Rosemary White-traut | University of Illinois at Chicago (original) (raw)

Papers by Rosemary White-traut

Biology of the Neonate, 2000

Heart rate variability (HRV) reflects the complex interplay of the sympathetic and parasympatheti... more Heart rate variability (HRV) reflects the complex interplay of the sympathetic and parasympathetic innervation of the heart. Developmental maturation of the fetus and newborn results in predictable alterations in the neural cardiac control of heart rate. Furthermore, patterns of HRV are closely correlated to clinical outcome in several pathologic situations. The first aim of this study was to characterize the maturational patterns of HRV in a group of developmentally at-risk newborns (those with severe hemorrhagic or ischemic brain injury and extremely immature, low-birth-weight infants). Secondly, we sought to determine whether a correlation exists between HRV and length of hospital stay, diagnosis of cerebral palsy, and neurodevelopmental test scores at 1-year corrected age. Time domain indices of HRV were computed longitudinally from 32 to 37 weeks of corrected gestational age in 19 very low birth weight, preterm infants. Among the 19 infants studied, 7 infants had no evidence of brain injury, 7 infants had periventricular leukomalacia (PVL), 3 infants had grade III/IV intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), and 2 infants had both IVH and PVL. Neurologic injuries were documented using ultrasound and neurodevelopmental progress was followed through 1 year of corrected gestational age. A multivariate repeated measures analysis was performed to determine the relationship between the type of perinatal brain injury and neurodevelopmental status at 1 year of corrected gestational age. The type of perinatal brain injury was highly correlated to specific patterns of HRV with multivariate regression models producing adjusted r(2) values ranging from 0.63 to 0.99. The type of perinatal brain injury was highly correlated to the developmental outcome measures (p < 0.0000) with PVL patients having the lowest neurodevelopmental scores, IVH patients having the highest scores, and noninjured infants having midrange, grossly normal values. Using ANOVA, HRV was correlated to outcome, but individual comparisons revealed statistical significance only for the noninjured group (p < 0.04). However, multivariate models, which characterized outcome within each brain injury group, were highly significant (adjusted r (2) ranged from 0.23 to 0.89). In summary, the type of perinatal brain injury determined the pattern of HRV and HRV was highly correlated to length of hospital stay and neurodevelopmental function assessed at 1 year of corrected gestational age.

Oxytocin (OT) is a neuropeptide that is produced primarily in the hypothalamus and is best known ... more Oxytocin (OT) is a neuropeptide that is produced primarily in the hypothalamus and is best known for its role in mammalian birth and lactation. Recent evidence also implicates OT in social behaviors, including parental behavior, the formation of social bonds, and the man- agement of stressful experiences. OT is reactive to stressors, and plays a role in the regulation of

Objective. The purpose of this research was to detect cervical ripening with a new quantitative u... more Objective. The purpose of this research was to detect cervical ripening with a new quantitative ultra- sound technique. Methods. Cervices of 13 nonpregnant and 65 timed pregnant (days 15, 17, 19, 20, and 21 of pregnancy) Sprague Dawley rats were scanned ex vivo with a 70-MHz ultrasound trans- ducer. Ultrasound scatterer property estimates (scatterer diameter (SD), acoustic concentration (AC), and

Applied nursing research : ANR, 2015

To explore the relationships among psychosocial factors (optimism, uncertainty, social support, c... more To explore the relationships among psychosocial factors (optimism, uncertainty, social support, coping, psychological distress), biomarkers (cortisol, cytokines), preeclampsia, and preterm birth in African American women. Forty-nine pregnant African American women completed psychosocial questionnaires and had blood collected for biomarkers between 26 and 36 weeks of gestation. Birth outcomes were obtained from birth records. Women reporting higher levels of social support had lower levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-2, IL-5, and IL-6). Surprisingly, compared with low-risk pregnant women, women diagnosed with preeclampsia reported more optimism and less avoidance, and had lower levels of cortisol and IFN-γ. Similarly, compared to women with full-term birth, women with preterm birth reported higher levels of optimism and lower levels of avoidance, and had lower levels of IL-10. Psychosocial factors influence inflammation and pregnancy outcomes. Close assessment and monitoring of...

