Postpartum

Women with chronic illnesses face challenges during childbirth and recovery. However, Schizophrenic postpartum women are especially challenged during this period due to inadequate prenatal care, decreased tolerance for pain, and a psychotically distortion of reality 1, 5.  Most of these women experience overwhelming anxiety 1, 2. To handle the clinical needs of these patients, the postpartum nurse must possess excellent clinical skills and utilize all the available resources. The goal is for quality postpartum care and safety for the patient, baby, family, and staff.

The condition of postpartum perineal wounds is always moist by lokea, and its cause bacteria to thrive so that infection is prone. Currently antiseptic on perineal wounds using 10% povidone iodine has an allergic effect, so it is necessary to do research on herbal alternatives for perineal wound, one of them is with Miana leaf extract. This study aims to prove the effectiveness of 80% Miana leaf extract on perineal rupture wound healing compared with 10% povidone iodine in wound healing process and decrease in the amount of coccus bacteria. This study was anquasi experimental with pre test and post test group design.The results showed 80% miana leaf extract proved effective in wound healing process based on REEDA scale indicators and decrease the amount of bacteria compare to povidone iodine 10%.

Although the benefits of breastfeeding for both mother and infant are numerous, a large number of women choose not to breastfeed. The purpose of this study was to determine whether regular postpartum follow-up by a certified lactation Consultant (CLC) or Certified lactation Educator (CLE) increased the duration mothers breastfed their infants. Ninety-four (Control = 54; Experimental = 40) breastfeeding mothers completed a 24-week study in which participants in the experimental condition received 9 follow-up support telephone calls by either a CLC or CLE. These calls were used to elicit possible breastfeeding problems, offer solutions, identify factors that may have influenced the mother's decision to initiate and continue breastfeeding, and to identify why mothers would decide to discontinue breastfeeding. Follow-up by a CLC or CLE did not yield significantly longer durations in breastfeeding. However, gender of the breastfeeding infant, hospital discharge with supplemental formula, and the use of pacifiers were found to influence breastfeeding duration. In addition, both groups breastfed longer than the national average indicating that specific hospital protocols can positively influence breastfeeding duration. Findings are discussed and practical implications for health practitioners are provided.

Introduction: Breastmilk is the best nutrition for babies. Bananas flower are good to increase breastmilk production because it contains lactogogum (a kind of nutrient which can release the breastmilk). The purpose of this research was to determine any effect of consuming bananas flower and the increasing of breastmilk production of postpartum woman in Balowerti Public Health Center at Kediri city on 2016. Methods: The research design is pre experimental with one group pretest postest design. The population are all postpartum woman who have problem in giving breast feeding and there are 15 respondents selected by using acidental sampling. This research have been work on May 2016. The data were analyzed by Wilcoxon test. Result: the result showed that after consuming bananas flower the breastmilk production is more than before. The analysis showed α = 0,05, and it was obtained ρ value = 0,001 so ρ value < α it means H0 is denied and H1 is accepted. There is a correlation between consuming bananas flower and increasing of breastmilk production among the postpartum woman in Balowerti Public Health Center at Kediri City on 2016. Discussion Based on the result, before they consuming bananas flower the production of breastmilk more less (100%) and after consuming bananas flower, the production of breastmilk more than before (80,0%). So there is a correlation between consuming bananas flower and the increasing of breastmilk production of postpartum woman in Balowerti Public Health Center at Kediri city on 2016.

