This study is a response to the reported dissatisfaction of parents with postnatal maternity care services. The study adopted an action research methodology and followed the cycle of planning, action, observation and reflection to explore the provision of education and support to parents during the early postnatal period in order to develop, implement and evaluate strategies to improve postnatal care for mothers and fathers. / Thesis (PhD)--University of South Australia, 2008.

This study is a response to the reported dissatisfaction of parents with postnatal maternity care services. The study adopted an action research methodology and followed the cycle of planning, action, observation and reflection to explore the provision of education and support to parents during the early postnatal period in order to develop, implement and evaluate strategies to improve postnatal care for mothers and fathers.

Thesis (PhD) -- University of Western Sydney, 2003. / " 9 December 2003." References : leaves 170 - 188.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin-Madison. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 112-115).

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1982. / Typescript. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 70-72).

Perinatal inflammation contributes to neurodevelopmental diseases, and animal models have revealed that the inflammatory response within the central nervous system is age dependent. It remains unclear what intrinsic and/or extrinsic factors are responsible for this variation. Here, my aim was to discover the mechanisms responsible for the age-dependent changes in the inflammatory response of the brain by injecting interleukin-1 (IL-1β) into the brain of mice at postnatal day (P)7, P14, P21 or into adult mice. A "window of susceptibility" was found at P14, which was associated with marked neutrophil recruitment and blood-brain barrier (BBB) breakdown, in response to a low dose of IL-1β. Evaluation of cytokine, chemokine, and adhesion molecule mRNA transcripts failed to reveal any specific increases in basal or reactive expression following the injection of IL-1β at P14. The extrinsic hepatic acute phase response (APR) was evaluated, but, once again, there was no evidence that an altered APR might account for the enhanced inflammatory response at P14. Indeed, an inverse relationship between the magnitude of the leukocyte recruitment to the brain and the APR was discovered. Enhancement of the APR with intravenous IL-1β after injection of a low dose of IL-1β into the brain was found to reduce the number of neutrophils and BBB permeability in the brain. While no molecular changes seem to account for the presence of the "window of susceptibility", a population of Iba-1⁺ large, flattened and irregular perivascular cells was discovered within the P14 brain, that may contribute to the increased leukocyte recruitment at P14. Although variations in the brain inflammatory response with development were not fully account for, my results highlight the importance of the systemic inflammatory response on the outcome of acute brain injury and suggest that the systemic APR might be manipulated therapeutically to protect the brain in the perinatal period.

CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeiÃoamento de NÃvel Superior / As questÃes relacionadas à qualidade de vida sÃo centrais para a promoÃÃo da saÃde materna. Dentre os objetivos do estudo destaca-se: traduzir, adaptar e validar o The Mother Generated Index para a lÃngua Portuguesa no contexto brasileiro. Trata-se de um estudo metodolÃgico, realizado em uma maternidade de referÃncia do estado do CearÃ. O The Mother Generated Index passou por um rigoroso processo de adaptaÃÃo transcultural no qual foi formada a versÃo prÃ-final, aplicada no prÃ-teste com 30 puÃrperas. Um comità de especialistas realizou a validaÃÃo de conteÃdo do The Mother Generated Index-VersÃo Brasileira, para a formaÃÃo da versÃo final. Na fase de validaÃÃo, a amostra foi composta por 91 puÃrperas que foram entrevistadas no perÃodo de maio a agosto de 2012. O instrumento de coleta de dados foi um formulÃrio que abordava dados sociodemogrÃficos, obstÃtricos, alÃm do The Mother Generated Index - VersÃo Brasileira. Quanto à anÃlise do perfil sociodemogrÃfico das puÃrperas estudadas apontou para uma maioria de jovens, em uniÃo estÃvel, com poucos anos de estudo, baixa renda per capita e familiar. Quanto Ãs atividades laborais, a maioria exercia afazeres domÃsticos ou outros trabalhos que exigem pouca ou nenhuma qualificaÃÃo profissional. Dentre as oito Ãreas que interferiram na qualidade de vida observou-se que 06 foram consideradas negativas conforme os dados: alteraÃÃo do peso 28(58%); menos tempo para si 33 (82,5%); sono 41 (93,1%); lazer 31 (90,7%); cansaÃo 91 (94,4%) e trabalho 41(85,4%). Assim, observa-se que essas sÃo Ãreas que necessitam de uma melhor atenÃÃo em saÃde. Conclui-se, que o MGI à um instrumento vÃlido e confiÃvel para a mensuraÃÃo do conceito de qualidade de vida entre as puÃrperas brasileiras, pois permite de forma simples e compreensÃvel avaliar as diversas dimensÃes envolvidas na qualidade de vida das puÃrperas. Ademais o MGI pode fornecer aos profissionais de saÃde a oportunidade de apreciar todos os aspectos da vida de uma mulher que sÃo alterados com o nascimento do bebÃ.

M.Cur. / A lot of mothers and babies are being discharged earlier from the hospital because of limits with the medical aids on the length of stay. In a few ofthese cases the mother and baby were readmitted because of health problems that persisted after they had been discharge. The question arises as to where the problem lies and what are the reasons so many patients are discharged with health problems and what can be done to prevent or reduce these problems. This study investigates the health status of the mother and their health problems on being discharged. The sample came from mothers with medical aids, in the post natal unit, in a selected clinic and ready to go home. Guidelines were developed to prevent these health problems or how to handle them differently. A literature study was undertaken on the normal physiological changes that take place with the birth of the baby and after the mothers have been discharged. According to this study changes and abnormalities could be identified. An instrument was developed to assess the mother's condition on discharge and to identify possible complications that could develop at home and obstruct health promotion. The results show that some of the mothers were discharged with one or other health problem that could cause severe problems at home. The biggest problem identified was with breast-feeding as well as oedema of the feet and hands. There were also a few mothers still unsure as to how to handle their babies. Guidelines were formed to help the nursing staff to supply information for the mother on early discharge and to help prevent health problems or to lessen them. The guidelines help the mothers to know how to look for the signs and symptoms of health problems at home Recommendations were made regarding future research on this issue.

Tesis para optar al título de Magíster en Análisis Económico / The present study analyzes the effect of an extension to maternity leave on mothers’ health. Using administrative data from sick leave records for 84% of the total working women who gave birth during 2011, we estimate the effect of this extension in the probability of mothers taking sick leave, after the maternity leave has ended. To do so, we implemented a fuzzy regression discontinuity design, which took advantage of the fact that there is a jump in the probability of being treated after a certain threshold date. The evidence we found supports the hypothesis and demonstrates that the policy has a positive effect on mothers’ health.

Recent findings indicate that bimodal-redundant stimulation promotes perceptual learning and recruits attention to amodal properties in non-human as well as human infants. However it is not clear if bimodal-redundant stimulation can also facilitate memory during the postnatal period. Moreover, most animal and human studies have employed an operant paradigm to study memory, but have not compared the effectiveness of contingent versus passive presentation of information on memory. The current study investigated the role of unimodal versus bimodal presentation and, the role of a contingent versus passive exposure in memory retention in the bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus). Results revealed that contingently trained chicks demonstrated a preference for the familiarized call under both unimodal and bimodal conditions. Between-group analyses revealed that the contingent-bimodal group preferred the familiarized call as compared to the passive-bimodal group. These results indicate that the contingency paradigm accompanied with the bimodal stimulus type facilitated memory during early development.