Purpose
Prenatal depression affects 10%–25% of pregnant women and has important implications for maternal and neonatal health. High-risk pregnant women may be particularly vulnerable to anxiety and depression because of obstetric complications and concerns about fetal health. This study examined factors related to prenatal depression among hospitalized high-risk pregnant women, focusing on resilience, pregnancy stress, and marital satisfaction.
Methods
A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted among 169 high-risk pregnant women admitted to a tertiary hospital in South Korea. Data were collected using validated instruments that measured pregnancy stress, marital satisfaction, resilience, and prenatal depression. Hierarchial regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with prenatal depression.
Results
The mean prenatal depression score was 8.75±5.54, and 43.8% of participants had mild to severe depression. The regression model explained 37.4% of the variance in prenatal depression (F=21.07, p<.001). Resilience showed the strongest protective association (β=−.43, p<.001), followed by pregnancy stress as a significant risk factor (β=.26, p<.001) and desire for pregnancy as a significant predictor (β=−.16, p=.018). Marital satisfaction and experience of infertility treatment were not significant independent predictors.
Conclusion
Resilience and pregnancy stress were key factors related to prenatal depression among hospitalized high-risk pregnant women. Interventions that strengthen resilience and reduce pregnancy-related stress may help prevent and manage prenatal depression in this population.

Purpose
North Korean refugee women face multiple vulnerabilities during pregnancy and early childrearing due to fragmented support and limited familiarity with Korea’s health and welfare systems. Existing research has examined isolated barriers. This study used a service design approach to explore their maternal–infant care experiences and identify structural discontinuities across the care pathway.
Methods
Data were collected from North Korean refugee mothers and service providers from April to August 2024. A service design approach using user journey mapping, thematic analysis, and service blueprinting was employed to examine user actions, emotional trajectories, frontline interactions, and backstage and interagency processes.
Results
Five structural issues were identified: fragmented information, cross-institutional access barriers, cultural and emotional isolation, discontinuity in interagency linkage, and provider resource constraints. These issues accumulated along the pathway, increasing emotional burden, delaying timely care, and reinforcing avoidance behaviors. Misalignment between user needs and multi-agency processes was also evident.
Conclusion
Maternal and infant care challenges among North Korean refugee women stem from structural fragmentation rather than individual factors. Based on these findings, the NK Mom Care Navigator—a pathway-based, culturally responsive service design model—is proposed to strengthen continuity of care and enhance equitable maternal–infant support for vulnerable refugee families.

Purpose
Smoking during pregnancy contributes to the risk of negative health outcomes in mothers and babies. The purposes of this study were to review the harmful effects of maternal smoking during pregnancy on fetal and child development, to discuss if maternal smoking should be criminalized as a form of child abuse, and to explore advocating for fetal rights.
Methods
A variety of published literature and legal documents including the Korean constitution, criminal laws, and children’s welfare laws were reviewed and critically analyzed.
Results
Women who smoke during pregnancy are more likely to experience abortion related to placental dysfunction. Their unborn risk premature birth, fetal growth restriction, low birth weight, neurobehavioral disturbances, and/or other complications and newborn babies are also at risk for complications. The advocates for fetal rights can assert that maternal smoking should be regarded as a crime.
Conclusion
Findings show that maternal smoking during pregnancy is a major risk factor for many adverse pregnancy outcomes. Effective strategies and health policies for smoking cessation during pregnancy are required to protect pregnant women and their babies.

Citations

• Risk Factors for Preterm Birth in Advanced Maternal Age
  권은진, 조안젤라, 국내 조산 레지스트리 그룹, 박미혜, 김영주, 이경주, 박선화
  JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF MATERNAL AND CHIL.2018; 22(2): 106.     CrossRef
• Does wastewater discharge have relations with increase of Turner syndrome and Down syndrome?
  Intae Choi
  Environmental Health and Toxicology.2017; 32: e2017012.     CrossRef

PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to describe the pregnancy and childbirth experience of unmarried teenage mothers and to provide basic information of programmes to prevent unplanned pregnancies in unmarried teenage mothers.
METHODS
The participants of study were 7 unmarried teenage mothers who lived in shelters in D city, and whose ages ranged from 15 to 19 years. Data gathering through in-depth interviews, 3 to 5 times, was done from August 2002 to September 2003. Data were analyzed with Colaizzi's(1978) phenomenological methodology.
RESULTS
The implications of pregnancy and childbirth experience for unmarried teenage mothers were "Seem to live in hell", "Desire for a miscarriage", "Lethargy", "Feel maternity", "Feel unjustified", and "Change of sexual perception".
CONCLUSION
These findings contribute to understanding the pregnancy and childbirth experience of unmarried teenage mothers and can be used as sexual education information to help unmarried teenage mothers to prevent further unplanned pregnancies.