Newborn and Infant Nursing Reviews, 2002

Infant behavior & development, 2014

Although studies have examined the effects of interventions focused on preterm infants, few studi... more Although studies have examined the effects of interventions focused on preterm infants, few studies have examined the effects on maternal distress (anxiety, depressive symptoms, post-traumatic stress symptoms, parenting stress) or parenting. This study examined the effects of the auditory-tactile-visual-vestibular (ATVV) intervention and kangaroo care (KC) on maternal distress and the mother-infant relationship compared to an attention control group. 240 mothers from four hospitals were randomly assigned to the three groups. Maternal characteristics in the three groups were similar: 64.1% of ATVV mothers, 64.2% of KC mothers, and 76.5% of control mothers were African American; maternal age averaged 26.3 years for ATVV mothers, 28.1 for KC mothers, and 26.6 for control mothers; and years of education averaged 13.6 for ATVV and KC mothers, and 13.1 for control mothers. Mothers only differed on parity: 68.4% of ATVV and 54.7% of KC mothers were first-time mothers as compared to 43.6% o...

Research in Nursing & Health, 2003

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a multisensory intervention on the... more The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a multisensory intervention on the physical growth and health of Korean orphaned infants. Fifty-eight full-term infants were randomly assigned to a control (n ¼ 28) or an experimental (n ¼ 30) group within 14 days postbirth. In addition to receiving the routine orphanage care, infants in the experimental group received 15 min of auditory (female voice), tactile (massage), and visual (eye-to-eye contact) stimulation twice a day, 5 days a week, for 4 weeks. Compared to the control group, the experimental group had gained significantly more weight and had larger increases in length and head circumference after the 4-week intervention period and at 6 months of age. In addition, the experimental group had significantly fewer illnesses and clinic visits. These data demonstrate that multisensory intervention in conjunction with human/social contact may be effective in facilitating growth for newborn infants placed in orphanages. ß

Newborn and Infant Nursing Reviews, 2009

Noise is considered a potential source of stress in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU); yet,... more Noise is considered a potential source of stress in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU); yet, it is unknown how preterm infants habituate to sound in the NICU. Heart rate responses to sound were evaluated in 12 preterm infants from 32 weeks' gestational age through hospital discharge. Heart rate response changes to auditory stimuli were recorded for 10 habituation and 10 dishabituation trials. Significant heart rate deceleration began to appear by 34 weeks postconceptional age. With weeks 32 to 38 combined, a significant response was noted for the novel response. Responses differed significantly for weeks 34, 35, and 36. Infants at 36 weeks had a significant heart rate response at T17 to T20, suggesting anticipation of a third stimulus. Infants with higher Apgar 5 scores had smaller heart rate responses. Findings suggest that preterm infants, especially those with lower Apgar scores, may be vulnerable to larger heart rate changes in response to sound and may require additional consideration.

Newborn and Infant Nursing Reviews, 2012

Although sensitive maternal behaviors improve later quality of mother-infant interaction and subs... more Although sensitive maternal behaviors improve later quality of mother-infant interaction and subsequently infant development, little is known regarding how an intervention might promote early premature infant social interactive behavior. This study compared the frequency of premature infant engagement and disengagement behaviors during two maternally administered interventions, the multisensory auditory, tactile, visual, and vestibular intervention (ATVV) and kangaroo care for 26 infants between 31 and 46 weeks postmenstrual age. The ATVV intervention elicited more disengagement (M = 24 vs 12, P = .0003), trended toward more engagement (M = 21 vs 15.7, P = .06) and more potent engagement (M = 24 vs 12, P = .0003), subtle disengagement (M = 25 vs 11.9, P b .0001), and potent disengagement (M = 22.9 vs 14, P = .006) behaviors than did kangaroo care. The ATVV intervention may be an intervention to promote the infant's learning how to regulate engagement and disengagement behaviors.

Newborn and Infant Nursing Reviews, 2012

Anxiety is heightened for mothers of premature infants, potentially interfering with early mother... more Anxiety is heightened for mothers of premature infants, potentially interfering with early mothering. This study describes relationships among race/ethnicity, language, and anxiety for women at social-environmental risk who deliver a premature infant. Postnatal baseline interview data from a randomized trial testing a behavioral intervention for mothers and infants (29-34 weeks gestational age) were used to examine maternal state (STAI-Y1) and trait (STAI-Y2) anxiety among blacks and Latinas, and by language preference. Latinas (n = 97) had an elevated prevalence of high (≥ 40) state anxiety compared to blacks (n = 97), with Latinas preferring a Spanish to an English interview reporting the highest levels of state anxiety. Trait anxiety did not differ across groups. Culturally appropriate interventions are needed to reduce anxiety among Latina mothers delivering premature infants, especially among those with limited English language proficiency. A racially/ethnically diverse workforce, bilingual healthcare providers, and trained medical interpreters may help to ensure better outcomes.

