No description available.

Syfte: Att undersöka mammors behov av kunskapsmässigt, emotionellt och socialt stöd under barnets första år samt identifiera vilka stödgivande aktörer kvinnorna upplever är viktigast. Metod: Deskriptiv tvärsnittstudie. Sjuttio mammor som besökte någon av sex kommunala öppna förskolor i Uppsala läns landsting svarade på en enkät om deras behov av stöd. Resultat: Hälso- och sjukvården var den viktigaste aktören för många av mammorna som sökte informationsstöd. Studien visade att alla mammorna inte fått det kunskapsstöd de önskade. Socialt stöd och emotionellt stöd var viktigt för nästan alla mammor och många efterfrågade emotionellt stöd från hälso- och sjukvården. Mammornas behov var relaterat till deras ålder, och även i viss utsträckning utbildning och sysselsättning. Slutsats: Om BVC-sjuksköterskor och annan vårdpersonal som möter mammor med barn under ett år, ser till helheten i deras situation genom att erbjuda såväl kunskapsstöd som emotionellt stöd kan de bidra till att skapa långsiktigt nöjda och trygga mödrar. / Aim: To explore mother's needs in terms of knowledge, emotional and social support during the baby’s first year and to identify what support giving conductors the women feel important. Method: Descriptive cross-sectional study. Seventy mothers who visited one of six municipal open pre-schools in Uppsala County Council responded to a questionnaire about their support needs. Results: Health care was the main conductor for many of the mothers who sought information support. The study showed that not all mothers have got the knowledge support they wished. Social support and emotional support was important most mothers, and many sought emotional support from health care. Mothers' needs were related to their age, and also to some extent, education and employment. Conclusion: If child health nurses and other health care professionals, who encounter mothers with children under the age of one year, see the whole picture of their situation by offering both knowledge and emotional support, they can help create satisfied and secure mothers in the long term.

Postpartum depression is a debilitating condition that has been researched in different populations. A surge in prevalence has been noted in non-western cultures and extremely high prevalence has been recorded in some South African studies. There is a dearth of literature on prevalence or experiences of postpartum depression in South African Indian women. AIMS: This study sought to understand the causes and experiences of South African Indian women potentially suffering from postpartum depression with a view to making recommendations for prevention and care of postpartum depression. METHOD: Low-income South African Indian women were screened for postpartum depression at primary health care clinics at two locations in KwaZulu-Natal. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale was used to screen women for postpartum depression. A semi-structured interview was then carried out to determine eight women’s levels of coping. These included individual, interpersonal, community, societal and cultural coping mechanisms and support systems. RESULTS: In line with other studies on postpartum depression, the study revealed that interpersonal issues, abusive relationships, economic hardships and a lack of adequate social support precipitated or aggravated depressive feelings in the postpartum period. CONCLUSION: A number of recommendations for prevention and treatment of postpartum depression were identified and include Routine Screening, Psycho-education, Interpersonal Therapy, Task-shifting to Community Health Workers to aid in prevention and treatment and increased maternity and paternity leave. / Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2010.

No description available.

The purpose of this study was to explore the knowledge and attitudes of hospital postpartum and public health nurses towards postpartum depression (PPD) using interpretive description. Postpartum depression is the leading complication after childbirth and impacts negatively on the health of the mother and her child. The nurses in this study participated in focus groups and/or participant observation. The five patterns that describe participants experiences related to PPD were: “Nurses understand PPD in different ways”, “Nurses recognize that women need support”, “Nurses reported that teaching about PPD makes a difference”, “Strong relationships with a primary care provider is essential in the post partum period”, and “a key role of the nurse is to listen”. The nurses in this study revealed a rich understanding of PPD leading to recommendations for practice by hospital and public health nurses related to PPD contributing to better care for women experiencing PPD.

