The Considerations in Maternal Health and Labor

Annotated Bibliography
Your Name
Subject and Section
Professor’s Name
Date
Dunn, A. B., Jordan, S., Baker, B. J., & Carlson, N. S. (2017). The Maternal Infant Microbiome: Considerations for Labor and Birth. MCN. The American journal of maternal child nursing, 42(6), 318–325. https://doi.org/10.1097/NMC.0000000000000373
The considerations in maternal health and labor include the colonization of pathogens, the use of antibiotics, and the use of essential maternal procedures. Maternal health is dependent on the balance of the microorganisms in the mother to have an excellent maternal and child outcome. Microorganisms can penetrate and multiply in the uterus, resulting in newborn infection. The pathogens are transferred from the mother to the child as an early inoculation process, leading to chronic diseases in the child. These pathogens can colonize the umbilical cord, fetal membranes, placenta, and amniotic fluid. Gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria have been shown to cause infection. Remarkably, some of the identified pathogens include Escherichia coli, Bacteroidetes, and Prevotella tannerae. The pathogens can also translocate from other body parts to the female reproductive tract (i.e., from the gastrointestinal tract) (Dunn et al., 2017).
The most common route of birth is vaginal, comprising 68% of the cases. This process allows the child to pass through the vaginal canal and expose the pathogens that colonize the area. Lactobacillus species are often found in the vagina, helping maintain vaginal fluid pH to prevent the colonization of other bacteria. Good microflora passed to the child is essential for the development of the immune system. However, those that are pathogenic may cause infection in the child. By contrast, children born via caesarian section tend to have less good microflora, resulting in the immune system’s underdevelopment. These children often develop allergies (Dunn et al., 2017).
Antibiotic use may disturb the balance of reproductive tract microflora, allowing for the growth of pathogenic bacteria due to the reduction of protective microflora such as Lactobacillus species and Bifidobacteria. During labor, obstetricians prescribe antibiotics to reduce the possibility of infection after birth for both the mother and child. The issue was that these could cross the placental-fetal barrier and may affect the growth of the child. In addition, studies have shown that the child’s gastrointestinal tract undergoes dysbiosis secondary to the disruption in the natural flora due to intrapartum antibiotic administration. Lastly, procedures that can cause dysbiosis include intrauterine fetal heart rate measurement, cervical examination, urinary catheterization, antibiotic administration, kangaroo hug, and breastfeeding. (Dunn et al., 2017).
Fiscaletti, M., Stewart, P., & Munns, C. F. (2017). The importance of vitamin D in maternal and child health: a global perspective. Public health reviews, 38(1), 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40985-017-0066-3
The researchers investigated the vitamin D levels of the mother and the infant and the latter’s predisposition for vitamin D deficiency (VDD) and nutritional rickets (NR) associated with low levels of dieta...