Tras el parto se desarrollan, simultáneamente, multitud de cambios fisiológicos en la mujer con dos finalidades principales: retornar gradualmente al estado pregravídico y establecer la lactancia. Este periodo de cambios tiene una
duración aproximada de seis a ocho semanas y se denomina puerperio. Si bien es una fase del ciclo vital fisiológico, no está exento de riesgos y pudiendo desarrollarse complicaciones, de ahí la importancia de una correcta vigilancia para que todo evolucione de manera favorable y sin secuelas físicas y psíquicas para la mujer. Este trabajo fin de grado de enfermería plantea un plan de cuidados elaborado por dos personas, cuyas intervenciones van dirigidas a un puérpera sana y se abordan, de manera individual, dos ámbitos diferenciados y continuos, el hospitalario y el centro de salud. Se da un enfoque hendersoniano y el objetivo principal es ofrecer un plan de cuidados basado en actividades autónomas de enfermería, junto con actividades
dependientes que procedan de problemas de colaboración. Se han utilizado valoraciones de patrones funcionales de salud en el puerperio y se han aplicado diagnósticos enfermeros lo que ha permitido diferenciar problemas autónomos e independientes. Tras esta fase, se ha procedido al juicio terapéutico basado en prioridades jerarquizadas siguiendo la propuesta de Phaneuf.

Postpartum depression (PPD) has been an issue that, though it has been recognized and mildly studied for years, has been hidden in plain sight without much attention until the recent decade.  There appears to be a negative stigma related to PPD that has aided in its secrecy over the years, but with more national visibility and acceptance towards depression and depressive symptoms, this stigma is easing slightly allowing for a more accurate reflection of PPD in America.

Parturition is considered a clean contaminated event. Problems following parturition such as retained placenta [1,2] , endometritis [3,4] and genital prolapse [5] have negative effects on the ovarian function of postpartum buffalo cows whereas problems such as metabolic disorders [6] and mastitis result in lowered overall production [7]. The immediate few days or weeks postpartum can be particularly problematic in cattle which readily develop diseases related to placental expulsion, metabolism, mammary glands and reproductive tract [8] and similar problems may appear in the buffalo. The complications of the reproductive tract during the postpartum period include hemorrhage, vulval hematoma, lacerations, reproductive organ (vagina, uterus) rupture, perineal injuries, distal displacement of pelvic organs (vagina, uterus, urinary bladder, perivaginal fat) and retained placenta [9] whereas those of metabolism include milk fever, hypophosphatemia and ketosis [10]. The complications of mammary gland include conditions such as udder edema, hemolactia, hypogalactia and mastitis [11]. Some of these problems can arise even after a normal parturition while others follow an abnormal parturition. Parturient injuries of the reproductive tract are less prevalent in the buffalo [9] probably due to a lower frequency of improper cervical dilation even in buffaloes suffering from dystocia [12,13]; the same is true for metabolic disorders [6,10] and mammary disorders [11]. Season affects the incidence of reproductive disorders [14] and similar effects are observed in relation to body weight changes at parturition (negative energy balance) [15] and agro-ecologic location [16]. There is a significant effect of management practices on the incidence of postpartum reproductive disorders [17]. Body condition score at calving can affect the incidence of calving disorders in buffaloes [18]. Pluriparous buffaloes with a medium condition score show the least incidence of disorders compared to thin and fat primiparous and pluriparous buffaloes. The period of calving and parity have a significant effect on postpartum complications such as pyometra and endometritis [19-21]. Similar effects of environmental temperature were recorded in the buffalo [22]. Different research analyses/surveys have mentioned the relative frequency of reproductive tract disorders during the postpartum period (Table 1) in buffaloes [20], however, disorders related to metabolism and the mammary gland are usually not mentioned in these reports. Table 1. Relative Incidence of Postpartum Disorders in Buffaloes in Different Studies

(English below)

Ce mémoire est le résultat d'une étude qualitative longitudinale menée en Suisse. 6 femmes âgées de 24 à 41 ans ont été interviewées individuellement en fin de leur première grossesse puis environ 6 mois après l'accouchement. Une analyse thématique de contenu a été menée afin de dégager les facteurs influençant la sexualité de la femme et du couple lors de cette transition, dans le but de visibiliser les ressources existantes. Résultats: Une mise en valeur de différentes ressources pour la sexualité et l'intimité a été possible, montrant que les facteurs sociétaux (absence de congé paternel, places en crèche manquantes,...) influencent plus les relations intimes que les éventuelles conséquences du post-partum.