This study examined the influence of two personality variables, Dependency and Self-Criticism, on mothers' postpartum adjustment. These dimensions were also examined in relation to social support and infant characteristics. During pregnancy, 204 primiparous women completed measures of Dependency and Self-Criticism, depressive symptomatology and mood, and social support. A subsample of 72 women, identified as Dependent, Self-Critical, Mixed, or Control, were assessed at 6 weeks and 3 months postpartum on measures of depressive symptoms, mood, and maternal characteristics. Infant measures were obtained at 6 weeks and 3 months. Multiple regression analyses revealed that Self-Criticism was a stronger predictor of depressive symptomatology and mood than Dependency and predicted a wider range of problems in maternal role functioning. Social support and infant characteristics made significant contributions to postpartum adjustment, and maternal depressive symptoms predicted less optimal infant socioemotional development. Results suggest the need to modify current conceptualizations of Dependency and Self-Criticism. Implications for identification and treatment of women vulnerable to adjustment problems during the transition to motherhood were discussed.

No description available.

Adolescent pregnancy has been of longstanding societal concern primarily because of the inability of most young mothers to provide adequately for their infants. Depression often results in disengagement from mother-child interaction. Adolescent mothers identified as depressed are at increased risk of future psychopathology, with additional deleterious effects on their infants&rsquo / lives. The purpose of this study was to explore adolescent mothers&rsquo / experiences of motherhood and memories of feeling depressed during or after the birth of their babies. The first aim was to explore the young women&rsquo / s experiences of mothering, by focusing upon the practice of being a mother. The second aim was to explore the young women&rsquo / s experiences of depression, by focusing on their physical behaviour and emotional experiences. The third aim was to explore their perceptions of the causes of their depression. The rationale for this study was that these issues will further enhance the body of knowledge available to practitioners working with adolescent mothers. It will also provide a source of insights and hypotheses for preventive intervention research. The study was located within a feminist standpoint framework that begins from the perspective of women with the aim to explore women&rsquo / s accounts of their experiences in relation to depression as an important source of knowledge. A qualitative research design and methodology was employed in the region of the Western Cape. Eight adolescent mothers between the ages of 16 and 19 were recruited and interviewed. The interviews were semi-structured and consisted out of open-ended questions. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim and thematic analysis of data was carried out. The findings of this research yielded some interesting areas for future research and implications for treatment and intervention with first-time adolescent mothers. The adolescent mothers in this study experienced similar depressive symptoms to adult mothers in previous research. All the participants revealed that they feared their parents&rsquo / disappointment in them for being pregnant. This factor contributed to their depression, because they received very little (if any) support from their parents or the father of their baby. The participants discussed that their pregnancy or giving birth was linked to various aspects of themselves that they had lost as an adolescent. Before they received counselling, none of the participants understood why they experienced depressive symptoms or what was happening to them at the time after their pregnancies.