Journal of Pediatric Nursing, 2014

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of postconceptional age and voice type (male... more The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of postconceptional age and voice type (male and female) on heart rate, respiratory rate, and oxygen saturation of preterm infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Nineteen preterm infants born 31 weeks of gestation heard male and female voices on a weekly basis and their physiologic responses were recorded while hearing each voices. Results revealed that infants responded to the male voice with decreased HR as they grew older. Male voices, including the father's voice, can be considered an auditory stimulus for young preterm infants in the NICU.

Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, & Neonatal Nursing, 2010

Keywords epidural birth labor infant neonatal neurobehavioral organization nutritive sucking beha... more Keywords epidural birth labor infant neonatal neurobehavioral organization nutritive sucking behavioral state gender race/ethnicity ABSTRACT Objective: To explore relationships between maternal epidural analgesia and two measures of neurobehavioral organization in infants at the initial feeding 1 hour after birth.

Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, & Neonatal Nursing, 2009

Journal of Midwifery & Women's Health, 2010

The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 2008

Objective: This research examined the relationship between plasma oxytocin (OT), arginine vasopre... more Objective: This research examined the relationship between plasma oxytocin (OT), arginine vasopressin (AVP), cortisol, and anxiety before, during, and after a massage in healthy adult men.

Developmental Psychobiology, 2009

Oxytocin is a neuropeptide with widespread influence on many physiological and social functions i... more Oxytocin is a neuropeptide with widespread influence on many physiological and social functions including: labor and birth, lactation, sexual behavior, nurturing maternal behaviors, and stress reduction. However, our understanding of oxytocin's roles has been hampered by lack of noninvasive methods for assessing oxytocin levels. The goal of the present study was to assess whether oxytocin could be detected in saliva and whether changes occurred in the pattern of oxytocin release among lactating women from before, at initiaton and after breast feeding. Using a prospective repeated measures design, 11 research participants each provided 18 saliva samples during three feeding cycles (before, at initiation and after breast feeding) for two 24-hour data collection periods . Within each day, saliva was collected at late evening, early morning, and late morning. Salivary samples were concentrated four-fold by dehydration prior to analysis and oxytocin was measured in saliva using an enzyme immunoassay (EIA). Salivary oxytocin values, when reconverted to their original levels, ranged from 6.44 -61.05 pg/ml. Oxytocin values in saliva varied significantly as a function of the breast feeding cycle, but did not show reliable differences as a function of the time of feeding. Oxytocin was highest before feeding, followed by a decrease at initiation of feeding, and an increase at 30 minutes after feeding. The findings suggest that oxytocin release into saliva increases in anticipation of feedings. This study also supports the potential usefulness of salivary measures of oxytocin as a noninvasive index of changes in this peptide.

Biological Research For Nursing, 2012

Newborn alertness soon after birth facilitates mother-infant interaction and may be related to um... more Newborn alertness soon after birth facilitates mother-infant interaction and may be related to umbilical cortisol levels. Yet, little is known about whether epidural analgesia influences umbilical cortisol at birth. The aims of this study were to explore relationships between exposure to epidural analgesia and maternal and umbilical cortisol; maternal and umbilical cortisol levels at birth; and umbilical cortisol and infant alertness after birth. Forty women were self-selected to unmedicated or epidural labors in this pilot study. Maternal saliva and infant umbilical artery (UA) plasma at birth were enzyme immunoassayed for cortisol. Infant alertness was assessed nearly 1 hr after birth. Maternal cortisol was higher in the unmedicated versus epidural group (p = .003). Umbilical cortisol was not related to epidural analgesia exposure but was related to duration of labor (higher cortisol with longer labors; p = .026). Maternal cortisol level explained 55% of the variance in umbilical cortisol in the unmedicated group (p = .002), but there was no significant shared variance in the epidural sample (p = .776). There was a positive correlation (r(2) = .17, p = .008) between umbilical cortisol and infant alertness. Latina infants demonstrated a higher frequency of alertness than Black infants. In multivariate analysis, umbilical cortisol (p = .049) and race/ethnicity (p = .024) remained significant predictors of infant alertness. Our findings indicate that higher umbilical cortisol is related to greater infant alertness soon after birth. While epidural analgesia did not directly relate to infant cortisol, other factors contributed to higher umbilical cortisol.

