Objective: Mothers are exposed to various functional food components, including probiotics, which have a direct effect on the quality of their breast milk. Probiotics enhance the microbial composition of breast milk, making it more beneficial for the infant’s gut health. This study aimed to explore the extent of knowledge and dietary practices on probiotics among low- to middle-income healthy Filipino mothers in an urban area. Methods: Data was gathered using three focus group discussions (FGD) participated in by low- to middle-income healthy Filipino mothers residing in Barangays West Rembo and Rizal in Makati City, Philippines. Prior to the FGD, preliminary interviews of selected participants and market surveys were done to determine the food items to be included in the FGD questionnaire. Results: A total of 19 mothers participated in the FGDs. The most common probiotic sources identified were yogurt, fermented milk product (Yakult), miso and tausi. The most consumed probiotic source was fermented milk product (94.7% of participants), at least once a month; followed by powdered milk (78.9%), consumed daily. The most commonly reported influence for consumption of these food items was advertisements from television (89.5%). About 53% of the participants related probiotics to better digestion and increased immunity as heard from advertisements and through counselling by physicians. When asked to elaborate on how probiotics influence digestion and immunity, almost all participants had difficulty explaining the benefits. Conclusion Although majority of the participants consumed food sources of probiotics, they had limited knowledge on its other non-food sources and benefits. In addition, the consumed food source was confined to the food item that was most advertised on television. Thus, there is a need for health and nutrition experts to exert a stronger influence in the community by disseminating information regarding probiotics.
Probiotics ; Maternal Health ; Infant Health ; Infant nutrition

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of sensory stimulation therapy on the physical growth and behaviors of infants accommodated at two Korean orphanages. METHOD: Thirty-eight full term infants were assigned to a control (n=20) or an experimental (n=18) group within 14 days of birth. In addition to routine orphanage care, infants in the experimental group received 15 minutes of massage twice a day, 5 days a week for 4 weeks. RESULT: 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. In addition, the experimental group showed significantly better behavioral performance in the scoring of habituation (e.g., light), motor (e.g., motor maturity), and state range (e.g., peak of excitement, rapidity of build-up) behavioral clusters of Brazelton's NBAS. CONCLUSION: These data demonstrate that sensory stimulation therapy may facilitate the physical and behavioral development of the newborn infants placed in the orphanages.
Head ; Humans ; Infant* ; Infant, Newborn ; Massage ; Orphanages ; Parturition ; Child Health

PURPOSE: Many studies have reported the merits of breastfeeding, and increasing efforts are made to encourage breastfeeding for preterm babies. Recently, YouTube is being increasingly used as a source of medical information. We evaluated the quality of information provided on YouTube on breastfeeding for preterm babies.METHODS: On June 20, 2018, we performed a YouTube search using four terms related to breastfeeding for preterm babies. Of the 355 videos in the first five pages, 78 were analyzed; videos with irrelevant content (n=200), duplicated material (n=71), and those using another (non-Korean) language (n=6) were excluded. Videos were classified according to upload source and usefulness, and were evaluated based on reliability and quality.RESULTS: Medical websites or TV channels (46.2%) and physicians or hospitals (12.8 %) were the most and least common upload sources, respectively. The usefulness of the information was rated the highest in physician or hospital-uploaded videos (70.0%). The reliability of the physician or hospital-uploaded (2.70±1.42) and medical website or TV channel-uploaded (2.91±1.42) videos were statistically significant. The highest proportion of good quality videos (≥good) (60.0%) comprised physician or hospital-uploaded videos. Of the videos evaluated, 44.9% were useful. The highest proportion of useful videos comprised those uploaded by medical websites or TV channels (68.6%). The highest proportion of non-useful videos comprised civilian videos (80.8%).CONCLUSION: Physician or hospital-uploaded videos were more useful and had excellent reliability and quality; however, these had the least amount of information. Development of educational programs by experts that can be accessed by public through popular platforms like YouTube is necessary.
Breast Feeding ; Health Education ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Internet

PURPOSE: This study was done to examine the importance of health promotion behavior for infants and toddlers as perceived by mothers of children in early childhood, and graduate students in nursing and to provide information for health promotion in early childhood. METHODS: This study was a cross-sectional survey research study. The participants were 91 mothers of children in early childhood, and 115 graduate students in nursing. RESULTS: The comparisons showed that graduate students in nursing reported higher perception of the importance health promotion behavior for infants and toddlers than did the mothers. In health promotion behavior, the highest score was in the category of safety. CONCLUSION: Providing information by nurses is necessary to promote health promotion behavior for mothers of children in early childhood. Therefore, it is important for healthcare professionals to develop effective programs for these mothers who want to promote good health promotion behavior in their children.
Child ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Delivery of Health Care ; Health Behavior ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Infant ; Mothers ; Child Health

