The meaning of natural childbirth

The term "natural childbirth" encompasses a variety of methods, including the Lamaze, Bradley, and home-birth approaches, which place more or less reliance on medical technology. Aristotle's analysis of three levels of human activity--digestion and reproduction, perception and locomotion, and abstract thinking--and Pellegrino and Thomasma's classification of the "living body," "lived body," and "lived self," provide a principled framework in which each of these childbirth practices can be considered natural.     

导乐陪伴在自然分娩中应用的临床效果观察

目的:观察导乐陪伴在自然分娩中的临床效果,探讨提高自然分娩质量、确保母婴健康的方式.方法:选择采取自然分娩的足月产妇230例,按照自愿的原则,110例分为对照组,采取非导乐陪伴分娩;120例分为观察组,采取导乐陪伴分娩,比较两组产妇产程时长、产后2h出血量、分娩疼痛及新生儿Apgar情况.结果:观察组临床效果好于对照组临床效果,在上述各方面比较,均具有统计学意义(P<0.05).结论:导乐陪伴分娩能提高自然分娩的质量,有利于产妇与新生儿的身心健康,应广泛推广.     

Psychiatric disorder and gynaecological symptoms in middle aged women: a community survey.

In a community survey 521 women aged 35-59 were selected at random from all patients registered in two groups practices. They were interviewed at home and assessed by means of standardised psychiatric measures and detailed gynaecological inquiry. Levels of psychiatric morbidity were found to be within the expected range for such a sample. Both psychiatric morbidity and the personality dimension of neuroticism were significantly associated with gynaecological symptoms, including dysmenorrhoea and premenstrual tension, some symptoms of excessive menstruation, and flushes and sweats but not disappearance of menstruation for over six months. Current psychiatric state was significantly associated with recent adverse life events and with indices of psychiatric vulnerability (neuroticism and previous psychiatric history), suggesting possible aetiological links with gynaecological symptoms. The findings of this study have implications for the management of gynaecological complaints in general practice.