Current Issue : January-March Volume : 2026 Issue Number : 1 Articles : 5 Articles
Background: Paternal-infant bonding research has been increasingly investigated as it influences mothers’ pregnancy, labour and postpartum period. However, there is lack of research that investigates father-infant bonding in the Gulf peninsula, specifically Oman. Paternal-infant bonding has an important role in promoting cognitive development of infants, stronger parentchildren’s relationships and social wellbeing. Aim: This study aims to explore the effect of umbilical cord cutting experience on fathers’ emotional bonding with their infants in Oman. Methods: Mixed method design was utilized to understand the fathers’ experience in cutting the umbilical cord of their newborns. Infant-Mothers bonding scale was used for the quantitative part of this study. The scale is composed by 12 self-report items in a Likert scale from 0 to 3, according to the emotion towards the newborn’s intensity (“very much”, “a lot”, “a little” or “not at all”). Phone call interview was used to elicit the fathers experience and emotional bonding after being involved in cord cutting of their infants for the qualitative part. Results: This study found that fathers experience an encouraging and strong emotional bonding when they are involved in the umbilical cord cutting of their newborn child. Moreover, fathers felt proud and satisfied due to being involved in the process of childbirth. This experience plays a major role in fathers’ emotions as they felt joyful and happy after the umbilical cord cutting. Furthermore, allowing a father to cut his infant umbilical cord can facilitate a fatherly sense of establishment and responsibility in infant care with the mother which can subsequently lead to various benefits such as the infant’s cognitive, social and emotional wellbeing and growth, as well as improving the mother’s emotional status....
Background/Objectives: Preterm birth is a leading cause of neonatal mortality, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Despite advances in neonatal care, mortality among preterm infants in intensive care units remains high, and specific risk factors are not fully understood. This study aimed to identify neonatal factors associated with mortality among preterm infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of a Peruvian national hospital. Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted at Guillermo Almenara National Hospital in Lima, Peru, including all preterm neonates (<37 weeks gestational age) admitted to the NICU in 2022. Clinical and demographic data were extracted from medical records. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses identified independent associations with in-hospital mortality. Results: A total of 300 preterm neonates were included, with an in-hospital mortality rate of 15%. In adjusted analysis, extremely low birth weight (<1000 g) was the strongest predictor of mortality. Mild and severe depression in Apgar score at 1 min were associated with increased risk of death (adjusted OR: 12.08 and 6.18, respectively). Hypoglycemia was also independently associated with higher mortality (adjusted OR: 5.65). Conversely, perinatal asphyxia was linked to a lower risk of death in the multivariate model. Sex, mode of delivery, and other neonatal complications were not significant predictors after adjustment. Conclusions: Extremely low birth weight, abnormal Apgar scores at 1 min, and hypoglycemia are key determinants of mortality in preterm infants in intensive care. Early risk identification and focused management are essential to reducing preventable deaths in similar resource-limited settings....
Background/Objectives: Alcohol and smoking during pregnancy may be associated with several complications, but the underlying mechanism is still unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of oxidative stress induced by smoking and alcohol during pregnancy and their effects on fetal and neonatal outcomes. Material and methods: We considered pregnant women at term. Validated questionnaires were used to investigate smoking and alcohol habits. Ultrasound was performed to evaluate fetal weight, amniotic fluid index, and maternal-fetal Doppler velocimetry. At the time of delivery, we collected a tuft of maternal hair, maternal venous blood, and cord blood. In these samplings we determined in phase I nicotine, cotinine, and ethyl glucuronide on the maternal keratin matrix with the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry technique. In phase II, the Free Oxygen Radicals Test (FORT) and Free Oxygen Radical Defense (FORD) test were used to assess circulating reactive oxygen species (ROS). Results: 119 pregnant patients were enrolled (n = 62 for smoking and n = 57 for alcohol). Twenty-six patients (42%) out of 62 were active smokers. Three patients (5%) out of 57 were alcoholic consumers. Mean neonatal weight and mean placental weight were significantly lower for active smokers (p = 0.0001). The neonatal weight was in the 1st–2nd percentile for all alcohol abusers. Considering two subgroups (n = 10 non-smokers and n = 10 smokers) for ROS determination, a statistically significant higher oxidative stress in the blood of smoking patients was evidenced (p < 0.0001). In cord blood the differences were not statistically significant (p = 0.2216). Conclusions: Fetal growth restriction was present in the group of active smokers and in patients with alcohol abuse. Oxidative stress was higher in smoking patients than in non-smokers. However, in cord blood, FORT was negative in all cases, suggesting a protective mechanism in utero. Given the limited sample size, the results obtained are preliminary and require future studies....
Wharton’s jelly (WJ), the mucoid connective tissue of the umbilical cord, provides essential protection to the umbilical vessels against mechanical stress. While research into WJ-derived stem cells for regenerative medicine has surged, the clinical significance of its in utero pathologies remains less explored. This review synthesizes the current literature on the pathophysiology of WJ abnormalities and their direct impact on fetal and neonatal outcomes. Pathologies are broadly categorized as quantitative (absence/reduction or excess/edema) and structural (pseudocysts, mucoid degeneration). A reduction or segmental absence of WJ critically compromises cord integrity, leading to vascular compression and is a direct cause of stillbirth, fetal growth restriction (FGR), and intrapartum distress. Conversely, excessive WJ or edema is associated with maternal diabetes and fetal hydrops and can also impair hemodynamics. Umbilical cord pseudocysts, arising from focal WJ degeneration, are significant markers for severe chromosomal abnormalities, particularly Trisomy 18 and 13, and other structural defects, especially when persistent or multiple. Sonographic measurement of WJ area shows promise as a surrogate for placental function, with decreased area correlating with placental pathology and FGR. However, significant diagnostic challenges persist, particularly the prenatal detection of segmental WJ absence, a “silent” pathology often discovered only after a catastrophic event. This review highlights the critical role of WJ integrity in determining perinatal outcomes and underscores the urgent need for improved diagnostic modalities and standardized management protocols to mitigate associated risks....
Prematurity, defined as a birth before 37 weeks of gestation, affects approximately 15 million infants worldwide yearly. Beyond the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and the possibility of long-term developmental challenges affecting children’s quality of life, prematurity influences family dynamics, including parental mental health, financial stability, employment, and daily life. On a broader scale, research highlights the significant socioeconomic consequences of preterm birth that influence public healthcare policies, healthcare systems, and long-term costs. Addressing these challenges requires a multidisciplinary approach, beginning in the NICUs, with parental inclusion as a key component. The shift toward parental inclusion in the NICU may represent a fundamental transition from a medical to a social model of prematurity. The concept of a social model of prematurity parallels the social model of disability, from disability studies, focusing on premature babies, strengthening their abilities and nurturing early caregiver—infant relationships. It highlights how societal structures, such as accessibility and support systems, shape developmental outcomes and inclusion of premature infants, rather than framing prematurity solely in terms of survival and treatment....
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