--

Female voices: personal and conjugal experiences and resources in the face of psychosexual changes during the transition to parenthood

This paper is about a qualitative longitudinal study from Switzerland. 6 women (from 24 to 41 years old) were individually interviewed during the last month of their first pregnancy and c.6 months after birth-giving. A thematic analysis was performed to highlight the coping strategies of the woman and the couple according to sexuality and intimity. Results show multiple ressources and that social factors such as a weak societal support (no paternal leave, lack of childcare spaces,...) are impacting more the couple's intimity and women's desire than the eventual post-partum consequences.

Il ciclo di incontri intende avviare un dialogo interdisciplinare su alcuni tabù della maternità, fino a poco tempo fa discussi quasi esclusivamente in una prospettiva specialistica e di cura. Da qualche anno si riscontra che infertilità, tecniche di fecondazione assistita, violenza ostetrica e depressione post-par- to emergono come veri e propri temi letterari, uscendo dagli ambiti speciali- stici e disciplinari in cui erano confinati. Ispirandosi alle Medical Humanities e ai Motherhood Studies, i “Mercoledì della Fondazione Sasso Corbaro” pro- pongono una serie di quattro appuntamenti durante i quali di volta in volta una scrittrice discuterà i temi trattati nel suo libro con una figura professionale esperta. Il percorso, proposto in ordine cronologico, segue le tappe verso la maternità – desiderio, concepimento, parto e post-parto – mettendo in luce le sfide e le difficoltà con le quali le donne si trovano confrontate. In un’ottica divulgativa e interdisciplinare, approfondiremo argomenti quali procreazione medicalmente assistita, CRISPR, violenza ostetrica, trauma e depressione post-parto e discuteremo implicazioni etiche, conseguenze sulla qualità di vita delle madri, possibili cure e soluzioni.

PROGRAMMA

Gli incontri inizieranno alle 20:30

Mercoledì 9 marzo 2022
In becco alla cicogna! Fertilità e tecniche di fecondazione assistita
Durante il primo incontro discuteremo desiderio di maternità, infertilità e tec- niche di procreazione assistita con la scrittrice e attrice italiana Eleonora Mazzoni – autrice del romanzo “Le difettose” (Einaudi, 2012; ristampato nel 2021) e del saggio “In becco alla cicogna” (Biglia Blu, 2016) – e con il medico Alessandro Santi, primario al Centro Cantonale di Fertilità di Locarno.

Mercoledì 23 marzo 2022
In utero: procreazione umana tra etica e progresso scientifico
Nella seconda serata discuteremo gli scenari presenti, futuri e futuristici in ambito scientifico e indagheremo le loro implicazioni etiche nel campo della fecondazione umana. I nostri ospiti saranno Marta Baiocchi, scrittri- ce e biologa all’Istituto Superiore di Sanità di Roma – autrice del roman- zo “Cento micron” (minimum fax, 2012) e del saggio “In utero” (Sonzogno, 2018) – e il Professor Alberto Bondolfi, Emerito di Etica all’Università di Ginevra.

Giovedì 28 aprile 2022
Volevo andare a partorire in Olanda: violenza ostetrica e trauma da parto
Nel nostro terzo incontro discuteremo gravidanza, violenza ostetrica e trauma da parto con la docente e scrittrice ticinese Isabella Pelizzari Villa – autrice del saggio autobiografico: “Volevo andare a partorire in Olanda. Storia di un taglio cesareo annunciato” (Tipoprint SA, edizioni Vignalunga Mendrisio, 2018) – e la dottoressa Monya Todesco Bernasconi, primaria di ginecologia e ostetricia all’Ospedale Cantonale di Aarau.

