilitating factors were identified, such as care prioritization, support from healthcare teams, health education, and access through SUS. This study concludes that emotional, cultural, and contextual aspects shape the use of dental services during pregnancy. Access through SUS is perceived as an important facilitator, which simultaneously presents organizational weaknesses that need to be addressed. Full article

Background: Maternal and newborn health disparities remain a challenge in Puerto Rico, especially in underserved communities. Comienzo Saludable Puerto Rico, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Healthy Start Initiative (HRSA), addresses these gaps through an integrated Networks of Care model known as Cuidado Compartido. Comienzo Saludable Puerto Rico is a maternal, paternal, and child health program aimed at improving the health and well-being of pregnant women, mothers, fathers, newborns, and children in Puerto Rico, particularly those from disadvantaged communities. Methods: This paper presents the Comienzo Saludable Puerto Rico program’s Cuidado Compartido model to integrate a network of healthcare providers and services across hospitals, community organizations, and families. This model aims to improve maternal and newborn/child health outcomes by focusing on the importance of integrated, hospital-community-based care networks. Results: Participants experienced significant improvements in key birth outcomes: low birth weight prevalence declined by 27.2% compared to the community baseline, premature birth rates decreased by 30.9%, and infant mortality dropped by 75%, reaching 0% by 2021 and remaining there through 2023. These results were complemented by increases in maternal mental health screening, paternal involvement, and breastfeeding practices. Conclusions: The Cuidado Compartido model demonstrates a scalable, culturally responsive strategy to improve maternal, newborn, and child health outcomes. It offers critical insights for implementation in other high-need contexts. Full article

The role of emotional intelligence (EI) in the academic context has been steadily established, together with its impact on students’ academic achievement, well-being, and professional success. Therefore, this study examined the development of a key EI ability—emotional understanding—throughout secondary school and explored its impact on students’ academic achievement (maternal language and mathematics) at the end of this cycle, using the Vocabulary of Emotions Test. A total of 222 students were followed over the entire 3-year secondary cycle, using a three-wave longitudinal design spanning from 10th to 12th grade. At the first wave, participants were aged between 14 and 18 years (M = 15.4; SD = 0.63), with 58.6% being female. Overall, the results of Latent Growth Curve modeling indicated that students’ emotional understanding increased over the secondary school cycle. While student’s gender predicted the emotional understanding change patterns throughout secondary school, student’s GPA in 10th grade did not. Moreover, the initial levels of ability-based emotional understanding predicted students’ achievement in maternal language at the end of the cycle. Our findings offer valuable insights into how EI skills can contribute to academic endeavors in late adolescence and will explore their impact on educational settings. Full article

Maternal mental illness significantly impacts caregiving, influencing both mothers and their children. This narrative review examines the challenges faced by mothers with conditions such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia, which often disrupt caregiving routines, emotional stability, and social integration. These difficulties can hinder secure attachments and contribute to adverse developmental outcomes in children, including heightened risks of anxiety, depression, behavioral issues, and cognitive impairments. Children of mothers with mental illnesses are 1.8 times more likely to develop emotional or behavioral problems and face a 2.7 times higher risk of suicidal ideation during adolescence. Intergenerational transmission of mental illness is also prevalent, with affected children showing a 2.5 times greater likelihood of developing mental illnesses in adulthood. Effective interventions include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), family-based approaches, and community programs integrating parenting education and mental health resources. These strategies have demonstrated improvements in maternal well-being and child resilience. The review highlights the need for comprehensive policies addressing maternal mental health, early intervention for children, and culturally sensitive support systems to break cycles of intergenerational mental illness. Future research should prioritize evaluating long-term intervention effectiveness and exploring innovative tools like digital mental illnesses solutions to support affected families. Full article

