COVID-19 affects psychological symptoms of pregnant women indirectly by increasing their maternal concerns.

BACKGROUND: Pregnant women themselves are at higher risk for psychological symptoms. The impact of ongoing COVID-19 may increase the risk. However, it is uncertain whether COVID-19 affects pregnant women's psychological symptoms directly or indirectly being mediated. METHODS: This survey was conducted in four obstetrics and gynecology hospitals in Beijing from February 28, 2020, to April 26, 2020. Pregnant women who visited the antenatal-care clinic were mobilized to finish the online questionnaires, including the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-Item Scale, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Connor-Davidson resilience scale, and Insomnia Severity Index. RESULTS: A total of 828 pregnant women were included in the analysis. The estimated self-reported rates of anxiety, depression, insomnia, and any of the three were 12.2 %, 24.3 %, 13.3 %, and 33.1 %, respectively. Mediating effect analysis showed that pregnant women's response to COVID-19 was not directly associated with psychological symptoms but indirectly through the mediating effect of maternal concerns, which accounted for 32.35 % of the total effect. Stratified analysis by psychological resilience showed that women's attitude toward COVID-19 (OR, 2.68, 95 % CI: 1.16-6.18) was associated with a higher risk of psychological symptoms in those with poor psychological resilience. LIMITATIONS: The study was a non-probability sampling survey, and the causal relationship between maternal concerns and psychological symptoms could not be determined due to the study's design. CONCLUSIONS: Under public health emergencies such as COVID-19, routine antenatal care should still be prioritized, and concerns related to childbirth-related caused by such emergencies should also be addressed, especially for those with weak psychological resilience.

The Use of Added Salt and Sugar in the Diet of Polish and Austrian Toddlers. Associated Factors and Dietary Patterns, Feeding and Maternal Practices.

Children aged <2 years should not be given meals with the addition of salt and sugar due to health risks and to promote healthier dietary habits. The aims of this study were: to assess the prevalence of the use of added salt (AS), sugar (ASu) and both salt and sugar (AS&Su) in the diets of Polish and Austrian toddlers aged 12-24 and 25-36 months; to explore the sociodemographic and early nutritional factors associated with the use of AS and ASu; to investigate the difference in dietary habits and maternal concerns about toddlers' eating regarding the use of AS and ASu in toddlers' diet. This cross-sectional anonymous study was conducted in 5893 mothers of children aged 12-36 months, recruited through social media in 2017-2019. The questionnaire consisted of questions about sociodemographics, early feeding practices and current children's nutrition (e.g., use of AS and ASu, food frequency questionnaire). Multivariate logistic regression and cluster analyses were applied. Austrian mothers more often used AS than mothers from Poland (at 2 years old: 74.8% vs. 52.8%; at 3 years old 87.4% vs. 74.4%, p ≤ 0.001), however Polish mothers were more prone to use ASu (at 2 years old: 34.7% vs. 27.7%; at 3 years old: 59.0% vs. 45.8%, p ≤ 0.001). In younger toddlers (12-24 months), the odds of using of AS, ASu, and AS&Su increased with toddlers' age, when the mother was a multipara, was not currently breastfeeding, or had exclusively breastfed for 4-5 months. This risk decreased when older toddlers (25-36 months) were introduced to solids by baby-led weaning (BLW). Toddlers from both countries who consumed meals with AS or ASu more often a followed Western-like dietary pattern. Our study emphasizes the need for parental nutritional education when beginning to introduce solid foods.

Maternal concerns about immunization over 0-24 month children: a qualitative research.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to determine the concerns of mothers referred to health center in south Tehran, Iran about immunizing children aged 0-24 months. Data were collected using individual semi-structured interviews and analyzed using content analysis. The mothers' concerns over immunizing their children fell into 5 main categories: (1) "Factors that cause mothers' concerns," (2) "Factors that influence mothers' concerns," (3) "Information, education, and communication barriers," (4) "Informational/educational needs and sources," and (5) "The necessity of childhood vaccinations." According to study findings, mothers consider immunizing children important and they have enough trust in the health system. A deep understanding of maternal concerns about immunizing their children at 0-24 months allows nurses to reduce mothers' concerns by removing communication barriers and providing appropriate and adequate information.

Depressão em grávidas hipertensas: preocupações maternas durante a gestação / Depression in high blood pressure, pregnant women: maternal concerns during pregnancy

A gravidez constitui verdadeira fase de desenvolvimento da personalidade da mulher, caracterizada por várias transformações. Este estudo se propõe a verificar a incidência de transtornos depressivos na gravidez associada à hipertensão e correlacioná-lo com as preocupações maternas relacionadas à gestação. Foram realizadas entrevistas com 20 gestantes hipertensas e aplicados o Prime-MD.. Conclui-se que na gestação associada à hipertensão a gestante se depara com o medo concreto em relação a si própria e ao bebê, gerando preocupações com o parto; com possíveis deficiências do bebê; e com os riscos da gravidez. Isso consequentemente faz com que aumente o nível de estresse e predispõe a gestante ao aparecimento de transtornos depressivos.(AU)

Pregnancy constitutes the true development phase of a woman’s personality, and is characterized by certain transformations. This study aims to verify the incidence of depressive disorders during pregnancy associated with high blood pressure, and to correlate such incidence with maternal concerns related to pregnancy. Interviews with 20 expectant, high blood pressure mothers were first carried out, and the Prime - MD was applied. The conclusion was that pregnancy associated with high blood pressure causes tangible fear in the expecting mother relating to herself as well as to her baby; it generates concerns relating to the childbirth itself, to possible birth defects in the baby, and to risks during pregnancy. This consequently imposes an increase in the level of stress, and predisposes the pregnant mother to the onset of depressive disorders.(AU)