Mercoledì 25 maggio 2022
Di materno avevo solo il latte: disagio materno e depressione post-parto
Nella serata conclusiva discuteremo di disagio materno, disturbo da stress post-traumatico, baby-blues e depressione post-parto con la scrittrice Deborah Papisca – autrice del saggio autobiografico: “Di materno avevo solo il latte” (Dalai, 2011; edizione aggiornata: LuoghInteriori, 2021) – e Maria Statti Perugini, psicologa e psicoterapeuta FSP.

Postpartum, a critical period for both mother and new born baby, entirely changes the life of a woman. This study
aims to understand the perception of postpartum, the postpartum practices and rituals in Altit Hunza community, the
nutritional regime for the mother and her new born baby, the cultural and health barriers faced by the women during the
postpartum period, and to understand their knowledge related to biomedical health care system. Ethnographical and
descriptive study was carried out through focus group discussion, interviews and observations. Findings revealed that
cultural beliefs strengthen postpartum practices of these women and newborn babies but sometimes these may increase
the risk of various problems related to newborn baby. Women who observe cultural traditions and have strong gendered
kin support express less symptoms of postpartum depression, easily restore their bodily energy and experience healthy life
with their new born babies. In addition, experienced women and dais (traditional midwives) have indigenous knowledge
and facilitate women in nutrition and utilization of herbs in prenatal and postnatal care. The effective postpartum practices
and rituals based on the specific cultural perspective usually minimize the devastating effects of postpartum in Hunzai
women. Further anthropological studies are suggested at the community level.

Wang Simeng. 2022. "L'émergence d'un nouveau marché autour de la santé périnatale à destination des femmes d'origine chinoise à Paris. Réseaux de yuesao (matrones) développés aux frontières entre médecine chinoise et médecine clinique occidentale." in Migrations. Une chance pour le système de santé ? (Ré)humaniser le soin.  Paris, Éditions Doin, p. 39-46.

The article deals with the experience of pregnancy and early motherhood in relation to the milieu of the magnates and nobility of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the fi rst half of the 18 th century. Th e analysis covers extensive source material which includes the preserved collections of private correspondence of representatives of wealthy nobility and magnates, with particular emphasis on the female half of this population. In turn, this material has been split by selected key issues, such as: trying to have children, pregnancy, birth, postpartum period, and early motherhood. Problems resulting from these stages of motherhood have been analysed in a broad context, considering both mental issues-fulfi lling the socially expected role of wife and mother, dealing with new situations and diffi culties, building relationships with newborn children-and physical elements, such as health, sickness, dealing with weakness and new responsibilities.

"Introduction. Research on postpartum sexuality has focused primarily on mothers, though new findings suggest that relational perceptions may have a strong influence over sexual desire and behavior. Little investigation exists regarding sexuality in partners of postpartum women. Additionally, recent findings point to the importance of a partner’s sexuality for postpartum women’s perceptions of their own sexuality in this time.

Aims. The goal of this research was to explore women’s partners’ sexuality in the early postpartum phase taking into account psychosocial context.

Methods. Partners (N = 114; 95 men, 18 women, 1 unspecified) of postpartum women completed a retrospective online questionnaire about their sexuality during the 3 months following their youngest child’s birth.

Main Outcome Measures. Primary measures included sexual desire (Sexual Desire Inventory), latency to sexual behavior, and enjoyment and initiation of sexual behavior. Other psychosocial variables were investigated: partners’ perceptions of the birth mother’s sexual desire, perceptions of the birth experience (Questionnaire Measuring Attitudes About Labor and Delivery), postpartum stress (Perceived Stress Scale), body image self-consciousness (Body Image Self-Consciousness Scale), social support (Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support),
fatigue, and experiences surrounding breastfeeding.

Results. Partners reported most frequent engagement in intercourse in the postpartum period, earliest engagement
in masturbation, and highest enjoyment of receiving oral sex compared with other sexual activities. Partners’ sexual desire was not correlated with the psychosocial variables measured in the study. Findings for partners’ sexuality were similar by gender, except for perceptions of social support and likelihood to engage in intercourse.