Background: Prematurely born newborns with low birth weight constitute a group of patients who require special care from the first days of life. Prematurity and low birth weight affect about 13.4 million infants. Risk factors include placental disorders but also factors related to the mother, such as smoking, alcohol drinking, drug use, malnutrition, or certain diseases. It is imperative to educate women of reproductive age (15–49) about the basic factors influencing embryonic development, such as oral health, diet, medicine intake, and harmful habits. Even though most women are aware of the negative impact of harmful habits on the fetus, still too little attention is paid to oral health in pregnant women. Poor oral health may influence the well-being of the future mother, as well as of the child. Therefore, women of reproductive age and those who are pregnant must have adequate knowledge on this subject. The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge of Polish women of reproductive age (15–49) regarding oral health during pregnancy, including the impact of dental treatment, oral hygiene, and maternal oral conditions on pregnancy outcomes and the health of the newborn. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of 508 women, in the reproductive age, whose age ranged from 18 to 49 years old. The surveys were conducted from April 2020 to November 2020. The questionnaire was originally developed based on the available literature and consisted of seven sections: basic information, general health and habits, pregnancy status and dental care, knowledge of treatment options during pregnancy, oral health status and its association with the risk of preterm birth, prematurity and the child’s oral health, and breastfeeding and oral development. Results: After excluding incomplete questionnaires, a total of 499 questionnaires were included in the analysis. Women participating in the study had a fairly good understanding of the impact of oral health on the fetus and the role of breastfeeding in the development of the stomatognathic system (from 50% to 70% correct answers). However, even though most respondents had completed higher education (344/68.94%), their knowledge of oral health, preterm birth, and low birth weight was very limited (including the impact of inflammation on the intrauterine development of the child or bacteria and transfer across the placenta). In these sections, the percentage of correct answers ranged from less than 20% to 50%. When analyzing knowledge by age, education, number of births, and place of residence, the highest levels of knowledge were observed among respondents with higher education, particularly those aged 27–32. Conclusions: Respondents had a fairly good understanding of the general impact of oral health during pregnancy and recognition of the importance of breastfeeding for infants. However, their knowledge about the impact of bacteria and inflammation in the mother’s oral cavity on prematurity and low birth weight was limited. Therefore, educating women of reproductive age and pregnant women on this topic is essential, as it may help reduce the adverse consequences of prematurity. Full article

Background/Objectives: Parenting stress, the emotional strain resulting from the demands of child-rearing, can profoundly affect both parental well-being and children’s emotional and behavioral development. This study examined the impact of maternal parenting stress during early childhood on the longitudinal progression of children’s internalizing, externalizing, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms, from early childhood through adolescence. Methods: The study included 406 mother–child pairs from the Rhea mother–child cohort in Crete, Greece. Maternal parenting stress was assessed at age 4 using the Parental Stress Scale (PSS). Children’s symptoms were evaluated at ages 4 (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, ADHD Test), 6, 11, and 15 years (Child Behavior Checklist, Conners’ Parent Rating Scale) through maternal reports. Multivariate mixed regression models, incorporating a random intercept for each child and a random slope for age at follow-up, were used to analyze the trajectories of symptoms from ages 4 to 15. Group-based trajectory modeling was applied to identify trajectory groups from 4 to 15 years, and multinomial logistic regression models were implemented to examine the associations between parental stress and group trajectories. Results: The results revealed that higher parental stress at age 4 was significantly associated with increased internalizing (b = 0.94, 95% CI: 0.68, 1.21), externalizing (b = 1.03, 95% CI: 0.75, 1.30), and ADHD symptoms (b = 0.86, 95% CI: 0.58, 1.14) over the study period. Notably, the impact of parenting stress on behavioral problems decreased with age (interaction with age, p = 0.032). Additionally, higher parenting stress at age 4 was linked to a greater likelihood of belonging to adverse symptom trajectories, including high decreasing, low increasing, and stable high trajectories for both internalizing and externalizing problems. Conclusions: These findings underscore the importance of early maternal parenting stress as a predictor of long-term emotional and behavioral difficulties in children, emphasizing the need for early intervention programs that support maternal mental health and children’s emotional development. Full article

Pregnant individuals who receive a fetal anomaly diagnosis experience significantly elevated rates of depression, anxiety, and traumatic stress—up to four to six times higher than those for individuals with low-risk pregnancies. In low-risk pregnancies, perinatal mental health conditions are the leading cause of maternal mortality and are associated with adverse birth outcomes, including preterm birth and low birth weight. These risks are likely compounded in pregnancies involving fetal anomalies due to the intersecting psychological and social burdens that complicate maternal well-being and access to care. However, there is a critical gap in understanding how these mental health symptoms translate into diagnoses, treatments, and outcomes due to the absence of a validated screening tool tailored to this population’s unique psychosocial needs. This perspective article reviews evidence, highlights the urgent need for specialized screening, and introduces ongoing research aimed at developing and validating an instrument that integrates both mental health symptoms and broader psychosocial distress. By bridging this gap, structured psychosocial screening has the potential to improve care coordination, facilitate earlier intervention, and mitigate long-term distress for individuals navigating pregnancies affected by fetal anomalies. Full article

Gender-specific cardiology has gained increasing recognition in recent years, emphasizing the need for tailored management strategies for women with cardiovascular disease. Among these, cardiomyopathies—dilated, arrhythmogenic, hypertrophic, and restrictive—pose unique challenges throughout a woman’s reproductive life, affecting contraception choices, pregnancy outcomes, and breastfeeding feasibility. Despite significant advances in cardiovascular care, there is still limited guidance on balancing maternal safety and neonatal well-being in this complex setting. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the current evidence on reproductive counseling, pregnancy management, and postpartum considerations in women with cardiomyopathies. We discuss the cardiovascular risks associated with each cardiomyopathy subtype during pregnancy, highlighting risk stratification tools and emerging therapeutic strategies. Additionally, we address the safety and implications of breastfeeding, an often overlooked but increasingly relevant aspect of postpartum care. A multidisciplinary approach involving cardiologists, gynecologists, obstetricians, and anesthesiologists is crucial to optimizing maternal and fetal outcomes. Improved risk assessment, tailored patient counseling, and careful management strategies are essential to ensuring safer reproductive choices for women with cardiomyopathy. From now on, greater attention is expected to be given to bridging existing knowledge gaps, promoting a more personalized and evidence-based approach to managing these patients throughout different stages of reproductive life. Full article

