Biomaterial Database

Motherhood after traumatic spinal cord injury. 1994

N Westgren, and R Levi

Solberga Project, Karolinska Institute, Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.

The present study includes all women with a traumatic spinal cord injury in Sweden who became pregnant and delivered live infants during 1980-1991. This group comprises six tetraplegic and 20 paraplegic patients, all confined to a wheelchair. During the above mentioned period the patients had delivered a total of 47 children. The study evaluated parental ability and quality of family life as regards interpersonal relationships, family relationships, social integration, recreational interests and demand for external assistance. An individual standardised interview was performed with all patients. In addition a standardised questionnaire was sent to all spouses (n = 20) and to all children above 10 years of age (n = 10). All 26 patients participated, 18 spouses completed and returned the questionnaires and all children took part in the study. We found an overall favourable outcome as regards the parameters evaluated. The families seem to live a rich and complete family life with very little demand for external help. They report a well functioning social network and seem socially integrated both as individuals and as families. To conclude, the study indicates that there is no reason to question females with an SCI in their roles as parents. The spinal cord injury per se, in females, thus does not preclude the possibility of having a family and caring for children adequately.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007398	Interpersonal Relations	The reciprocal interaction of two or more persons.	Social Relationships,Husband-Wife Communication,Partner Communication,Communication, Husband-Wife,Communication, Partner,Husband Wife Communication,Husband-Wife Communications,Interpersonal Relation,Partner Communications,Relation, Interpersonal,Relationship, Social,Social Relationship
D008425	Maternal Behavior	The behavior patterns associated with or characteristic of a mother.	Maternal Patterns of Care,Maternal Care Patterns,Behavior, Maternal,Behaviors, Maternal,Care Pattern, Maternal,Care Patterns, Maternal,Maternal Behaviors,Maternal Care Pattern,Pattern, Maternal Care,Patterns, Maternal Care
D010264	Paraplegia	Severe or complete loss of motor function in the lower extremities and lower portions of the trunk. This condition is most often associated with SPINAL CORD DISEASES, although BRAIN DISEASES; PERIPHERAL NERVOUS SYSTEM DISEASES; NEUROMUSCULAR DISEASES; and MUSCULAR DISEASES may also cause bilateral leg weakness.	Paralysis, Lower Extremities,Paraplegia, Spastic,Spastic Paraplegia,Paralysis, Legs,Paralysis, Lower Limbs,Paraplegia, Ataxic,Paraplegia, Cerebral,Paraplegia, Flaccid,Paraplegia, Spinal,Ataxic Paraplegia,Ataxic Paraplegias,Cerebral Paraplegia,Cerebral Paraplegias,Flaccid Paraplegia,Flaccid Paraplegias,Paraplegias,Paraplegias, Ataxic,Paraplegias, Cerebral,Paraplegias, Flaccid,Paraplegias, Spastic,Paraplegias, Spinal,Spastic Paraplegias,Spinal Paraplegia,Spinal Paraplegias
D011247	Pregnancy	The status during which female mammals carry their developing young (EMBRYOS or FETUSES) in utero before birth, beginning from FERTILIZATION to BIRTH.	Gestation,Pregnancies
D011248	Pregnancy Complications	Conditions or pathological processes associated with pregnancy. They can occur during or after pregnancy, and range from minor discomforts to serious diseases that require medical interventions. They include diseases in pregnant females, and pregnancies in females with diseases.	Adverse Birth Outcomes,Complications, Pregnancy,Adverse Birth Outcome,Birth Outcome, Adverse,Complication, Pregnancy,Outcome, Adverse Birth,Pregnancy Complication
D011782	Quadriplegia	Severe or complete loss of motor function in all four limbs which may result from BRAIN DISEASES; SPINAL CORD DISEASES; PERIPHERAL NERVOUS SYSTEM DISEASES; NEUROMUSCULAR DISEASES; or rarely MUSCULAR DISEASES. The locked-in syndrome is characterized by quadriplegia in combination with cranial muscle paralysis. Consciousness is spared and the only retained voluntary motor activity may be limited eye movements. This condition is usually caused by a lesion in the upper BRAIN STEM which injures the descending cortico-spinal and cortico-bulbar tracts.	Quadriparesis,Spastic Quadriplegia,Tetraplegia,Flaccid Quadriplegia,Flaccid Tetraplegia,Paralysis, Spinal, Quadriplegic,Spastic Tetraplegia,Flaccid Quadriplegias,Flaccid Tetraplegias,Quadripareses,Quadriplegia, Flaccid,Quadriplegia, Spastic,Quadriplegias,Quadriplegias, Flaccid,Quadriplegias, Spastic,Spastic Quadriplegias,Spastic Tetraplegias,Tetraplegia, Flaccid,Tetraplegia, Spastic,Tetraplegias,Tetraplegias, Flaccid,Tetraplegias, Spastic
D005190	Family	A social group consisting of parents or parent substitutes and children.	Family Life Cycles,Family Members,Family Life Cycle,Family Research,Filiation,Kinship Networks,Relatives,Families,Family Member,Kinship Network,Life Cycle, Family,Life Cycles, Family,Network, Kinship,Networks, Kinship,Research, Family
D005260	Female		Females
D006262	Health	The state of the organism when it functions optimally without evidence of disease.	Individual Health,Normalcy,Normality,Health, Individual,Normalcies,Normalities
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man