The aim in this thesis was to gain an understanding of changes in gene expression in the hypothalamus of postpartum beef cows during the period of transition from suppressed ovarian follicular growth to increased follicular growth, and the resumption of ovulation. Beef cows tend to have an extended period of anoestrus after calving. This trait is particularly pronounced in tropically-adapted Zebu breeds. In addition to a genetic component, the postpartum anoestrous period can be influenced by age, body condition, the nutrient requirement of lactation, suckling stimulus, and maternal bonding. An extended postpartum anoestrous period is particularly evident in primiparous beef cows. This is understandable given that primiparous cows have yet to reach their mature body size which means there is a requirement to maintain maternal tissue growth whilst at the same time directing nutrients for milk production. Weaning removes maternal bonding, the suckling stimulus and nutrient requirement of milk production and, provided that nutrient supply and body condition are appropriate, primiparous cows show increased ovarian activity and resume ovulation after weaning. In the present thesis, groups of primiparous Zebu cows were weaned to promote increased ovarian follicular growth and hypothalamic gene expression was compared for weaned cows and contemporary cows that continued to lactate. Candidate genes were studied using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and a gene expression microarray was used to discover new genes and gene networks. Gene expression was examined in the anterior hypothalamic-preoptic area (sub-region H1) and posterior ventral hypothalamus (sub-region H2). The demarcation between H1 and H2 was a vertical line from the mid-point of the median eminence-pituitary stalk to the thalamus. Candidate genes studied by qRT-PCR included, gonadotrophin releasing hormone (GNRH1), kisspeptin (KISS1), neuropeptide Y (NPY), oestrogen receptor alpha (ESR1) and leptin receptor (LEPR). Marked regional expression was demonstrated for these genes. The expression of GNRH1 was greatest in the anterior hypothalamic region (sub-region H1) whilst the expression of KISS1 was greatest in the ventral posterior hypothalamic region (sub-region H2). Relative expression of LEPR, ESR1 and NPY was greater in H2 than H1. The regional gene expression patterns for GNRH1, KISS1, LEPR, ESR1 and NPY in the hypothalamus of cows were consistent with regional expression reported for other species. Weaning was associated with a decrease in the expression of LEPR, ESR1 and NPY. With regard to ovarian phenotype, there was a greater LEPR expression associated with ovarian phenotype 1 (OP1, follicles to 5mm) compared with ovarian phenotype 2 (OP2, follicles to 10mm) and ovarian phenotype 3 (OP3, recently ovulated) in sub-region H1. Relative expressions for ESR1, LEPR and NPY were highly correlated, particularly in sub-region H2. The evaluation of gene expression by microarray for cows with different ovarian phenotypes provided evidence of interactions between hormonal regulation and cell-cell signalling within the hypothalamus. Genes that were differentially expressed for different ovarian phenotypes were associated with reproduction, energy balance, the immune system and stress. Other genes that showed differential expression were involved with cell adhesion, synaptic transmission, ion signalling and neuronal development. The latter findings were interpreted to suggest that neuronal and glial cell plasticity is a feature of changes in reproductive functions of the hypothalamus. The evaluation of gene expression by microarray for weaned and suckled cows, irrespective of ovarian phenotype, identified differentially expressed genes associated with energy balance, fluid homeostasis, milk synthesis, stress, and oestrogen signalling. With regard the latter, thirty seven genes involved in oestrogen signalling through ESR1, or in other ways associated with oestrogen, were found to be differentially expressed between weaned and lactating cows. ESR1 occupied the central position of a primary gene network based on the present study. Six differentially expressed genes were shown by gene network analysis to be centred in nodes interacting closely with ESR1. Phospholipase-C-gamma (PLCG2), vitronectin (VTN) and endopin 1 (SERPINA3) are three genes associated with hypothalamic plasticity and neurotransmission that were differentially expressed between cows with OP1 and OP2, indicating a possible role in the shift to increased ovarian follicular growth and ovulation. The findings for ESR1 were consistent with the major role of oestrogen in female reproduction and in particular the known actions of oestrogen in regulating the hypothalamus during reproductive transition phases in females associated with puberty, seasonality and postpartum. Gonadotrophin inhibitory hormone (GnIH) is derived from Neuropeptide VF precursor (NPVF), which is encoded by NPVF gene transcripts. NPVF had reduced expression in cows that had ovulated (OP3) compared with OP1 and OP2. GnIH inhibits gonadotrophin secretion by directly acting on GnRH neurons as well as modulating the suppressive effects of oestrogen negative feedback. In addition, GnIH has been shown to play a role in seasonal regulation of reproduction in birds. The lesser expression of NPVF in cows that had resumed ovulation, particularly evident in sub-region H2, provides initial evidence that GnIH has an important role in maintaining the suppressive effects on reproduction during postpartum anoestrus in cattle. In summary, the studies in this thesis have identified hypothalamic genes and gene networks that potentially are important in the control of reproductive function in the postpartum cow. The thesis has also established that the postpartum cow can be used as an experimental model for fundamental studies that generate new knowledge on the reproductive biology of the postpartum period.

