Mothers' experiences of parenting a child with chromosomal structural abnormalities: The journey to acceptance.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the process mothers go through in coming to terms with raising a child with chromosomal structural abnormalities. METHODS: Sixteen mothers living in Japan were interviewed and a modified grounded theory approach was used for the analysis. RESULTS: A total of 35 concepts, nine subcategories, and six categories were extracted. The six categories were: (a) Concern about abnormalities; (b) A healthy child is considered as a standard; (c) Deepening attachment to the child; (d) Acceptance of the child as s/he is; (e) Changing attitude toward disabilities; (f) Creating a frontier for other mothers. The parenting journey meant that parents did not move in a straightforward way from the beginning of the process to the endpoint but instead moved between "Deepening attachment to the child" and "Acceptance of the child as s/he is" before they moved ahead. CONCLUSION: Having support and meeting peers of mothers with similar issues is essential for mothers to review their perspectives that healthy children are the standard against which to measure their child and to motivate them to raise their children, but it was extremely difficult to have such opportunities due to rarity of the disorder. It is crucial to accumulate more practical information so that mothers can access and use it. Mothers also need support to enhance their self-worth while giving due consideration to the possibility that they may be conscious of being stigmatized. Nurses need to advocate for these children and families to get the appropriate help, understanding and support.

Arterial oxygen desaturation response to repeated bouts of sprint exercise in healthy young women.

The decline in arterial oxygen saturation of hemoglobin during exercise has been termed exercise-induced arterial hypoxemia (EIAH). We examined whether repeated bouts of sprint exercise (SprE) would induce EIAH in healthy young men and women. Ten men and 11 women (20.4 +/- 0.3 year) performed an anaerobic power test (three bouts of 10 s cycling with 120 s intervals) using a cycle ergometer. Arterial oxygen saturation of hemoglobin measured by pulse oximeter (SpO(2)), heart rate (HR), rate perceived exertion (RPE), and the blood lactate concentration ([La](b)) were assessed at rest, during, and 5 min after repeated bouts of SprE. Women exhibited a lower maximal anaerobic power (MAnP) compared to men (498 +/- 23 vs. 759 +/- 22 watts, respectively, p < 0.01). HR, RPE, and [La](b) in women were comparable with those in men throughout the test. However, the only significant decline in SpO(2) after a single bout of SprE (95.5 +/- 0.7%) from the resting value (97.9 +/- 0.2%) was observed in women, and further declines occurred following heavier SprE (< 95%). In 8 of 11 women, mild to moderate EIAH developed, whereas only 2 men showed mild EIAH. Thus, these findings suggest that repeated bouts of SprE might induce mild EIAH in young women but not men.

Effect of massaging babies on mothers: pilot study on the changes in mood states and salivary cortisol level.

The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the effects of baby massage for 3 months after delivery on mothers' mood status and salivary cortisol level. Study participants were a convenient sample of mothers who delivered their babies at a hospital in Japan, and were recruited at the time of the routine 5-6 weeks postnatal visit to the pediatric office. Thirty-nine mothers were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. Nineteen mothers in the experimental group were examined before the first day of the baby massage, and 3 months after delivery. The psychological measurements used were profile of mood states (POMS). In the physiological measurements, the salivary cortisol level was analyzed. The result revealed that significant differences in the POMS score were seen in depression and vigor between the two groups at 3 months. There were no significant differences in the salivary cortisol levels. Baby massage was found to positively affect the mood status of the mothers. We propose that midwives and other health-care professionals should recommend mothers to do baby massage to improve their own mood status.