Clinical Research Directory

The Effect of Watching Cat Videos on Non-Stress Test Results And Stress Parameters in Pregnant Women

Pregnancy is a period in which women are physiologically and psychologically vulnerable, and the stress experienced can affect both maternal mental health and fetal well-being. The non-stress test (NST), used to assess fetal health in the final weeks of pregnancy, can cause anxiety in some women because it requires the mother to remain supine and immobile for extended periods. Prolonged testing or non-reactive results can also increase this stress. Therefore, simple methods are needed to reduce stress during NST. Humorous and cute content, especially animal videos, is known to promote positive emotions and psychological relaxation. This study evaluated the effects of watching cat videos during NST on stress levels and fetal physiological parameters in primiparous pregnant women.

Early Life Malnutrition, Environmental Enteric Dysfunction and Microbiome Trajectories

Malnutrition in women of reproductive age remains a public health concern in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Malnutrition during pregnancy affects foetal growth with a tendency of the exposed infants to also develop it. The interaction of the mother with the infant shapes the seeding and the trajectory of the infant intestinal microbiota which is crucial for development of a healthy immune system Malnutrition has been associated with intestinal inflammation, intestinal leakage and reduced calorie absorption. Early life malnutrition and environmental enteric dysfunction (EED) immunopathology remains poorly described in the context of mother-infant dyads. This is essential as malnutrition, poor water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), including the presence of infectious diseases limit the developmental potential of the exposed infants in SSA, including Zimbabwe. In addition, maternal stress and poor mental health may also affect standard hygiene practices, including how a mother cares for her baby, potentially aggravating EED and the risk of the infant being malnourished. Primary outcomes 1. Infant malnutrition and recovery. 2. Gut dysfunction (gut inflammation, leaky gut, malabsorption, dysbiosis) 3. Diarrhea episodes, defined as any episode of acute diarrhoea (≥3 passages of loose stool within 24 hours as reported by the mother) occurring before the next study visit. Definition of malnutrition outcomes to be assessed in babies born to malnourished women, is a mid- upper arm circumference (MUAC) \<23cm; * MUAC for age: Malnourished defined as those below -2 standard (SD) of the World Health Organisation (WHO) reference * Weight-for-age: Underweight defined as those below -2SD WHO reference * Weight-for-height: Wasted defined as those below -2SD WHO reference * Height-for-age: Stunted defined as those below -2SD WHO reference * Z-scores (as they are i.e. a continuous variable, taking age of infants into account) * A composite variable, any of malnourished, underweight, wasted or stunted.

Impact of Vitamin D Supplements on Mental Health and Milk Composition in Mothers Living in Idaho

Mothers of preterm infants experience exaggerated emotional stressors compared to those typically associated with new motherhood, making these women particularly vulnerable to postpartum depression. As many as 70% of mothers of preterm infants experience postpartum depression compared to only 12.5% of those delivering full-term infants. Increased stress and depression during this critical period are detrimental because they hamper a mother's ability to care for her infant and are associated with increased neonatal sepsis and mortality, decreased neonatal growth, and delayed motor and cognitive development. Postpartum depression is also associated with excessive maternal weight gain and risk for metabolic diseases, anxiety, and sleep disturbances. Stress in breastfeeding mothers can also alter circulating concentrations of some bioactive components (e.g., immunoglobulins, cortisol) that can transfer into milk. As such, understanding factors predisposing these vulnerable women to extreme levels of stress and finding ways to lower this stress and lessen its negative health outcomes on mothers and infants are important public health challenges. The March of Dimes estimates that 8.5% of births in Idaho are preterm, making this topic particularly relevant for Idaho women. Risk factors for postpartum depression in mothers delivering term or preterm infants are complex, but maternal nutrient deficiencies may be involved. Vitamin D status, for instance, is inversely correlated with risk of postpartum depression in women delivering term infants. However, vitamin D interventions have yielded inconsistent results, perhaps due to confounding impacts of geographic location, skin color, and endogenous vitamin D synthesis. Endogenous vitamin D synthesis requires cutaneous sunlight exposure, placing Idaho women at even greater risk of vitamin D deficiency - particularly in the winter when days are extremely short (only 7 hr on the winter solstice). The impact of maternal vitamin D supplementation during lactation on infant variables (e.g., vitamin D status) has been examined. However, its effect on maternal mental health has not been rigorously studied - let alone in the 'frontier and remote' (FAR) rural West, including Idaho, with short periods of wintertime sunlight and poor access to healthcare. Our long term goal is to develop interventions to improve maternal and infant health in Idaho - particularly in the context of preterm births. The overall primary objective of this proposal is to determine if maternal vitamin D supplementation improves vitamin D status and mental health in Idahoan mothers of preterm infants. Our central hypothesis is that vitamin D supplementation improves vitamin D status and reduces stress and other indicators of poor postpartum maternal mental health in Idaho women delivering preterm infants. Secondarily, we will assess the effects of maternal vitamin D supplementation on human milk composition.