Psychosocial risk factors for emergency cesarean section.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effects of childbirth fear and trait anxiety on the risk of emergency cesarean section; to analyze whether emergency cesarean section is associated with low mastery and maternal self-esteem; to examine whether stress and low social support in pregnancy may be considered risk factors for emergency cesarean section. DESIGN: Original study. SETTING: Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, Charles University, Prague. METHODS: The study sample consisted of 447 women who gave birth at a maternity hospital in Vysočina Region (Havlíčkův Brod, Jihlava, Pelhřimov, Třebíč, Nové Město na Moravě) between October 2013 and September 2014. In the last trimester of pregnancy, the women completed validated questionnaires designed to assess fear of childbirth, general anxiety, maternal self-esteem, mastery, perceived stress and social support. Data regarding the course of labor were extracted from medical records. The association between the psychosocial factors and the risk of delivery via emergency cesarean section was analyzed using multiple logistic regression adjusted for marital status, parity, childs sex and epidural anesthesia. RESULTS: A total of 73 women (16.3%) delivered by emergency cesarean section. The only statistically significant psychosocial predictor of emergency cesarean section was fear of childbirth (the women with strong fear had a twice higher risk; OR = 2.01; p = 0.021), whereas low maternal self-esteem was marginally significant (OR = 1.68; p = 0.082) in the adjusted analysis. No association between emergency cesarean section and general anxiety, mastery, stress or social support in pregnancy was found. The risk of cesarean section was higher for primiparous women and lower for women who gave birth to a girl. CONCLUSION: Fear of childbirth but not general anxiety is associated with a higher risk of emergency cesarean section. The women who experience strong fear of childbirth during pregnancy should be recommended to attend antenatal classes or, in case of extremely severe childbirth fear, to seek psychological counseling.

[Are womens attitudes towards pregnancy, childbirth and motherhood associated with length of labour?] / Souvisí postoje zen k tehotenství, porodu a materství s délkou porodu?

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between length of labour and womens attitudes towards pregnancy, childbirth and motherhood, while controlling for biomedical and maternal psychosocial characteristics. DESIGN: Original study. SETTING: Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts and Philosophy, Charles University, Prague. METHODS: The sample consisted of 362 women who gave birth in one of the five maternity hospitals in Vysocina region (Havlíckuv Brod, Jihlava, Pelhrimov, Trebíc, Nové Mesto na Morave) between October 2013 and September 2014. The data were collected at two points in time. In the third trimester of pregnancy, womens attitudes towards pregnancy, childbirth and motherhood and other psychosocial characteristics were surveyed using the range of validated tools. Within one week of delivery, women were asked about social support they received during labour. Data concerning the course of labour were extracted from medical records. The dependent variable was the active phase of the first stage of labour (time from 3 cm to full dilatation). The differences among women with prolonged/rapid labour (duration above 90th percentile/less than 10th percentile) with respect to their attitudes towards pregnancy, childbirth and motherhood and other characteristics were assessed using the Students t test and the χ2 test. Factors associated with length of labour were analysed using logistic regression. The results were adjusted for maternal age, marital status and newborn weight. RESULTS: In labours without oxytocin administration, the median of the duration of active phase of the first stage was 180 minutes for primiparas and 144 minutes for multiparas. Women with prolonged labour reported more frequently low maternal self-esteem compared to women with normal labour duration (34.0% vs. 19.1%; p = 0,021), but maternal self-esteem was not a significant predictor of prolonged labour in regression analysis. No other differences were found with respect to psychosocial and personality characteristics in women with prolonged and normal labour. Women with rapid labour did not differ from women with normal labour as for their attitudes towards pregnancy, labour and motherhood. Nevertheless, they reported clinically relevant scores for trait anxiety more frequently, a difference that approached statistical significance (52.6% vs. 38.3%; p = 0,090). Multiple regression analysis showed a trend towards trait anxiety being associated with rapid labour (p = 0,098). No significant predictor of labour duration was identified except newborn weight which predicted both prolonged and rapid labour. CONCLUSION: Our data indicate that the association between length of labour and womens attitudes towards pregnancy, childbirth and motherhood is rather weak and clinically less relevant. Our results portray the newborn weight as a key factor affecting labour duration.

