Delayed conception is defined as an interval of greater than 90 days postpartum before a cow becomes pregnant again. In this study, the risk factors for delayed conception in Korean dairy herds were determined by evaluating several reproductive factors in individual cows. The following data was recorded from 1,012 pregnancies in eight dairy herds (designated A-H) from July 2001 to June 2006: herd, cow parity, repeated animal (cows included 2, 3, or more times), calving season, calving condition (abnormal partus), postpartum disorders (retained placenta, metabolic disorders, metritis and ovarian cysts) and conception. Logistic regression was used to evaluate the effects of these factors on delayed conception. A stepwise procedure was used to obtain the appropriate model (alpha = 0.05), which revealed the herd, metritis and ovarian cysts to be significant risk factors for delayed conception. The odds ratio showed that the likelihood of delayed conception increased by 3.3 and 2.0 fold for each incidence of metritis and ovarian cysts, respectively. Delayed conception was significantly more likely in 2 herds, in herd A by 2.0 fold and in herd B by 2.4 fold, compared with herd H. These results suggest that the prevention of postpartum metritis and ovarian cysts, as well as improved herd management, will be needed to maintain a short interval between calving and conception in Korean dairy herds.
Animals ; Cattle/*physiology ; Female ; Fertilization/*physiology ; Korea ; Postpartum Period/*physiology ; Pregnancy ; Risk Factors

Postpartum depression(PPD) is a common emotional disorder in the puerperium, which has negative impact on women, infants and family. There is growing evidence that abnormal concentration of a number of nutrients (including polyunsaturated fatty acids, vitamin D and homocysteine) is associated with depression in postpartum population. Further studies on the mechanisms for the functions of nutrients and regulation of nutritional states in the puerperium will be of great value in the prevention, early diagnosis and treatment of PPD.
Depression, Postpartum ; blood ; physiopathology ; Fatty Acids, Unsaturated ; blood ; physiology ; Female ; Homocysteine ; blood ; physiology ; Humans ; Nutritional Status ; Postpartum Period ; physiology ; Vitamin D ; blood ; physiology

OBJECTIVE: To understand the difference of defecation physiology between postpartum and postoperative women. METHODS: Between July 1998 to April 1999, we performed defecogram and pudendal nerve motor latency to 31 women, who were 8 postoperative women, 9 post cesarean-section state women, and 14 normal vaginal delivery-state women. RESULTS: According to the defecogram results, only squeezing angles of the anorectal angle were significantly increased(96.0 vs 72.3, 74.9 degree) in normal vaginal delivery-state women compared to post cesarean-section state and postoperative women, but rest and evacuation angles were not. And to pudendal nerve latency, there were no statistically significant difference. CONCLUSION: We concluded that the pudendal plexus was damaged during labor, therefore its ability to control puborectalis muscle was damaged. So, the anorectal angles of squeezing of postpartum women were significantly increased, compared to those of post cesarean section women or postoperative women.
Cesarean Section ; Defecation* ; Female ; Humans ; Physiology* ; Postpartum Period* ; Pregnancy ; Pudendal Nerve*

BACKGROUNDResumption of menstrual cycles is one of the indicators for restoration of reproductive capability in postpartum women. However, menstruation does not necessarily mean that ovulation has taken place. The aim of this study was to investigate the relation of supplementary feeding to return of menstruation and ovulation after delivery.

METHODSA questionnaire was used to obtain data from 101 breastfeeding mothers. The following elements were analyzed: age, education level, breastfeeding practice, time of return of menstruation, contraceptive practice, and starting time of supplementary feeding during the lactation at intervals of 6 weeks to 18 months after delivery. The ovulation was continuously monitored by ultrasonography and basal body temperature (BBT) measurement.

