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Objectives: To determine whether pregnant women and their newborns show evidence of iodine deficiency, and to examine the correlation between maternal urine iodine concentration (UIC) and newborn thyroid‐stimulating hormone (TSH) level. Design: A cross‐sectional study. Setting: Hospital antenatal care services (March–May 2004) and private obstetrician clinics (June 2004) in the Central Coast area of New South Wales. Participants: 815 pregnant women (≥ 28 weeks’ gestation) and 824 newborns. Main outcome measures: World Health Organization/International Council for the Control of Iodine Deficiency Disorders criteria for assessing severity of iodine deficiency (recommended levels: < 20% of urine samples in a population with UIC < 50 μg/L; and < 3% of newborns with whole‐blood TSH level > 5 mIU/L). Results: The median UIC for pregnant women was 85 μg/L, indicating mild iodine deficiency. Almost 17% of pregnant women had a UIC < 50 μg/L, and 18 newborns (2.2%) had TSH values > 5 mIU/L. There was no statistically significant linear correlation between neonatal whole‐blood TSH level and maternal UIC (r = − 0.03; P = 0.4). Mothers with a UIC < 50 μg/L were 2.6 times (relative risk = 2.65; 95% CI, 1.49–4.73; P = 0.01) more likely to have a baby with a TSH level > 5 mIU/L. Conclusion: The pregnant women surveyed were mildly iodine deficient. TSH values for their newborns were mostly within acceptable limits. Ongoing surveillance of the iodine status of NSW communities to establish trends over time is recommended.

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Purpose:To investigate the impact of conducting Structured Antenatal Psychosocial Assessments (SAPSA) on midwives' emotional wellbeing. The SAPSA includes screening and assessment tools for domestic violence, childhood trauma, drug and alcohol use, depression, and vulnerability factors. Design:Qualitative descriptive design utilising focus group interviews Setting:Two hospitals in NSW undertaking routine mandatory SAPSA.Participants: Registered midwives who had conducted the SAPSA with women during the first hospital booking visit. Results:Four major themes were identified that directly impacted upon the midwives' emotional wellbeing: cumulative complex disclosures, frustration and stress, lack of support for midwives and unhealthy coping strategies. Conclusions and implications for practice:There was a cumulative emotional effect with some midwives utilising unhealthy strategies to cope with feelings of frustration, inadequacy and vicarious trauma. Establishment of structured referral pathways for women and supportive systems for midwives are essential prior to implementing the SAPSA.

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Midwives and doctors in this study were positively oriented towards assisting and supporting women to attempt a VBAC. Care providers considered that women who have experienced a prior CS need access to midwifery continuity of care with a focus on support, information-sharing and effective communication.

Objectives: This integrative review aimed to synthesize studies that investigated the effects of acupressure on sleep quality, depression, anxiety, and agitation in older people, and to describe the acupressure procedures and techniques applied in the included studies.Methods: A literature search was conducted using electronic databases including CINAHL, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and MEDLINE. The inclusion criteria for the review were studies examining the effect of acupressure in older people aged 60 years and above, measured the outcomes for sleep quality, depression, anxiety or agitation, applied body acupressure, and published in English language. The exclusion criteria were studies using auricular acupoints only, and articles published in any language other than English. Methodological quality of studies was assessed using the critical appraised tools developed by the Joanna Briggs Institute. The information about study design, findings, and description of acupressure intervention were extracted, summarized, and synthesized.Results: A total of 255 articles were identified from the search and as well one article from cross-references. From there, a total of 19 studies were included in this review. Nine studies consistently showed positive effects of acupressure on sleep quality, and four studies consistently showed that acupressure reduced depression.The outcomes of acupressure on anxiety and agitation showed inconsistent findings, in which three studies measured anxiety and five studies measured agitation. There was also variation of acupressure techniques applied in the reviewed studies.Conclusion: This review found some emerging evidences that acupressure can be beneficial for older people who suffer from sleep problems and depression. Use of specific acupressure points, with standardized acupressure treatment protocols, may improve sleep quality and possibly psychological wellbeing of older people. Future research with well-designed mixed method studies are required to produce stronger evidence, as well as in-depth understanding of acupressure intervention in aged care context.