Archives of Women's Mental Health, 2014

Most Thai women continue to work throughout their pregnancy; however, little is known about job s... more Most Thai women continue to work throughout their pregnancy; however, little is known about job strain and its relation to psychological distress. This study aimed to examine: (1) the direct effects of job strain, perceived workplace support, perceived family support, and coping strategies on psychological distress and (2) the moderating effect of perceived workplace support, perceived family support, and coping strategies on the relationship between job strain and psychological distress. Lazarus and Folkman's transactional model of stress and coping guided this cross-sectional study.

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 2007

Oxytocin (OT) is a neuropeptide that is produced primarily in the hypothalamus and is best known ... more Oxytocin (OT) is a neuropeptide that is produced primarily in the hypothalamus and is best known for its role in mammalian birth and lactation. Recent evidence also implicates OT in social behaviors, including parental behavior, the formation of social bonds, and the management of stressful experiences. OT is reactive to stressors, and plays a role in the regulation of both the central and autonomic nervous system, including effects on immune and cardiovascular function. Knowledge of patterns of OT release would be of value in many fields of science and medicine. However, measurements of OT concentration in blood are infrequently performed, and previous attempts to measure OT in saliva have been unsuccessful. Using a sensitive enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and concentrated samples we were able to detect reproducible changes in salivary OT as a function of lactation and massage. These results indicate that measurements of biologically relevant changes in salivary OT are possible. These results confirm the biological relevance of changes in salivary OT with stressors and support saliva as a noninvasive source to monitor central neuroendocrine function.

American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2005

OBJECTIVE: The objective was to determine whether the ultrasound insertion loss (IL) measures cou... more OBJECTIVE: The objective was to determine whether the ultrasound insertion loss (IL) measures could detect cervical ripening. Insertion loss is a measure of ultrasound energy loss (attenuation) that results when a sample is inserted into the ultrasound beam relative to when the sample is not present.

Biology of the Neonate, 2000

Heart rate variability (HRV) reflects the complex interplay of the sympathetic and parasympatheti... more Heart rate variability (HRV) reflects the complex interplay of the sympathetic and parasympathetic innervation of the heart. Developmental maturation of the fetus and newborn results in predictable alterations in the neural cardiac control of heart rate. Furthermore, patterns of HRV are closely correlated to clinical outcome in several pathologic situations. The first aim of this study was to characterize the maturational patterns of HRV in a group of developmentally at-risk newborns (those with severe hemorrhagic or ischemic brain injury and extremely immature, low-birth-weight infants). Secondly, we sought to determine whether a correlation exists between HRV and length of hospital stay, diagnosis of cerebral palsy, and neurodevelopmental test scores at 1-year corrected age. Time domain indices of HRV were computed longitudinally from 32 to 37 weeks of corrected gestational age in 19 very low birth weight, preterm infants. Among the 19 infants studied, 7 infants had no evidence of brain injury, 7 infants had periventricular leukomalacia (PVL), 3 infants had grade III/IV intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), and 2 infants had both IVH and PVL. Neurologic injuries were documented using ultrasound and neurodevelopmental progress was followed through 1 year of corrected gestational age. A multivariate repeated measures analysis was performed to determine the relationship between the type of perinatal brain injury and neurodevelopmental status at 1 year of corrected gestational age. The type of perinatal brain injury was highly correlated to specific patterns of HRV with multivariate regression models producing adjusted r(2) values ranging from 0.63 to 0.99. The type of perinatal brain injury was highly correlated to the developmental outcome measures (p < 0.0000) with PVL patients having the lowest neurodevelopmental scores, IVH patients having the highest scores, and noninjured infants having midrange, grossly normal values. Using ANOVA, HRV was correlated to outcome, but individual comparisons revealed statistical significance only for the noninjured group (p < 0.04). However, multivariate models, which characterized outcome within each brain injury group, were highly significant (adjusted r (2) ranged from 0.23 to 0.89). In summary, the type of perinatal brain injury determined the pattern of HRV and HRV was highly correlated to length of hospital stay and neurodevelopmental function assessed at 1 year of corrected gestational age.