Background: The use of vasoconstrictors in dental anesthesia during pregnancy raises clinical concerns due to their potential effects on uteroplacental blood flow and fetal well-being. Despite widespread use, the safety profiles of agents such as epinephrine, levonordefrin, and felypressin remain insufficiently reviewed, particularly in isolation from local anesthetics. Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted using PubMed (MEDLINE) for studies published between January 2000 and May 2025, following PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Included studies assessed the use, pharmacokinetics, or outcomes of vasoconstrictor agents used in dental procedures during pregnancy. Articles were selected based on predefined inclusion criteria and synthesized narratively. Results: Out of 95 screened records, only six narrative reviews and three clinical guidelines met eligibility criteria. Epinephrine was the most frequently described agent, generally regarded as safe at low dental doses (1:100,000–1:200,000) when properly administered. Levonordefrin showed insufficient safety data and was associated with potential uterine vasoconstriction. Felypressin was contraindicated due to its oxytocic properties and high risk of inducing uterine contractions. Conclusions: Among vasoconstrictors, epinephrine remains the only agent with an acceptable safety profile in pregnancy when used correctly. Levonordefrin lacks adequate evidence, and felypressin poses clear risks. Until further clinical trials are available, individualized risk assessment and adherence to obstetric and dental guidelines are critical for ensuring maternal and fetal safety. Full article

Background/Objectives: The Mediterranean diet (MD) is well-studied for its health-promoting effects, while the factors influencing adherence in children remain an important research focus. This study examines the sociodemographic, maternal, perinatal, and lifestyle determinants associated with MD adherence among children aged 6–9 years in an effort to identify key predictors and their impact on long-term nutritional habits. Methods: This study recruited 4851 children from diverse Greek rural and urban regions. The mothers of the enrolled children completed relevant questionnaires on their children’s sociodemographics, perinatal outcomes, anthropometric parameters, breastfeeding practices, and physical activity status. The enrolled children completed the Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI) and the State–Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children—State (STAIC-S) form to assess the presence of depression and anxiety symptoms, respectively. The KIDMED score was used to assess the MD compliance of the enrolled children. Results: The outcomes demonstrated that higher maternal education and family economic status gravitated toward increased MD adherence (p = 0.0071, p ˂ 0.0001), while exclusive breastfeeding (p ˂ 0.0001) and higher physical activity levels (p = 0.0101) were strong predictive factors for MD adherence, highlighting the role of early-life interventions in shaping dietary habits. In contrast, cesarean delivery (p = 0.0173) and higher birth weight (p ˂ 0.0001) were linked to lower MD adherence, indicating potential metabolic and behavioral predispositions. Notably, higher MD adherence correlated with lower prevalence of depressive and anxiety symptoms (p ˂ 0.0001, p = 0.0001), underscoring its potential protective role in mental health. Conclusions: Our findings highlight a complex interplay between early-life and dietary behaviors, while further longitudinal studies are needed to establish causality and optimize evidence-based nutritional strategies and education for childhood health and well-being. Full article

Background/Objectives: Screen-related parenting practices (e.g., restriction, coviewing) influence the way children use screen devices. Although children start using screen devices (e.g., televisions [TV], tablets) in the first few years of life, rigorously developed measures of screen-related parenting practices for parents of toddlers do not exist. The objective of this study was to develop culturally and contextually relevant survey measures of screen-related parenting practices for use in Mexican American families with toddlers. Methods: Measures were developed using an exploratory sequential mixed methods (qualitative → quantitative) approach. Mexican American mothers of toddlers (15–26 months of age) participated in semi-structured interviews. Using the interview findings, domains of parenting practices across screen device types were identified, and survey items were developed. Items were administered by phone to 384 Mexican American mothers. Analyses included evaluation of the factor structure and psychometric properties of nine domains of parenting practices and evaluations of correlations between each scale and demographic characteristics. Results: Factor analyses supported a one-factor solution for each parenting practice as follows: Restrict TV Time (8 items), Coview TV (10 items), Behavioral Regulation with TV (12 items), Restrict Mobile Device Time (8 items); Coview Mobile Devices (10 items); Behavioral Regulation with Mobile Devices (16 items), Restrict Screen Content (8 items), Allow Screen Use Around Sleep (6 items), and Allow Screen Use While Eating (6 items). The reliabilities were acceptable (Cronbach’s alphas > 0.80). Hispanic acculturation, maternal age, and child age were correlated with many of the scales of parenting practices. Conclusions: The measures developed in this study offer a way to evaluate the use and impact of screen-related parenting practices in Mexican American families with toddlers. The use of these measures will enable investigators to identify relationships among parenting practices, screen use, and child well-being, which could inform the design of early childhood interventions promoting healthy screen use in this population. Full article