Conclusions. This study provided a novel perspective on the study of postpartum sexuality by investigating physical and psychosocial influences on the experiences of partners of parous women. Given parallels between sexuality reported by partners in this study and by birth mothers in past studies, this study provided evidence that sexuality in the postpartum period may be experienced similarly, highlighting the social and relational nature of the postpartum."

Background
Despite several decades of investment into family planning and maternal health systems strengthening, Indonesia’s maternal mortality ratio remains among the highest in Southeast Asia. Among postpartum women unmet need for family planning is greater than at any other time, thus there is great potential to improve the reproductive health outcomes of Indonesian women through enhanced postpartum family planning access. This article explores the socially embedded nature of family planning choices in the Indonesian context, drawing on the experiences of a sample of urban dwelling and predominantly middle class women.

Methods
This was an ethnographic study which explored the reproductive experiences of women residing in Yogyakarta City, and Sleman and Bantul regencies. Fieldwork was undertaken over 18 months from September 2014 to March 2016. This article draws on 31 in-depth interviews (IDIs) conducted with 20 women aged 21 to 38 years who had given birth less than two years prior.

Results
Though there was great variance across women’s reproductive trajectories, the majority had limited understandings of family planning, especially in relation to contraception. Societal norms pertaining to women’s fertility and reproduction underpinned women’s desires to become pregnant soon after marriage. Normative ideals concerning family size and the composition of families underpinned women’s desires for a maximum of two to three children, with at least one child of each sex. Negotiations concerning timing of pregnancies and family size occurred within spousal relationships. The majority of women were using some form of fertility control to prevent or space pregnancies, with method choice decisions often informed by family members, friends and family planning providers. Quality of care among family planning providers was often lacking, perpetuating misinformation, and women’s choices were not always respected.

Conclusions
Our analysis reveals the socially embedded nature of women’s postpartum family planning understandings and choices, and the ways in which social and relational factors sometimes constrain and at other times support women’s reproductive agency. We identify key areas for health sector reform to enhance women’s understandings of postpartum family planning and improve family planning quality of care.

The aim was to see the effect of pregnancy on Bone Mineral Density (BMD) and bone turnover markers (BTMs) in the immediate postpartum period and 12 months thereafter. Eighty women delivered at KAUH (May 2009-Oct 2010) had BMD, bone profile, 25-OH vitamin D and (BTMs). Inclusion criteria: Singleton pregnancy without medical or pregnancy complications. Exclusion criteria: multiple pregnancies, history of diabetes thyroid or bone disease, and use of any medication that affect calcium metabolism. Biochemical tests were repeated for 27 women after one year. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS 16. Eighty women had BMD before discharge. Sixty four women (80%) had low BMD; sixteen of these (25%) had osteoporosis. Although bone profiles were normal, Vitamin D levels were moderately or severely deficient in 35.37% of women. After adjustment for BMI and age there was no correlation between BMD and other variables. Multiple linear regressions showed that BMI was the predictor for BMD (P=0.0014). There was no significant difference between postpartum bone BTMs and bone profiles, and those after twelve months.
Osteoporosis/ osteopenia is a significant health problem in this group of women. Further studies are needed to look into predisposing factors.