Oxytocin (OT) is a neuropeptide that is produced primarily in the hypothalamus and is best known ... more Oxytocin (OT) is a neuropeptide that is produced primarily in the hypothalamus and is best known for its role in mammalian birth and lactation. Recent evidence also implicates OT in social behaviors, including parental behavior, the formation of social bonds, and the man- agement of stressful experiences. OT is reactive to stressors, and plays a role in the regulation of

Objective. The purpose of this research was to detect cervical ripening with a new quantitative u... more Objective. The purpose of this research was to detect cervical ripening with a new quantitative ultra- sound technique. Methods. Cervices of 13 nonpregnant and 65 timed pregnant (days 15, 17, 19, 20, and 21 of pregnancy) Sprague Dawley rats were scanned ex vivo with a 70-MHz ultrasound trans- ducer. Ultrasound scatterer property estimates (scatterer diameter (SD), acoustic concentration (AC), and

Applied nursing research : ANR, 2015

To explore the relationships among psychosocial factors (optimism, uncertainty, social support, c... more To explore the relationships among psychosocial factors (optimism, uncertainty, social support, coping, psychological distress), biomarkers (cortisol, cytokines), preeclampsia, and preterm birth in African American women. Forty-nine pregnant African American women completed psychosocial questionnaires and had blood collected for biomarkers between 26 and 36 weeks of gestation. Birth outcomes were obtained from birth records. Women reporting higher levels of social support had lower levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-2, IL-5, and IL-6). Surprisingly, compared with low-risk pregnant women, women diagnosed with preeclampsia reported more optimism and less avoidance, and had lower levels of cortisol and IFN-γ. Similarly, compared to women with full-term birth, women with preterm birth reported higher levels of optimism and lower levels of avoidance, and had lower levels of IL-10. Psychosocial factors influence inflammation and pregnancy outcomes. Close assessment and monitoring of...

Newborn and Infant Nursing Reviews, 2002

Infant behavior & development, 2014

Although studies have examined the effects of interventions focused on preterm infants, few studi... more Although studies have examined the effects of interventions focused on preterm infants, few studies have examined the effects on maternal distress (anxiety, depressive symptoms, post-traumatic stress symptoms, parenting stress) or parenting. This study examined the effects of the auditory-tactile-visual-vestibular (ATVV) intervention and kangaroo care (KC) on maternal distress and the mother-infant relationship compared to an attention control group. 240 mothers from four hospitals were randomly assigned to the three groups. Maternal characteristics in the three groups were similar: 64.1% of ATVV mothers, 64.2% of KC mothers, and 76.5% of control mothers were African American; maternal age averaged 26.3 years for ATVV mothers, 28.1 for KC mothers, and 26.6 for control mothers; and years of education averaged 13.6 for ATVV and KC mothers, and 13.1 for control mothers. Mothers only differed on parity: 68.4% of ATVV and 54.7% of KC mothers were first-time mothers as compared to 43.6% o...

Research in Nursing & Health, 2003

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a multisensory intervention on the... more The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a multisensory intervention on the physical growth and health of Korean orphaned infants. Fifty-eight full-term infants were randomly assigned to a control (n ¼ 28) or an experimental (n ¼ 30) group within 14 days postbirth. In addition to receiving the routine orphanage care, infants in the experimental group received 15 min of auditory (female voice), tactile (massage), and visual (eye-to-eye contact) stimulation twice a day, 5 days a week, for 4 weeks. Compared to the control group, the experimental group had gained significantly more weight and had larger increases in length and head circumference after the 4-week intervention period and at 6 months of age. In addition, the experimental group had significantly fewer illnesses and clinic visits. These data demonstrate that multisensory intervention in conjunction with human/social contact may be effective in facilitating growth for newborn infants placed in orphanages. ß

Newborn and Infant Nursing Reviews, 2009

Noise is considered a potential source of stress in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU); yet,... more Noise is considered a potential source of stress in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU); yet, it is unknown how preterm infants habituate to sound in the NICU. Heart rate responses to sound were evaluated in 12 preterm infants from 32 weeks' gestational age through hospital discharge. Heart rate response changes to auditory stimuli were recorded for 10 habituation and 10 dishabituation trials. Significant heart rate deceleration began to appear by 34 weeks postconceptional age. With weeks 32 to 38 combined, a significant response was noted for the novel response. Responses differed significantly for weeks 34, 35, and 36. Infants at 36 weeks had a significant heart rate response at T17 to T20, suggesting anticipation of a third stimulus. Infants with higher Apgar 5 scores had smaller heart rate responses. Findings suggest that preterm infants, especially those with lower Apgar scores, may be vulnerable to larger heart rate changes in response to sound and may require additional consideration.

