Journal Abstracts
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Parents have a confusing variety of emotional reactions to the stress of a high-risk birth. Terror, grief, impotence, and anger are common feelings for these parents. Some of these reactions bring families closer together; at other times these emotions pull spouses apart. It is essential to recognize that even though these emotions are very troubling, they are normal experiences during a life-and-death crisis.
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An evaluation of prelearning theory - which maintains that normative brain cell death prior to birth can be beneficially influenced by sensory imprinting - began in December 1986, providing progressive sonoral stimuli for a two-month fetus. These sequenced signals were adapted from the maternal blood pulse, as recorded by hydrophone in utero, thus conforming to the prenate's natural sonic environment; three hours of daily application lasted seven months, administered from a portable audiocassette player with transducers positioned on the abdomen.
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Report on Research Project: Interviews with 2 ½ to 3 ½ Year Old Children Regarding Their Memories of Birth and the Pre-Natal Period
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A psychosocial analysis explores some fantasies underpinning sexual asymmetry with emphasis on female childrearing and denial of maternal subjectivity. It is suggested that whereas in the past gender-role distinction between the sexes was rooted in procreativity, recent technological innovations have liberalized definitions in the West, offering greater choice and self-determination as we now can discriminate between sexuality, reproduction and childrearing.
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Chronic armoring is a physiologic contraction of the musculature that begins in childhood and serves to protect the organism against inner feelings and threats from the outer world. By blocking the free flow of life energy through the longitudinal axis of the body, armoring inhibits spontaneous pulsation of organ systems and the organism as a whole. In childbirth armoring prevents easy surrender to the process of labor.
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Fantasy during pregnancy is a very common occurrence, especially during the third trimester. It is often disturbing to the woman, and may provide insights into client concerns of clinical relevance to the health care professional who delivers care to this population. This paper reports on a preliminary classification schema for third trimester fantasies, based on a survey of fantasies reported by pregnant women during this time period. Clinical examples of counseling situations using the schema to identify pregnant clients' problems and concerns are discussed.
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The loss experienced by parents following the perinatal death of a twin is often underestimated by other people and the particular problems are rarely appreciated. A Bereavement Clinic for multiple birth families provides the opportunity to discuss concerns such as incomplete information, lack of a memorial, anger, the fantasy twin, the response to the surviving child and zygosity determination. An informal lunch allows families to meet and share their experiences with other bereaved families.
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This paper discusses the implications of a research project that was reported elsewhere. Here the issue of empowerment and disempowerment of women during hospital births is discussed. The author takes the view that birthing technology can be used to both ends, but is usually used in disempowering ways.
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The perinatal opioid syndrome has been recognized for over a century. Examination of this phenomena has revealed no pathognomonic symptoms, but rather a constellation of somatic and neurobiological deficits that may continue into adulthood. Research in this area has found that exogenous opioids such as heroin and methadone interact with opioid receptors and influence development. Moreover, a fundamental and important observation shows that endogenous opioid peptides, the counterpart to exogenous opioids, normally modulate developmental events.
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This study examined the frequency of disruptions in maternal-infant bonding within a pediatric asthma population. Two groups, 30 mothers of asthmatic children and 30 mothers of well children, were interviewed through the Maternal Infant Bonding Survey (M.I.B.S.) to study the frequency of non-bonding events in the birth histories of their children. Raters determined that 86% of the asthmatic children were non-bonded as compared to 26% of the well children.