RESULTSBy ultrasonography, 53 of the 101 women (52.5%) had the first ovulation (follicle > 1.8 cm in diameter) within 154 days after delivery on average, among whom 11 (10.9%, 11/101) had restoration of ovulation within 4 months and 42 (41.6%, 42/101) had it after 4 months. In women with follicles > 1.8 cm in diameter (n = 53), the menstruation resumed (138 +/- 84) days after delivery, and the supplementary feeding was started at (4.0 +/- 1.1) months, which were significantly earlier than those in the women with follicular diameter < 1.7 cm (n = 48; (293 +/- 88) days, (5.1 +/- 1.3) months; t = 9.003, P < 0.01 and t = 4.566, P < 0.01). In the women with follicles < 1.8 cm in diameter, 30 had return of menstruation before the end of ultrasonographic monitoring, while only 8 in the women with follicular diameter < 1.7 cm had menstrual resumption at the same time (chi(2) = 16.91, P < 0.01). The starting time of supplementary feeding was positively correlated with the time of the restoration of menstruation (n = 100, r = 0.4764, P < 0.01) and first ovulation after delivery (n = 53, r = 0.5554, P < 0.01). In this series, no woman had pregnancy within 18 months postpartum.

CONCLUSIONSupplementary feeding can affect the restoration of menstrual cycles and ovulation in lactating postpartum women.

Adult ; Breast Feeding ; Contraception ; Female ; Humans ; Menstruation ; Ovulation ; Postpartum Period ; physiology ; Pregnancy

OBJECTIVETo explore an effective method for puerperant to lactate.

METHODSOne hundred and seven cases that were about to giving a birth in our hospital were randomly divided into an observation group (52 cases) and a control group (55 cases). Based on the routine hospital care, the patients in the observation group received auricular point sticking with vaccaria seed at Endocrine (CO18), Mammary Gland, etc. after 1 hour of childbirth, which was pressed 3 times daily, for 1-2 min each time. In the control group, routine hospital care was given, which didn't include auricular point sticking. The lactation volume, starting time of lactation and serum prolactin (PRL) were observed after 5 days of treatment.

RESULTSCompared with the control group, lactation volume in the observation group was more superior (P < 0.01). Rate I of lactation volume in the observation group was 51.9% (27/52), which was obviously higher than 27.3% (15/55) in the control group (P < 0 01). The starting time of lactation in the observation group was obviously earlier than that in the control group (P < 0 05). The content of PRL was apparently improved after one or two days of childbirth (both P < 0.05), and significantly increased after 5 days (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONThe auricular point sticking is a better method to promote lactation for puerperant, which could be beneficial to increasing the success rate of breastfeeding.

Acupuncture, Ear ; Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Lactation ; Milk, Human ; secretion ; Postpartum Period ; physiology ; Young Adult

Acupuncture Therapy ; Adult ; Catgut ; utilization ; Female ; Humans ; Lactation ; Lactation Disorders ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Postpartum Period ; physiology ; Qi ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo investigate the prevalence and related factors of abnormal pelvic floor muscle strength and provide theoretical evidence for the prevention and treatment of pelvic floor dysfunction.

METHODSA total of 1008 migrant women in hospitals of Guangzhou and Foshan were screened for pelvic floor strength at 42 days postpartum from Oct, 2013 to July, 2014. EMG biofeedback equipment was employed to assess the strength of type I and II muscle fiber and a questionnaire was designed to record its related factors.

RESULTSThe incidence of abnormal type I and II muscle fiber strength was 49.21% and 49.60%, respectively. No statistical significance was observed in the abnormal rates among women with different ages or occupations. Compared with women who chose vaginal delivery, women with cesarean section had significantly reduced abnormal rates. A negative correlation was found between parity and type I and II muscle fiber strength.

CONCLUSIONThe delivery mode and parity are factors affecting pelvic floor muscle strength among migrant women in the Pearl River Delta, suggesting the necessity of health education and promotion of family planning policy.

