The impact of prior medical termination of pregnancy on the mother's early relationship with a subsequent infant.

OBJECTIVE: There is insufficient research on the mother's early relationship with a child born subsequent to a previous medical termination of pregnancy (TOP). This study explores mother-infant interactions following prior TOP and the impact on the infant's development. METHODS: Being an exploratory research comprising 12 mother-infant (6-7 months old) couples, following prior TOP, and five controls, this study uses a descriptive methodology and a qualitative approach. The Greenspan and Lieberman Observation Scale (GLOS) and the Stern's "R"-Interview were employed to investigate the mother-infant relationship. We used the Brunet-Lézine's Revised Scales (BL-R) and the Projective Kit for Early Childhood (PKEC) to assess the infant's development. Grief resolution was taken into account (Perinatal Grief Scale, semi-structured interview). RESULTS: The later the perinatal loss, the less likely children are to express their emotions and respond contingently (GLOS). Their psychomotor (BL-R) and emotional (PKEC) development remains adequate. Unresolved grief is associated with more pronounced disturbances: no dyadic exchange (GLOS), language disruptions (BL-R), and withdrawal from the environment (PKEC). CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that mother-infant interactions following a prior late TOP could undergo disturbances, which do not lead systematically to pathogenic effect on the subsequent child. Nevertheless, unresolved grief could lead to adverse effects.

[Psychosocial vulnerability and substance use screening during pregnancy: Evaluation of a composite auto-questionnaire versus usual medical questioning]. / Dépistage des situations de vulnérabilité psychosociale et toxicologique pendant la grossesse : évaluation d'un auto-questionnaire par comparaison aux données du dossier médical.

AIM: To evaluate auto-questionnaire use for psychosocial vulnerability and substance use (smoking, alcohol consumption, depression, intimate violence) screening during pregnancy versus usual medical report. MATERIAL AND METHODS: An auto-questionnaire based on validated tests (Fagerström/HSI, T-ACE, EPDS, SSQ6) was proposed to 1977 pregnant patients at their first obstetrical consultation. We compared results of auto-questionnaire and usual medical questioning. RESULTS: The auto-questionnaire was filled by 1676 pregnant patients (89.4 %). The two Fagerström/HIS questions showed that 20.7 % smoked during pregnancy. T-ACE score was better than usual medical questioning to detect excessive alcohol consumption (4.0 % vs 0.1 %, P<0.05). Drug use before pregnancy was reported by 9.8 % patients in auto-questionnaire, but was only found in 4.9 % of medical files (P<0.001). Seven percent patients reported at least 3 depressive symptoms on 4 purposed in auto-questionnaire. Intimate violence, physical or psychological, was reported in 9.4 %. All of these vulnerability factors were linked together, in auto-questionnaire or in usual medical reports. CONCLUSION: Using auto-questionnaire based on standardized screening tests could help medical practioneers to detect psychosocial vulnerability and/or substance use during pregnancy.