Background: The new COVID-19 pandemic resulted in tremendous challenges to mankind in health, emotions and economy. A specifically vulnerable group are pregnant and postpartum women. We conducted a study that aimed to shed light on the effects of this pandemic on emotional state of pregnant and postpartum women. Objective and Study Design: A cross-sectional study in northern Israel based on web questionnaire for the assessment of general stress, anxiety and depression during the quarantine period of COVID-19 pandemics from April 20 until May 7, 2020. Participants were pregnant women and women up to a year after childbirth. Overall, 356 women of whom 251 pregnant and 101 post-partum filled the questionnaire. Results: Among 251 pregnant women, 199 (79.3 %) reported moderate-high stress, 145 (57.8 %) high anxiety. A hundred and three (41.0%) reported high level of depression (PH2>3). Among pregnant women, the following were the most prevalent stressors: fear that someone in their family will acquire the virus (80.1%), concern for the health of the baby (77.7%), fear that someone close will die from COVID-19 (72.9%) and worry of being infected within the hospital (71.7%). A univariate analysis of stress revealed that age (χ 2 =10.93, p<0.004) and income level (χ 2 =13.35, p<0.001) were associated with the level of stress. Stepwise logistic regression revealed that both age and income level below the mean were predictors of stress. Among the 165 multiparous pregnant women, age (25-34 vs. 35-44) was a predictor of stress (p<0.04). Conclusion: Our study clearly showed an enormous negative effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on emotional condition including stress, anxiety and depression on both pregnant and postpartum women. This provides an insight on the relation between economy and emotional state during uncertainty period. This effect adds a huge challenge to healthcare system and social support providers as well as the governments in providing means and solutions during pandemics and worldwide disaster.

Para citar este artículo / To reference this article / Para citar este artigo Egelioğlu Cetişli N., Denizci Zirek Z. Y Bakılan Abalı F. Childbirth and postpartum period fear in pregnant women and the affecting factors. ABSTRACT Objective: The aim of this study was to identify the anxiety pregnant women feel about childbirth and the postpartum period and to determine the affecting factors. Methods: A descriptive design was used in the study, which was conducted with pregnant women at two obstetric polyclinics of a university hospital in Turkey from January 2014 to July 2014. The population consisted of 143 pregnant women. The data were collected using an individual identification form and the Fear Childbirth and Postpartum Anxiety Scale. The percentage, Kruskall Wallis, Mann-Whitney U and Independent Sample t tests were used to evaluate the differences between the variables. Results: The results of the study reveal that pregnant women are quite fearful of childbirth and the postpartum period. Conclusions: It is necessary to decrease fear of childbirth, because of its negative effects.

This article analyzes two perinatal health practices – feeding practices and post-partum rest – of mothers of Chinese origin in Paris, who navigate between different registers of care and medical and paramedical standards. Through a qualitative study carried out between 2016 and 2018 among some thirty women of Chinese origin, and in some cases also among their family circle (spouses and parents), the article highlights the logic underlying their perinatal health practices which are based on Chinese medicine in a migratory context. The empirical material shows that the use of medical pluralism in the French context, during the perinatal period, can be understood by these women as a way of emancipation, at least in a punctual and limited manner, on the one hand from the domination of Western clinical norms and institutional violence ; and on the other hand, from power relations within the home and the extended family.

Résumé

Cet article analyse deux pratiques de santé périnatale – le régime alimentaire et le repos post-partum – de mères d’origine chinoise à Paris, qui naviguent entre différents registres de soins et de normes médicales et paramédicales. À travers une enquête qualitative menée entre 2016 et 2018 auprès d’une trentaine de femmes d’origine chinoise, et dans certains cas également auprès de leur entourage familial (conjoints et parents), l’article met en relief les logiques sous-tendant leurs pratiques de santé périnatale qui relèvent de la médecine chinoise en contexte migratoire. Les matériaux empiriques montrent que les recours à un pluralisme médical dans le contexte français, pendant la période périnatale, peuvent être appréhendés par ces femmes comme une façon de s’émanciper, au moins de manière ponctuelle et limitée, de la domination des normes cliniques occidentales et des violences institutionnelles d’une part, et des rapports de force à l’intérieur du foyer et de la famille élargie d’autre part.

Background and objective
Many studies have been conducted in Iran on the postpartum quality of life, and the majority have used the general quality of life questionnaire. With a specific tool in this context, the dimensions of maternal postpartum quality of life can be more accurately determined. The present study was conducted to determine psychometric properties and validate the Persian version of the Maternal Postpartum Quality of Life Questionnaire (MAPP-QOL).