The aim in this thesis was to gain an understanding of changes in gene expression in the hypothalamus of postpartum beef cows during the period of transition from suppressed ovarian follicular growth to increased follicular growth, and the resumption of ovulation. Beef cows tend to have an extended period of anoestrus after calving. This trait is particularly pronounced in tropically-adapted Zebu breeds. In addition to a genetic component, the postpartum anoestrous period can be influenced by age, body condition, the nutrient requirement of lactation, suckling stimulus, and maternal bonding. An extended postpartum anoestrous period is particularly evident in primiparous beef cows. This is understandable given that primiparous cows have yet to reach their mature body size which means there is a requirement to maintain maternal tissue growth whilst at the same time directing nutrients for milk production. Weaning removes maternal bonding, the suckling stimulus and nutrient requirement of milk production and, provided that nutrient supply and body condition are appropriate, primiparous cows show increased ovarian activity and resume ovulation after weaning. In the present thesis, groups of primiparous Zebu cows were weaned to promote increased ovarian follicular growth and hypothalamic gene expression was compared for weaned cows and contemporary cows that continued to lactate. Candidate genes were studied using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and a gene expression microarray was used to discover new genes and gene networks. Gene expression was examined in the anterior hypothalamic-preoptic area (sub-region H1) and posterior ventral hypothalamus (sub-region H2). The demarcation between H1 and H2 was a vertical line from the mid-point of the median eminence-pituitary stalk to the thalamus. Candidate genes studied by qRT-PCR included, gonadotrophin releasing hormone (GNRH1), kisspeptin (KISS1), neuropeptide Y (NPY), oestrogen receptor alpha (ESR1) and leptin receptor (LEPR). Marked regional expression was demonstrated for these genes. The expression of GNRH1 was greatest in the anterior hypothalamic region (sub-region H1) whilst the expression of KISS1 was greatest in the ventral posterior hypothalamic region (sub-region H2). Relative expression of LEPR, ESR1 and NPY was greater in H2 than H1. The regional gene expression patterns for GNRH1, KISS1, LEPR, ESR1 and NPY in the hypothalamus of cows were consistent with regional expression reported for other species. Weaning was associated with a decrease in the expression of LEPR, ESR1 and NPY. With regard to ovarian phenotype, there was a greater LEPR expression associated with ovarian phenotype 1 (OP1, follicles to 5mm) compared with ovarian phenotype 2 (OP2, follicles to 10mm) and ovarian phenotype 3 (OP3, recently ovulated) in sub-region H1. Relative expressions for ESR1, LEPR and NPY were highly correlated, particularly in sub-region H2. The evaluation of gene expression by microarray for cows with different ovarian phenotypes provided evidence of interactions between hormonal regulation and cell-cell signalling within the hypothalamus. Genes that were differentially expressed for different ovarian phenotypes were associated with reproduction, energy balance, the immune system and stress. Other genes that showed differential expression were involved with cell adhesion, synaptic transmission, ion signalling and neuronal development. The latter findings were interpreted to suggest that neuronal and glial cell plasticity is a feature of changes in reproductive functions of the hypothalamus. The evaluation of gene expression by microarray for weaned and suckled cows, irrespective of ovarian phenotype, identified differentially expressed genes associated with energy balance, fluid homeostasis, milk synthesis, stress, and oestrogen signalling. With regard the latter, thirty seven genes involved in oestrogen signalling through ESR1, or in other ways associated with oestrogen, were found to be differentially expressed between weaned and lactating cows. ESR1 occupied the central position of a primary gene network based on the present study. Six differentially expressed genes were shown by gene network analysis to be centred in nodes interacting closely with ESR1. Phospholipase-C-gamma (PLCG2), vitronectin (VTN) and endopin 1 (SERPINA3) are three genes associated with hypothalamic plasticity and neurotransmission that were differentially expressed between cows with OP1 and OP2, indicating a possible role in the shift to increased ovarian follicular growth and ovulation. The findings for ESR1 were consistent with the major role of oestrogen in female reproduction and in particular the known actions of oestrogen in regulating the hypothalamus during reproductive transition phases in females associated with puberty, seasonality and postpartum. Gonadotrophin inhibitory hormone (GnIH) is derived from Neuropeptide VF precursor (NPVF), which is encoded by NPVF gene transcripts. NPVF had reduced expression in cows that had ovulated (OP3) compared with OP1 and OP2. GnIH inhibits gonadotrophin secretion by directly acting on GnRH neurons as well as modulating the suppressive effects of oestrogen negative feedback. In addition, GnIH has been shown to play a role in seasonal regulation of reproduction in birds. The lesser expression of NPVF in cows that had resumed ovulation, particularly evident in sub-region H2, provides initial evidence that GnIH has an important role in maintaining the suppressive effects on reproduction during postpartum anoestrus in cattle. In summary, the studies in this thesis have identified hypothalamic genes and gene networks that potentially are important in the control of reproductive function in the postpartum cow. The thesis has also established that the postpartum cow can be used as an experimental model for fundamental studies that generate new knowledge on the reproductive biology of the postpartum period.