Cesarean Section ; Delivery, Obstetric ; Female ; Humans ; Muscle Fibers, Skeletal ; physiology ; Muscle Strength ; Parity ; Pelvic Floor ; physiology ; Postpartum Period ; Pregnancy ; Transients and Migrants

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to review the literature to determine whether intensive pelvic floor muscle training during pregnancy and after delivery could prevent urinary and fecal incontinence. METHODS: Randomized controlled trials (RCT) of low-risk obstetric populations who had done Kegel exercise during pregnancy and after delivery met the inclusion criteria. Articles published between 1966 and 2012 from periodicals indexed in Ovid Medline, Embase, Scopus, KoreaMed, NDSL and other databases were selected, using the following keywords: 'Kegel, pelvic floor exercise'. The Cochrane's Risk of Bias was applied to assess the internal validity of the RCT. Fourteen selected studies were analyzed by meta-analysis using RevMan 5.1. RESULTS: Fourteen RCTs with high methodological quality, involving 6,454 women were included. They indicated that Kegel exercise significantly reduced the development of urinary and fecal incontinence from pregnancy to postpartum. Also, there was low clinical heterogeneity. CONCLUSION: There is some evidence that for antenatal and postnatal women, Kegel exercise can prevent urinary and fecal incontinence. Therefore, a priority task is to develop standardized Kegel exercise programs for Korean pregnant and postpartum women and make efficient use of these programs.
Clinical Trials as Topic ; Databases, Factual ; *Exercise Therapy ; Fecal Incontinence/*prevention & control ; Female ; Humans ; Muscle Contraction/physiology ; Postpartum Period ; Pregnancy ; Urinary Incontinence/*prevention & control

PURPOSE: This study was to develop a breastfeeding promotion program and to test effects of the program on levels of breast discomfort, breast size, sodium in breast milk, and type of feeding in mothers with breast engorgement following cesarean birth. METHODS: A non-synchronized non-equivalent control group pretest-posttest design was used in this study. The participants were 70 postpartum mothers who were admitted to a postpartum care center and experienced breast engorgement following cesarean birth. The planned nursing intervention was the breastfeeding promotion program consisting of breast massage and 1:1 breastfeeding education, counseling, and support focusing on individualized problem solving provided for 10 days. Fifty-three women completed the program (experimental group 26, control group, 27). Measurements were level of breast discomfort, breast size, sodium in breast milk and type of feeding at pre and posttest. RESULTS: Women who participated in the program experienced lower scores for breast discomfort, greater decrease in breast size, lower levels of sodium in breast milk, and practiced breastfeeding more than those in the control group. CONCLUSION: Results indicate that this breastfeeding promotion program is effective in reducing breast engorgement and improving breastfeeding practices, and is therefore recommended to enhance breastfeeding promotion practice in postpartum care centers.
Adult ; Breast/physiology ; *Breast Feeding ; Cesarean Section ; Female ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Massage ; Milk, Human/chemistry ; Mothers/*psychology ; Postpartum Period ; *Program Development ; *Program Evaluation ; Sodium/analysis ; Young Adult

This retrospective study was conducted to confirm the relationship between pre- and postpartum metabolic parameters and postpartum reproductive performance and to clarify seasonal characteristics of the metabolic parameters by using our metabolic profile test (MPT) database of Japanese Black breeding herds. In evaluation 1, MPT databases of blood samples from multiparous cows collected prepartum and postpartum were divided into two groups according to calving interval, and each MPT parameter was compared. In evaluation 2, the same MPT databases used in evaluation 1 were divided into two groups according to the sampling period. Significant differences were found in the prepartal total protein and postpartal gamma-glutamyltransferase in evaluation 1. In evaluation 2, significant differences were found in the prepartal and postpartal total protein, albumin/globulin ratio, and glucose. Clear seasonal differences in MPT results emphasized the usefulness of the MPT in breeding cattle herds fed home-pasture roughage and suggest that unsatisfactory reproductive performance during hot periods reflects inadequate nutritional content of the diet and possible reduced feed intake due to heat stress.
Animals ; Blood Proteins/analysis ; Cattle/*physiology ; Diet/veterinary ; Dietary Fiber/analysis ; Female ; Heat Stress Disorders ; *Metabolome ; Postpartum Period ; *Reproduction ; Retrospective Studies ; Seasons