Materials and methods
The present methodological study was conducted in 2018. The original version of MAPP-QOL was translated into Persian by both forward and backward translation. In a cross-sectional study, the Persian version was completed by 407 eligible postpartum women aged 18 to 47 and living in Tehran. Reliability of the questionnaire was assessed using Cronbach's alpha coefficient and test–retest. For construct validity, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used.

Results
The MAPP-QOL showed good content validity; content validity ratio (CVR) ranged from 0.6 to 1.00, and content validity index (CVI) ranged from 0.7 to 1.00. Using exploratory factor analysis, five factors, including Socioeconomic; Relational/Family-Friends; Psychological/Baby; Health & functioning; and Relational/Spouse-Partner, were extracted, which together explained 78.84% of the total variance. After modifications of CFA, the confirmatory factor analysis showed an acceptable goodness-of-fit. AVE value Above 0.5 exhibited appropriate convergent validity, and AVE greater than MSV confirmed divergent validity. The Cronbach's alpha, McDonald's Omega, Composite reliability and maximum reliability H of the five extracted factors were excellent (> 0.9). Also, the AIC values of the factors were good (between 0.721 to 0.859).

Conclusion
The 38-item Persian version of the postpartum quality of life questionnaire is adequately reliable for postpartum women in Iran. Given its appropriate psychometric properties, this scale is fit to be used in future studies on postpartum women.

Conclusion: Untreated depression during pregnancy is an important predictor of postpartum depression.

Read this original research and sign up to receive Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment journal here: http://www.dovepress.com/articles.php?article_id=20544

The purpose of this study was to systematically review the empirical literature on maternal bonding and associations with infant physical, psychological, and social development. Nineteen articles met inclusion criteria and were included in a qualitative synthesis (79 effect sizes); 15 articles were suitable for aggregation in a series of 14 meta-analyses (51 effect sizes). All mean effects were in the expected direction , with higher maternal bonding contributing to infant developmental outcomes, including higher attachment quality (r = .35) and parent-reported lower colic rating (r = .22), easier temperament (r = .19), and positive infant mood (r = .27). Consistent with theoretical explanatory models, the review provides support for the hypothesis that maternal bonding plays a role in fostering more optimal infant development. The review also identifies a paucity of empirical work on this topic and provides directions for future research. K E Y W O R D S affect, early experience, longitudinal studies, mother-child relations, mothers

Objective: To determine whether breastfeeding has an impact on colic development.
Design: A prospective cohort study of 436 mother-infant dyads who give birth at term to alive singleton whose birth weight was appropriate for gestational age. Self-administered questionnaires to mothers at 1 and 6 weeks postpartum, requested information on many infant and maternal factors, including source of infant nutrition (exclusively breast fed,
complementary fed and exclusively formula fed). Cases of colic were identified by applying modified Wessel criteria or by interpreting the response to the Ames cry score.
Results: Of 536 mothers, 436 (81%) completed the study. Overall the prevalence of colic at 6 weeks of age was 23.6%. No association was seen between the source of infant nutrition and colic. Higher levels of maternal trait anxiety were associated with increased likelihood of colic after controlling for feeding method, maternal age, and parity although the difference failed to reach significance. No significant difference was seen between employed and unemployed mothers, but some difference
was seen between both employed and unemployed mothers in one side and the student mothers in the other side, although the difference was statistically insignificant.
Conclusion: Breast feeding did not have a protective effect on the development of colic. Although colic was statistically associated
with some variables, including pre-existing maternal anxiety and student mothers, some of colic’s etiology remains unexplained despite the numerous studies done in this field.

