Journal Abstracts
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Clinical observations indicated that those psychiatric patients who survived when a preborn sibling died were adversely affected by the experience. It seemed that being a survivor of a pregnancy loss, particularly abortion, contributed to psychiatric illnesses. Data was collected from a sample of 293 adults - 98 patients and 195 counseling trainees. A self-report questionnaire with visual analogue, rating, and descriptive questions was used to ascertain the extent of common psychiatric symptoms.
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Part I - Introduction: Prenatal Bonding BA (*Bindungsanalyse by Raffai) provides the possibility of creating an intense bonding between mother and fetus, of being witness to the development of the fetus in the womb, to realize early prenatal traumas as well to have the chance for immediate healing. In this respect the method is at the same time an instrument of pre- and perinatal research, an empowerment of bonding between mother and fetus and a great help for giving birth much more easily.
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This article presents an expanded paradigm for understanding the pervasive impact of subtle parent-child interactions that cause experiences of shock, trauma, and stress during the first three years of life. Drawn from quantitative, qualitative, applied evidence-based practice, case formulation research methods, and a comprehensive review of related research, it uses the term “developmental trauma” to describe these early experiences. The article also places shock, trauma, and stress on a continuum and charts their impact on the development of individuals, couples, and families.
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The death of a twin in the womb is traumatic for the mother. Pre- and perinatal psychology emphasizes the importance of a calm and stress-free pregnancy for the mother, so that the child will not be badly affected. The loss of one or more fetuses from a twin or multiple conception is unavoidably stressful. However, with full knowledge of the implications of such a death on all the parties involved and the opportunity to mourn the death openly, the stress on the pregnant mother can be reduced. Ways to reduce the stress on the mother are described.
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In recent decades perinatal clinical psychology and infant research has shown how neurological maturation of the newborn and infant brain is due to learning from maternal care: properties of baby’s mind development are conditioned by maternal care, and the baby’s primary mental development conditions the future child and adult mental development. Research has also shown that maternal care may be modulated by childbirth pain. The experience of pain may increase and enrich maternal care, and its suppression may depress the mother’s ability in maternal care.
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In recent years it has been shown that an integrated linkage of gynecology, obstetrics, and psychotherapy resulted in an astoundingly low rate of premature births among the pregnant women cared for. Many physical problems in pregnancy should be regarded within the entirety of physical and emotional processes.
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This paper presents an overview of the effects of omega-3 fatty acids on the duration of pregnancy, incidence of pregnancy-induced hypertension, fetal growth and development, including birth weight, neurocognitive and visual development in the infant, and postpartum depression in the mother. A brief introduction to the role of nutrition on the outcome of pregnancy provides a context for the review of the literature which follows. Much of the research is preliminary and includes epidemiological, animal, and human studies.
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In this creative look into the future, the author offers a scenario in which giving birth without medical intervention is deemed to be ideal. The scene starts in the year 2010 with an interdisciplinary conference to discuss the need to control the rate of caesarean birth. The effects of the Utopian attitude are evaluated in 2031. Interestingly, outsiders had been at the root of the miraculous solutions unanimously adopted in this country. This essay presents a thought-provoking approach that will have you creating your own version of Utopia.
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Currently, the rate of circumcision is declining in the United States (The Circumcision Reference Library, n.d.). Estimates vary from one in six men circumcised worldwide (Dunsmuir and Gordon, 1999) to one in three according to a 2008 report from the World Health Organization. This paper explores the historical roots of circumcision and where the procedure stands today, from a practical and an ethical perspective. The current debate over whether to circumcise or not to circumcise young males is explored through the lens of a prenatal and perinatal psychology student.
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Controlled trials reveal that, from before conception, nutrient deficits and toxins affect sperm, ovum, and maternal stores, lastingly impairing a child's health and abilities. Deficits, toxins, and stress can inhibit structure and function, and be linked to autism or reduced self-control, possibly with violent tendencies. From the beginning, epigenetic settings are mostly set early for directing development according to current environment. Many are operative in the brain.