Background: Few studies have investigated the impact of parental bonding on the quality of life and psychological health in kidney transplant recipients. Exploring these factors could provide valuable insights into the development of psychosocial interventions aimed at improving patients’ psychological adjustment and their overall quality of life. In this perspective, our study aimed to explore how dimensions of parental bonding, particularly maternal care and overprotection, may influence the quality of life and psychological well-being in kidney transplant recipients. By investigating these relationships, the study seeks to understand whether early maternal attachment experiences can predict psychological outcomes in adult transplant recipients. Methods: A cross-sectional study involving a sample of 99 kidney transplant recipients (69.7% males, mean age  =  52  ±  9.93 years) was conducted. Participants were recruited from the outpatient clinic of an Italian transplant center between May 2022 and July 2024. After an initial telephone interview, 1-2 interviews were performed in person to administer the questionnaires of the established protocol: the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI) to identify the type of parental bond and the Short Form-36 (SF-36) Health Survey to evaluate the quality of life perceived by the patients. Results: Regression analyses revealed that higher perceived maternal care during childhood was positively associated with better psychological health during adulthood (β = 0.290; p < 0.05). Conversely, higher levels of perceived maternal overprotection were negatively associated with psychological health in this population (β = −0.286; p < 0.05). Conclusions: The results suggest that maternal affection and support may serve as a protective factor, while excessive maternal protection could impair the development of emotional coping mechanisms necessary for dealing with the stresses of adult life. Full article

Background: Fear of childbirth (FOC) or tokophobia has a detrimental impact on women during and after pregnancy. Childbirth fear is multidimensional and may differ across nations and cultures. We aimed to determine the psychosocial determinants of tokophobia among Asians. Methods: We conducted a systematic literature search using the PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases in September 2023. Included were original English-language articles that focused on Asian cohorts. We identified independent variables associated with maternal childbirth fear based on multivariable logistic and linear regression analysis. Results: Twenty-three studies are discussed in this review. We categorized the factors into (1) psychiatry, (2) psychology, (3) perception and experience, (4) relationships and support, (5) spirituality, and (6) COVID-19. The studies involved 10,538 women with overall FOC prevalence ranging between 56.6% to 82.1%. Maternal history of psychiatric disorder, depression, and anxiety were positive predictors of childbirth fear. Childbirth self-efficacy protects Asian mothers against tokophobia. A reduced level of fear was associated with higher maternal psychological and spiritual well-being, as well as stronger maternal resilience. Spousal and social support alongside good family function were shown to exert a protective effect against childbirth fear. Intimate partner abuse was associated with an increased risk of tokophobia in women. Studies during the pandemic indicated that maternal fear, obsession, and anxiety about COVID-19 were positively correlated to fear of childbirth. Conclusions: Childbirth fear among Asian women is greatly influenced by various psycho-social factors. More culturally driven research is needed to help develop relevant interventions that will enhance maternal psychological and spiritual well-being and reduce the fear of childbirth. Full article

Background/Objectives: The transition to motherhood can be particularly challenging for women with limited socioeconomic resources or mental health concerns. The FAmily Clinic And Municipality (FACAM) intervention was designed to provide additional support through health visitors or family therapists, starting in pregnancy and continuing until the child reached school age. This paper evaluates the effects of the FACAM intervention on the secondary outcomes, maternal mental health and parental functioning during the child’s first year of life. Methods: A total of 331 pregnant women were randomized to either the FACAM intervention (n = 163) or usual care (n = 168). Participants completed questionnaires at baseline and at 3 (N = 284) and 12 (N = 248) months postpartum. Outcomes included maternal mental well-being, satisfaction with motherhood, depressive symptoms, parental stress, parental reflective functioning, worries, and breastfeeding duration. Results: At 12 months postpartum, FACAM mothers reported greater concern about housing issues (b = 0.56, 95% CI [0.06, 1.06], p = 0.03). No other significant differences in the reported outcomes were observed between the groups. Conclusion: The FACAM intervention did not demonstrate superiority over usual care in improving maternal mental health and parental functioning during the first year postpartum. The high-quality and needs-based approach of standard care in Denmark may have limited the potential for additional interventions to yield measurable improvements in maternal outcomes. Full article