Objective Even though postpartum morbidity continues to cause high disease burden in maternal morbidity and mortality across the globe, the literature pertaining to resultant productivity loss is scarce. Hence, the present study aimed at determining the productivity loss and associated cost of episodes of postpartum ill health. Methods A cross sectional study was conducted in two Medical Officer of Heath areas in the Anura-dhapura district, Sri Lanka in 2011, among 407 women residing in Anuradhapura district with an infant aged between 8 to 24 weeks. Validated interviewer administered questionnaires , including the IMMPACT productivity cost tool, were used to collect data on self-reported episodes of postpartum ill health. The productivity loss was calculated as the sum of days lost due to partial and total incapacitation. The adjusted productivity loss for coping strategies was calculated. Productivity cost, both total and adjusted, were calculated based on the mean daily per capita income of the study sample. Results Of the 407 participants, 161(39.6%) reported at least one episode of postpartum illness. Hospitalisations were reported by 27 (16.8%) of all symptomatic postpartum women. Common symptoms of postpartum ill health were pain/infection at either episiotomy or surgical site (n = 44, 27.3%), lower abdominal pain (n = 40, 24.8%) and backache (n = 27, 16.8%). The mean productivity loss per episode of ill health was 15 days (SD = 7.8 days) and the mean productivity loss per episode after adjusting for coping strategies was 7.9 days (SD = 4.4 days). The mean productivity cost per an episode was US$ 34.2(95%CI US$ 26.7–41.6) and the mean productivity cost per an episode after adjusting for coping strategies was US$ 18.0 (95%CI US$ 14.1–22.0)

Emotional availability (EA) is a focal indicator of parent–infant relationship quality and plays a key role in determining healthy child development, yet factors thought to influence EA have not been examined comprehensively in the postnatal period in both mothers and partners. The aim of this study was to examine the influence of mother–infant and partner–infant bonding, mental ill‐health and substance use at 8 weeks postbirth on mother–infant and partner–infant EA at 12 months postbirth, accounting for a range of demographic and postnatal variables. Participants were 191 matched mother–partner–infant triads from a nested sample of an Australian longitudinal pregnancy cohort (The Triple B Pregnancy Cohort). Assessments were conducted at 8 weeks postbirth and at infant age 12 months. Parental EA was coded from dyadic interactions during a 20‐min free play observational video recorded at 12 months. Generalized estimating equations (GEE) analysis, accounting for within‐dyad clustering, showed older parent age was associated with higher parent–child EA scores (χ2 = 6.28, p < .01), while parental tobacco use (χ2 = 7.35, p < .01) and depression (χ2 = 4.51, p < .05) at 8 weeks postnatal predicted poorer parent–child EA scores at 12 months. These novel findings suggest that it may be particularly important to support young couples and those struggling with symptoms of depression or tobacco use during the postnatal period.

A 26 year old woman was admitted to the emergency room 2 weeks after delivery of a healthy baby by cesarean(C) section, presenting right hemiparesis and speech disturbances, preceded by headaches. Clinical examination, biochemical tests, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and MRA (magnetic resonance angiogram) confirmed the diagnosis of ischemic stroke due to a cerebral venous thrombosis with secondary hemorrhage transformation. Further coagulation work-ups revealed a possible thrombogenic condition with important protein S deficiency. Many therapeutic challenges have been encountered. Multiple seizures attacks further complicated the whole clinical picture, but a gradually recovery was slowly achieved. By the day of discharge, her neurological status greatly improved. A temporary headache was reported after hospital discharge with alleviation in time.

Background: Sexual health is a multidimensional phenomenon constructed by personal, social, and cultural factors but continues to be studied with a biomedical approach. During the postpartum the woman transitions to mother, as well as partner to parent and couple to family. There are new realities in life in the postpartum, including household changes and new responsibilities that can impact the quality of sexual health. This phenomenon is understudied especially in the context of Spain. The purpose of this study was to describe the lived experience of postpartum sexual health among primiparous women giving birth in Catalonia (Spain). Methods: This was a phenomenological study with a purposive sample of women within the first postpartum year. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews until saturation was achieved. Analysis followed Colaizzi&#39;s seven-step process with an eighth translation step added to limit cross-cultural threats to validity. Also, the four dimension...