[Postpartum blues - a Czech adaptation of the Maternity Blues Questionnaire]. / Poporodní blues - ceská adaptace dotazníku "Maternity Blues Questionnaire".

OBJECTIVE: To validate the Kennerley and Gaths Maternity Blues Questionnaire (MBQ) for the Czech postpartum population, to present the psychometric properties of the Czech version of that screening method, and to assess its predictive power for the risk of postpartum depression. DESIGN: Original study. SETTING: Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts and Philosophy, Charles University, Prague. METHODS: The Czech version of the MBQ was validated on a sample of 1093 women. The data were collected from October 2013 to September 2014 at all maternity hospitals in Vysocina region. The MBQ was administered on a one-time basis during womens postpartal stay at maternity hospital. After six weeks post partum, a screening for postpartum depression was performed using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). The cut-off point was set at 10/11 for MBQ and 12/13 for EPDS as such were the respective levels achieved by the 90th percentile in the MBQ and EPDS scores. The sociodemografic data were collected at the time of completing the MBQ. A logistic regression was performed to identify the predictors of severe blues. Cronbachs alpha was calculated to assess the internal consistency of the MBQ as a whole and its component scales. In order to assess the validity of the MBQ, a logistic regression was used to analyze the association between the MBQ and EPDS scores. The norms for the Czech version of MBQ are presented as percentiles. RESULTS: The MBQ scores showed a gradual rise over the days following the delivery (day 0 to day 4). The percentage of women with severe blues (MBQ score > 10) increased from 7.3% to 14.55% between day 0 and day 4. The most frequent feelings and mood states experienced by women in the first postpartum days included tiredness (61%), decreased self-confidence (30%), over-sensitivity (26%) and tension (19%), while 6,5% of women felt low spirited and 7% felt depressed. The women suffering from severe blues reported most frequently the same states of mood as did the women in the whole sample, but the rates of those states were higher: 83% for tiredness, 81% for decreased self-confidence, 79% for over-sensitivity, 71% for tension, while 46% of women with severe blues felt low spirited and 51% felt depressed. The significant risk factors for severe blues included parity (multipara, OR = 0.42; p < 0,001), mode of delivery (reference category unassisted vaginal delivery: emergency sectio caesarea, OR = 2.188, p = 0.004; planned sectio caesarea, OR = 1.843, p = 0.03; assisted vaginal delivery, OR = 6.136; p < 0.001), and previous depression (OR = 4.71, p = 0.003). Cronbachs alpha of the individual scales ranged from 0.34 to 0.76, Cronbachs alpha for the MBQ as a whole was 0.88. The severe blues were found to be a predictive factor for postpartum depression as assessed with EPDS (OR = 5.90; p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: With its high reliability and validity, the MBQ appears to be a useful tool for clinical practice and research. The MBQ can be used to identify the women with severe blues and with an increased risk of postpartum depression.

[Vulvovaginitis. Occurrence and importance of mixed and unclassifiable pictures]. / Vulvovaginitida. Výskyt a význam smísených a "nezaraditelných" obrazu.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the occurrence of mixed and unclassifiable vulvovaginitis (i.e. those, which fulfill the diagnostic criteria of several diagnostic units or no diagnostic unit) in symptomatic and asymptomatic women. TYPE OF STUDY: Prospective study. METHODS: In 412 women (115 of them asymptomatic) the authors established the diagnosis of vulvovaginitis on the basis of gynecological examination, pH, the amine test and microscopic examination according to Giemsa and Gram. RESULTS: Mycosis was diagnosed in 15.5% women (in 9,6% of asymptomatic ones), lactobacillosis in u 5.6% (in 7.0% of asymptomatic), anaerobic vaginosis in 10.7% (8.7% of asymptomatic), aerobic vaginitis in 7.7% women (4.3% of asymptomatic). U 15.0% mixed infections were diagnosed (in 61% asymptomatic). U 29.4% symptomatic women the diagnostic criteria were not fulfilled for any nosological unit. CONCLUSION: Vulvovaginal mycosis, lactobacillosis, anaerobic vaginosis, aerobic vaginosis were considered as dysmicrobia conditions. The authors demonstrated a high occurrence of more units ("clear" diagnoses to "mixed" diagnoses being in the ratio of 1.62:1). The authors also demonstrated a high occurrence of mixed infections in asymptomatic women (36.0%). On the contrary, in 29.4% of symptomatic women the diagnosis could not be established, the findings being "normal" or "unclassifiable".