Newborn and Infant Nursing Reviews, 2012

Although sensitive maternal behaviors improve later quality of mother-infant interaction and subs... more Although sensitive maternal behaviors improve later quality of mother-infant interaction and subsequently infant development, little is known regarding how an intervention might promote early premature infant social interactive behavior. This study compared the frequency of premature infant engagement and disengagement behaviors during two maternally administered interventions, the multisensory auditory, tactile, visual, and vestibular intervention (ATVV) and kangaroo care for 26 infants between 31 and 46 weeks postmenstrual age. The ATVV intervention elicited more disengagement (M = 24 vs 12, P = .0003), trended toward more engagement (M = 21 vs 15.7, P = .06) and more potent engagement (M = 24 vs 12, P = .0003), subtle disengagement (M = 25 vs 11.9, P b .0001), and potent disengagement (M = 22.9 vs 14, P = .006) behaviors than did kangaroo care. The ATVV intervention may be an intervention to promote the infant's learning how to regulate engagement and disengagement behaviors.

Newborn and Infant Nursing Reviews, 2012

Anxiety is heightened for mothers of premature infants, potentially interfering with early mother... more Anxiety is heightened for mothers of premature infants, potentially interfering with early mothering. This study describes relationships among race/ethnicity, language, and anxiety for women at social-environmental risk who deliver a premature infant. Postnatal baseline interview data from a randomized trial testing a behavioral intervention for mothers and infants (29-34 weeks gestational age) were used to examine maternal state (STAI-Y1) and trait (STAI-Y2) anxiety among blacks and Latinas, and by language preference. Latinas (n = 97) had an elevated prevalence of high (≥ 40) state anxiety compared to blacks (n = 97), with Latinas preferring a Spanish to an English interview reporting the highest levels of state anxiety. Trait anxiety did not differ across groups. Culturally appropriate interventions are needed to reduce anxiety among Latina mothers delivering premature infants, especially among those with limited English language proficiency. A racially/ethnically diverse workforce, bilingual healthcare providers, and trained medical interpreters may help to ensure better outcomes.

Journal of Pediatric Nursing, 2014

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of postconceptional age and voice type (male... more The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of postconceptional age and voice type (male and female) on heart rate, respiratory rate, and oxygen saturation of preterm infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Nineteen preterm infants born 31 weeks of gestation heard male and female voices on a weekly basis and their physiologic responses were recorded while hearing each voices. Results revealed that infants responded to the male voice with decreased HR as they grew older. Male voices, including the father's voice, can be considered an auditory stimulus for young preterm infants in the NICU.

Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, & Neonatal Nursing, 2010

Keywords epidural birth labor infant neonatal neurobehavioral organization nutritive sucking beha... more Keywords epidural birth labor infant neonatal neurobehavioral organization nutritive sucking behavioral state gender race/ethnicity ABSTRACT Objective: To explore relationships between maternal epidural analgesia and two measures of neurobehavioral organization in infants at the initial feeding 1 hour after birth.

Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, & Neonatal Nursing, 2009

Journal of Midwifery & Women's Health, 2010

The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 2008

Objective: This research examined the relationship between plasma oxytocin (OT), arginine vasopre... more Objective: This research examined the relationship between plasma oxytocin (OT), arginine vasopressin (AVP), cortisol, and anxiety before, during, and after a massage in healthy adult men.

