Exploring mothers' experiences of perinatal care in Cyprus: Babies Born Better survey.

INTRODUCTION: A positive perinatal experience facilitates a smooth transition to motherhood and enhances the development of a strong bond between mother and newborn, contributing to maternal and societal wellbeing. Given the medicalization of childbirth in Cyprus, the examination of mothers' experiences of perinatal care becomes imperative. AIM: To investigate mothers' experiences of care during the perinatal period and to identify factors related to the provision of maternal care that contribute to the interpretation of these experiences. METHODS: The study draws on data from the European survey "Babies Born Better", an online survey utilizing a mixed-methods approach to explore women's experiences of maternity care across Europe. The study population were women who had given birth in Cyprus over a 5-year period (2013-2018). Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS v22, while qualitative data were analyzed through inductive content analysis. FINDINGS: A total of 360 mothers participated in the study. In rating their overall experience, 24.2% stated that they had a "bad experience", 11.1% a "good experience",13.9% a "very good experience", and 13,3% a "very bad experience". The top three sub-factors of the overall experience which received positive evaluation were "Relationship with health care professionals" (33.6%), "Birth environment and care" (11.4%), and "Breastfeeding guidance" (10.8%). The qualitative analysis yielded five themes: "Relationship with health care professionals", "Breastfeeding establishment", "Childbirth rights", "Birth environment and services" and "Choice of mode of birth". CONCLUSION: Mothers in Cyprus wish to have respectful maternity care. They need maternity health care professionals to respect their dignity and ask for evidence-based information with shared decision making. Mothers in Cyprus expect to have their childbirth rights safeguarded, to have better support from HCP, and to receive humanized care. The perinatal care provided in Cyprus needs significant improvements based on mothers' needs and expectations.

Sister chromatid exchanges in peripheral lymphocytes in newborns treated with phototherapy and vitamin E.

A study was undertaken to determine whether blue fluorescent light might affect the sister chromatid exchange (SCE) frequency of peripheral lymphocytes in icteric newborns undergoing continuous phototherapy treatment (72 h). Also, the potential preventive effect of vitamin E on SCE frequency was studied in a subgroup of 11 preterm and 9 fullterm newborns after daily administration of vitamin E (46.44 mumol/kg/d, im). The results revealed that only the preterm icteric newborns showed an increase in mean SCE frequency of peripheral lymphocytes after phototherapy (9%, p = 0.02), but in no case did the highest SCEs/cell ratio exceed the normal values. No correlation was found between the average SCE rate and birth weight, gestational age or bilirubin levels. Also, no difference in SCEs was observed between newborns treated or untreated with vitamin E.

Green light phototherapy in newborn infants with ABO hemolytic disease.

The efficacy of fluorescent green light phototherapy was compared with that of blue light phototherapy in the treatment of full-term infants with hemolytic disease and jaundice caused by ABO incompatibility. The efficacy of the treatment was expressed as actual (milligrams per hour) and quantum (milligrams per hour per square centimeter per megawatt) efficiency, taking into account the differential emission of energy from the green versus the blue fluorescent tubes. No statistically significant difference in the rate of serum bilirubin photodegradation was found between the two groups after treatment for 84.6 +/- 14.1 hours versus 81.5 +/- 14.2 hours with the green and the blue phototherapy, respectively. These results, coupled with the known effects of the blue light on the genetic apparatus of mammalian cells, support the application of the green light phototherapy for the treatment of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia caused by ABO incompatibility.

Green or blue light phototherapy for neonates with hyperbilirubinaemia.

A total of 262 neonates were treated with green (350-650 nm) or blue (300-600 nm) light phototherapy for a similar length of time. There was no significant difference in the rate of bilirubin photodegradation between the groups.

Cardiovascular birth defects and antenatal exposure to female sex hormones.

The etiological correlations of congenital heart diseases to antenatal exposure of pregnant women to sex hormones were studied retrospectively. Of a total of 15,535 women who delivered between the years 1975-1977, 91 had babies with congenital heart disease (frequency 5.80/00). From these babies 11 were born to 559 mothers who had taken during pregnancy hormones of the estrogen-progesterone type (frequency 190/00). The remaining 80 babies were born to 14,976 mothers who had not taken such hormones (frequency 50/00). The main reason for having been given hormones were: bleeding of the first trimester in 80%, and the pregnancy test in 20%. Both groups of mothers had the same possibility for being affected by factors causing congenital heart diseases. An attempt is made to correlate the structure of the hormones given, the cause and time of the administration, the outcome of the newborn, and the type of heart disease.

Perinatal complications in elderly primigravidas.

To clinical problems encountered in a group of 1.179 elderly primigravidas (greater than 35 years) during pregnancy, labor and the neonatal period were studied in an eleven-year review and compared to a randomised group of 66.819 pregnant women. The incidence of toxemia and fibromyomas was significantly higher in the group of the elderly primigravidas than in the control group. Forceps and cesarean sections were performed more frequently in the elderly primigravidas. The perinatal mortality rate, congenital malformations, neonatal infections and respiratory distress were significantly higher in the first group. The reduce the forementioned perinatal complications, elderly primigravidas need intensive care in special units.

Vitamin E serum levels in newborn infants undergoing phototherapy.

The serum vitamin E levels of 11 full-term and 10 premature infants, jaundiced and subjected to phototherapy, were measured and compared wth 9 premature and 10 full-term jaundiced control infants. No differences were observed before or after phototherapy or 1 week after stopping it. The same negative results were noted in the two groups of infants regarding the values of microhematocrit, Hb and reticulocytes.

Antepartum aminophylline treatment for prevention of the respiratory distress syndrome in premature infants.

The frequency of idiopathic respiratory distress (IRD) among premature offspring born of women who were given aminophylline before the thirty-fourth week of pregnancy was evaluated. Sixty-seven premature deliveries were included in the aminophylline group and 75 in the control group. The perinatal death rate was 7.1% in the aminophylline group and 17.9% in the control group (p less than 0.05). A statistically significant difference was noted between the aminophylline and control groups in the frequency of IRD which was three times lower (10%) in the aminophylline group than in the control group (29.5%) for the total of premature infants. If the time of rupture of membranes is taken into consideration, a significant decrease in the frequency of IRD following aminophylline administration is noted in the infants, whose mothers had ruptured membranes for more than 24 hours. No complications or side effects of aminophylline administration were noted in the mothers or their infants.

F2alpha prostaglandin levels in mothers and infants of different gestational periods.

53 mother-neonate couples, of different gestational ages, were studied for PGF2alpha levels in the mother's blood at the beginning of the first stage of labor and in the umbilical cord blood. PGF2alpha levels were found to be increased in all neonates compared to their mothers and in the blood of the mothers of prematures compared to the mothers of the post-mature babies. No correlation could be found between the gestational age of the neonate and the umbilical cord levels of PGF2alpha.