["Mixed" and "miscellaneous" vulvovaginitis: diagnostics and therapy of vaginal administration of nystatin and nifuratel]. / "Smísené" a "nezaraditelné" vulvovaginitidy. Diagnostika a terapie vaginální aplikací nystatinu + nifuratelu.

AIM OF THE STUDY: The evaluation of combined and miscellaneous vulvovaginal infections incidence and their treatment with combined vaginal products containing nifuratel and nystatin. DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: Gynecologic outpatient department LEVRET, Prague; Laboratories of Microbiology AescuLab, Prague. METHODS: 70 consecutive patients were examined with complaint of vaginal fluor and/or pruritus. We established macroscopic features of fluor, pH, amine test and mounts stained with Giemsa and Gram. We qualified the cases with more diagnostic criteria (mycosis, lactobacillosis, anaerobic vaginosis, aerobic vaginitis) as combined infection, those with no diagnostic criteria as miscellaneous. We treated all patients with vaginal tablets nystatin + nifuratel (Macmiror complex). We prescribed clotrimazol cream, if pruritus was present. We evaluated withdrawals of symptoms and relapses during 3 months after treatment. RESULTS: Combined infection was found in 21 patients from 70 (30%). The most frequent combination was that of mycosis and aerobic vaginitis (13/70, 18.6%) or mycosis and anaerobic vaginosis (4/70, 5.7%); 11 patients fulfilled criteria of no diagnosis. We concluded them as "miscelaneous". The treatment was successful in all cases, 10 women relapsed in 3 months. CONCLUSIONS: Combined vaginal infection findings are present very often (30%), likewise miscellaneous ones (15%) occur. The treatment of these women in successful with vaginal tablets with nystatin + nifuratel.

[Treatment of aerobic vaginitis and clinically uncertain causes of vulvovaginal discomfort]. / Terapie aerobní vaginitis a klinicky nejasných prícin vulvovaginálního diskomfortu.

OBJECTIVE: The treatment of clinically uncertain conditions of vaginal discomforts with a mixed preparation of nifuratel + nystatin (Macmiror complex) and the relation of uncertain conditions to aerobic vaginitis. DESIGN: A prospective study. SETTING: Gynecology-Obstetrics Outpatient Department LEVRET Ltd., AescuLab Ltd., Laboratory of Microbiology, Prague. METHODS: 50 women with vaginal discomfort, causes of which had not been clarified by gynecological examination, determination of pH and the amine test, were examined by vaginal smears using microscopy. The results were evaluated in relation to aerobic vaginitis in a pure form or in combination with other nosological units. The authors also evaluated results of therapy by oral nifuratel (Macmiror tbl) 3 x 200 mg daily and a vaginal combined preparation containing nifuratel 500 mg + nystatin 200 kIU (Macmiror complex 500 glo vag) for the period of 7 days. RESULTS: In 50 women candida was demonstrated 24 times, presence of key cells 11 times, lactobacillus nine times with more than 50 in the field, six women were affected by aerobic vaginitis. In all these cases the pH was 4.8 or higher, leukocytes were significantly represented in all cases (> 15 in the field), as well as gram-negative bacteria and/or cocci (> 30 in the field), indicating a combined picture of mycosis, anaerobic vaginosis or lactobacillosis with aerobic vaginitis. The therapy was successful in all cases, the relapse of complaints during one month occurred in three cases. CONCLUSIONS: Aerobic vaginitis in a pure form or with anaerobic vaginosis, mycosis or lactobacillosis is frequently concealed under clinically uncertain pictures of vulvo-vaginal discomfort. The therapy by a combination of nifurated 3 x 200 mg orally together with the combined vaginal preparation nifuratel 500 mg + nystatin 200 kIU for the period of 7 days exerts high effect and a low number of relapses.