Developmental Psychobiology, 2009

Oxytocin is a neuropeptide with widespread influence on many physiological and social functions i... more Oxytocin is a neuropeptide with widespread influence on many physiological and social functions including: labor and birth, lactation, sexual behavior, nurturing maternal behaviors, and stress reduction. However, our understanding of oxytocin's roles has been hampered by lack of noninvasive methods for assessing oxytocin levels. The goal of the present study was to assess whether oxytocin could be detected in saliva and whether changes occurred in the pattern of oxytocin release among lactating women from before, at initiaton and after breast feeding. Using a prospective repeated measures design, 11 research participants each provided 18 saliva samples during three feeding cycles (before, at initiation and after breast feeding) for two 24-hour data collection periods . Within each day, saliva was collected at late evening, early morning, and late morning. Salivary samples were concentrated four-fold by dehydration prior to analysis and oxytocin was measured in saliva using an enzyme immunoassay (EIA). Salivary oxytocin values, when reconverted to their original levels, ranged from 6.44 -61.05 pg/ml. Oxytocin values in saliva varied significantly as a function of the breast feeding cycle, but did not show reliable differences as a function of the time of feeding. Oxytocin was highest before feeding, followed by a decrease at initiation of feeding, and an increase at 30 minutes after feeding. The findings suggest that oxytocin release into saliva increases in anticipation of feedings. This study also supports the potential usefulness of salivary measures of oxytocin as a noninvasive index of changes in this peptide.

Biological Research For Nursing, 2012

Newborn alertness soon after birth facilitates mother-infant interaction and may be related to um... more Newborn alertness soon after birth facilitates mother-infant interaction and may be related to umbilical cortisol levels. Yet, little is known about whether epidural analgesia influences umbilical cortisol at birth. The aims of this study were to explore relationships between exposure to epidural analgesia and maternal and umbilical cortisol; maternal and umbilical cortisol levels at birth; and umbilical cortisol and infant alertness after birth. Forty women were self-selected to unmedicated or epidural labors in this pilot study. Maternal saliva and infant umbilical artery (UA) plasma at birth were enzyme immunoassayed for cortisol. Infant alertness was assessed nearly 1 hr after birth. Maternal cortisol was higher in the unmedicated versus epidural group (p = .003). Umbilical cortisol was not related to epidural analgesia exposure but was related to duration of labor (higher cortisol with longer labors; p = .026). Maternal cortisol level explained 55% of the variance in umbilical cortisol in the unmedicated group (p = .002), but there was no significant shared variance in the epidural sample (p = .776). There was a positive correlation (r(2) = .17, p = .008) between umbilical cortisol and infant alertness. Latina infants demonstrated a higher frequency of alertness than Black infants. In multivariate analysis, umbilical cortisol (p = .049) and race/ethnicity (p = .024) remained significant predictors of infant alertness. Our findings indicate that higher umbilical cortisol is related to greater infant alertness soon after birth. While epidural analgesia did not directly relate to infant cortisol, other factors contributed to higher umbilical cortisol.

Archives of Women's Mental Health, 2014

Most Thai women continue to work throughout their pregnancy; however, little is known about job s... more Most Thai women continue to work throughout their pregnancy; however, little is known about job strain and its relation to psychological distress. This study aimed to examine: (1) the direct effects of job strain, perceived workplace support, perceived family support, and coping strategies on psychological distress and (2) the moderating effect of perceived workplace support, perceived family support, and coping strategies on the relationship between job strain and psychological distress. Lazarus and Folkman's transactional model of stress and coping guided this cross-sectional study.

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 2007

Oxytocin (OT) is a neuropeptide that is produced primarily in the hypothalamus and is best known ... more Oxytocin (OT) is a neuropeptide that is produced primarily in the hypothalamus and is best known for its role in mammalian birth and lactation. Recent evidence also implicates OT in social behaviors, including parental behavior, the formation of social bonds, and the management of stressful experiences. OT is reactive to stressors, and plays a role in the regulation of both the central and autonomic nervous system, including effects on immune and cardiovascular function. Knowledge of patterns of OT release would be of value in many fields of science and medicine. However, measurements of OT concentration in blood are infrequently performed, and previous attempts to measure OT in saliva have been unsuccessful. Using a sensitive enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and concentrated samples we were able to detect reproducible changes in salivary OT as a function of lactation and massage. These results indicate that measurements of biologically relevant changes in salivary OT are possible. These results confirm the biological relevance of changes in salivary OT with stressors and support saliva as a noninvasive source to monitor central neuroendocrine function.

American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2005

OBJECTIVE: The objective was to determine whether the ultrasound insertion loss (IL) measures cou... more OBJECTIVE: The objective was to determine whether the ultrasound insertion loss (IL) measures could detect cervical ripening. Insertion loss is a measure of ultrasound energy loss (attenuation) that results when a sample is inserted into the ultrasound beam relative to when the sample is not present.