The effects of unsupervised home-based exercise training during pregnancy: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Pregnant women may experience physical and emotional distress. Exercise is recommended for healthy pregnant women and is beneficial for their mental and physical health. Unsupervised home-based exercise is cost-effective for pregnant women as an occasional solution for their discomfort. However, no synthesis of randomized trials on this topic has been conducted. AIMS: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of unsupervised home-based exercise during pregnancy. METHODS: A systematic search for randomized controlled trials was performed in electronic databases. The review extracted eligibility criteria based on unsupervised home-based exercise intervention. The quality of the included studies was performed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool 2.0. This review was registered a priori in PROSPERO (CRD42023452966). RESULTS: In total, seven studies were selected for systematic review. Participant adherence rates for the three reported studies varied considerably, ranging from 33% to 75%. Two studies revealed that unsupervised home-based exercise improved symptom severity in relation to long-term adherence to exercise. Two studies suggested that maternal aerobic fitness increased due to exercise. One study revealed improved sleep quality. However, none of the studies supported the positive effects of exercise on fatigue, maternal insulin sensitivity, prenatal weight gain, postnatal weight loss, birth pain, and cesarean section. LINKING EVIDENCE TO ACTION: Unsupervised home-based exercise improves discomfort symptoms during pregnancy but requires a long intervention period. This finding suggests that the evaluation period needs to be longer to identify the effects of exercise. In addition, a theoretical-based integrity exercise plan should be considered to promote the effectiveness of unsupervised home-based exercise.

Women's sense of control during labour and birth with epidural analgesia: A qualitative descriptive study.

BACKGROUND: Sense of control during childbirth is a critical issue concerning the association between high-quality maternity care and infant health. This study explored the facilitators of or barriers to a sense of control and the need for interventions to raise women's experience in childbirth. METHODS: The data came from 17 participants. Data collection was conducted in the childbirth room and within three days following childbirth, respectively. For tackling the research problems, participant observation and interviewing were applied. Thematic analysis was applied to the data analyzed. RESULTS: Two themes were identified: (1) facilitators of or barriers to practice a sense of control and (2) Care needed for a sense of control. The effectiveness of a sense of control is related to energy refill, mental loading subsided, control over decisions, non-pharmacological usage, and support from the meaningful person. Care needed includes showing empathy, providing information, using complementary pain-relief strategies, and adjusting care by parturient conditions. CONCLUSION: This study highlights the influencing factors and interventions relating to women's sense of control during childbirth with epidural analgesia. The findings suggest that many approaches, such as white noise, benefit women's sense of control after an epidural. Using non-pharmacological methods, such as a birth ball, should be appropriately regulated by situations to enhance women's sense of control. Through the assessment, education, attention to maternal needs, and recognizing the barriers to a sense of control, women will benefit from the interventions designed to improve their sense of control during childbirth.

[Parenting and Nursing Issues Faced by Parents During the Hospitalization of Their Preterm Infants].

Preterm labor is often a sudden event that impacts significantly on the health of the premature infant and on parenting behaviors. The prognosis for premature infants correlates positively with the effectiveness of parenting. Therefore, encouraging parental functions is important. The present paper reviews the literature on the concept of family-centered care in the contexts of premature-infant health problems, assesses the impacts of preterm birth on the parental role, and assesses the influences of parental dysfunction. We suggest that related interventions promote parental function in the five dimensions of parental bonding, confidence reinforcement, stress management, interpersonal support, and pre-discharge preparation. The intervention framework that is developed in the present paper is intended to assist clinical nurses to help parents use positive coping behavior to encourage healthy parental and family function and to promote the health of their premature infant.

The effect of protective treatment in reducing pressure ulcers for non-invasive ventilation patients.

OBJECTIVE: In acute respiratory failure, non-invasive ventilation (NIV) treatment is used to prevent the need for intubation. NIV applied through a face mask may contribute to the development of facial skin lesions. This study was conducted to compare the efficacy of protective dressings and of using no materials for pressure ulcer prevention. METHODS: There were 90 participants in this study. The participants were assigned into three groups: control group, tegasorb group, and tegaderm group. RESULTS: The tegasorb group and tegaderm group, in contrast to the control group, had fewer pressure ulcers based on our statistics and occurrence duration time (p<.01). However, there were no significant difference in occurrence duration time between the tegasorb group and tegaderm group. CONCLUSIONS: This result revealed that tegasorb and tegaderm could be used on the face of NIV patients to prevent pressure ulcers.

[Resuscitation of newborn infants with oxygen].

The metabolites of reoxygenation accumulate as toxic free radicals during physiological reactions. During an episode of asphyxia, 100% oxygen rather than 21% oxygen is usually used for resuscitation. Excessive free radicals and cell injury may be produced during reoxygenation following the hypoxic event. Prior research has shown that resuscitation with room air (21% oxygen) may be equally effective as 100% oxygen. The side effects are also less with room air. However, evidence-based studies on this topic are limited. It is, therefore, more appropriate to follow the recommendation of Neonatal Resuscitation Program that 100% oxygen should be used during neonatal resuscitation and the oxygen concentration should be adjusted according to the different condition of individual infants.