By: Diana Barnes-Brown for Fibroids1For women at risk of health and family problems such as drug use, smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke, family violence, and depression, a multifaceted approach may work better than isolating each of these problems and attempting to deal with them individually.
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Watch for these risk factors that affect both mom and baby:
1. Smoking and secondhand smoke exposure has been linked to birth complications, problems with fetal development, premature birth and low birth weight, asthma in older children and “crib death” also known as SIDS.
2. Family or partner violence can cause injuries to mother and child, as well as depression, anxiety, and other psychological problems.
3. Drug use can damage a developing fetus and can increase the likelihood of child abuse, neglect, and other domestic problems.
4. Depression can lead to disruptions in the work and home lives of mothers and families, child abuse and neglect, and problems in family relationships if left untreated.
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A recent report gives evidence that pregnancy-related health interventions should deal with multiple risk factors at the same time, and that intervention efforts should continue after women give birth. Ayman El-Mohandes M.D., MPH, the interim chair of the department of prevention and community health in The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services, presented the study, entitled “An Integrated Psycho-Behavioral Intervention During Pregnancy Has Significant Effects in Reducing Risks During the Post-Partum Period in African-American Women,” at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies this May in Washington, D.C.
El-Mohandes and fellow researchers followed 1,044 pregnant black women in and around Washington, D.C. for a three-year period that ended in 2004. The health intervention period lasted for 10 weeks after delivery, which is longer than most such interventions typically last.
“The women who received this intervention did significantly better when it came to numerous risk factors like intimate partner violence, smoking and environmental exposure to smoke,” said El-Mohandes.
On the other hand, the women did not fare better when it came to post-partum depression. El-Mohandes noted that this might be because post-partum depression occurs after pregnancy, when most of the intervention had already taken place.
However, "it's important to keep the intervention going after the baby is born,” he said. “Some women who quit smoking during pregnancy and vowed to stay off cigarettes, for example, may decide to light up again after they have their baby.”
The same holds true for other risk factors, noted El-Mohandes. “Many of these problems happen in clusters, and so it makes sense to treat them together,” said Dr. El-Mohandes.