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was 1) analyze the current state of Sanhojoriwon; and 2) to suggest the new model for the community based mother infants health care delivery system: strategies of TMIC are related to Public Health policy, cost-effectiveness, mother infant care provision of medical professionalism, and so on. METHOD: Forty-seven workers from seventeen Sanhojoriwon participated to analyze several aspects of Sanhojoriwon. Using a questionnaire developed at Korean Sanhojori Research Forum (KSARF), such as the traditional and medical concept of the Sanhojori, postpartum care, Korean traditional postpartum care, job description on women and infant care at Sanhojoriwon, professional management, health care policy and the educational need. RESULTS: Based on the descriptive study results, the TMIC, the community based transitional mother infants care center was suggested as a new model for the cyclic public health care system related on the reproductive health, using an already existing related center, Sanhojoriwon. Also, several strategies were presented on the TMIC.
Delivery of Health Care ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant Care* ; Infant* ; Infant, Newborn ; Job Description ; Mothers* ; Postnatal Care ; Public Health ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Reproductive Health ; Women's Health

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of structured nursing intervention for caregivers on maintenance of intravenous (IV) infusions in infants. METHODS: The structured nursing intervention was developed through the processes of interviews with nurses from pediatric wards. To identify the effects of the developed nursing intervention, a non-synchronized non-equivalent control group pretest-posttest design study was conducted with caregivers from the pediatric ward from a hospital in Seoul. Of 100 admitted infants, 50 caregivers were assigned to the intervention group and received the structured nursing intervention for maintenance of intravenous infusions in infants. The others were assigned control group and received routine care. Data were collected on patient factors, IV insertion factors, treatments, and IV related complications. The form developed for the structured nursing intervention was used by staff nurses. RESULTS: Compared to the control group, IV insertion frequency in experimental group infants was significantly lower and IV related complications decreased (p<.05). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the structured nursing intervention for caregivers on maintenance of intravenous infusions may have effects on maintenance of intravenous infusions in infants, and decreasing IV related complications. This nursing intervention can be used to improve IV related problems of admitted infants.
Caregivers ; Humans ; Infant ; Infusions, Intravenous ; Child Health

OBJECTIVES: With increasing emphasis being placed on early interventions for health promotion, early dental visits to prevent early childhood caries have been receiving more attention. Infant oral health examinations have been implemented as a component of early health examination in South Korea, but there is a lack of research on its effectiveness. This study aimed to estimate the effectiveness of infant and toddler oral health examinations by performing economic analyses of infant health examinations and dental treatment costs after examinations. METHODS: The analyses were conducted using the National Health Insurance Service claims data. Subjects included in this study were children who had undergone their “3(rd) infant oral health examination (54-65 months)” between 2010 and 2014. To estimate dental treatment costs over the five years, four retrospective cohorts were evaluated, which included a total of 256,965 subjects. The direct medical costs following infant oral health examinations were calculated over five years (including only costs from health insurance claims), and the effects of infant oral health examinations were compared. RESULTS: Although the rate of infant oral health examinations showed a persistently increasing trend, differences were observed according to the type of health insurance. Children who underwent infant oral health examinations showed a higher number of visits to the dentist, but lower dental treatment costs compared with children who did not undergo examinations. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirmed, from an economic perspective, the effects of policy interventions that emphasize the necessity of early intervention and a life-course health management strategy, based on the concept that oral health is not determined at specific time points, but rather is determined by the accumulation of exposure to various factors over the course of life.
Child ; Cohort Studies ; Dentists ; Diagnosis, Oral* ; Early Intervention (Education) ; Health Care Costs ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Infant Health ; Infant* ; Insurance, Health ; Korea ; National Health Programs ; Oral Health ; Retrospective Studies

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine levels of knowledge, attitude towards infant oral health, and related health behavior of parents. METHODS: The sample consisted of 380 parents who were providing care for a child ranging in age from 11 to 16 months. RESULTS: Participants obtained information on infant oral health via the internet, infant care books, and friends. While showing the correct attitude towards infant oral health, the parents were ill-informed regarding infant oral health and engaged in low levels of appropriate health behavior. There were statistically significant differences in infant oral health knowledge according to parents age, education, income, and age of infant. Attitude towards infant oral health was significantly different according to parents education and income. Also, there were significant differences in health behavior practice for infant oral health according to parents age, income, caregiver, and infant age. A significant positive relationship was found between knowledge and attitude to infant oral health. CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate that for maintenance and improvement of infant oral health, the parents and caregivers of infants should be provided with information and specific methods for infant oral health care.
Caregivers ; Child ; Education ; Friends ; Health Behavior* ; Humans ; Infant Care ; Infant* ; Internet ; Oral Health* ; Parents*

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Child Health Services ; Community Health Services ; Infant ; Infant Mortality ; Nutrition Disorders - mortality ; Papua New Guinea

Breast Feeding ; Child ; Health Education ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant Food ; Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena ; Infant, Newborn ; Malnutrition ; prevention & control ; Nutritional Status ; World Health Organization