This study examined the effect of husband-presence during Labor on relaxtion of pregnant women. 12 husband-present women and 8 husband-absent women participated in this study.
The heart rate level during Stages II and Stages III was measured by Portable Heart Rate Memory. The data were converted into relative heart rate and analyzed statistically.
The findings of this study are summarized as follows.
1. A significant difference was noted in the relative heart rate level during labor between the group with husband-presence (presence group hereinafter) and the group without husbandpresence (absence group hereinafter). In any phase of labor, the presence group was significantly lower in the minimum level of periodical (up-and-down) heart rate.
2 Regarding midwifery factors, a significant difference was found in total blood during labor between the multiparas in the two groups, and 80% of the group with husband-presence did nothave perineal injury and episiotomy.
3. Between the primiparas in the two groups, duration-time for Stages II was different significantly.
At the end, the importance of this study in midwifery was discussed.

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In order to shed light on the midwife's burnout syndrome and its related factors. We conducted a longitudinal survey by a free-answer questionnaire method, covering 145 of midwives who graduated from midwifery school one year before, 104 of two years' graduates, 78 of three years' graduates, and 96 of five years' graduates. In addition, we interviewed with 13 of full five years' graduates.
As a result, while no burnout sufferer was found among those who graduated full one year before, it turned out that more than 13 percent of two or more years' graduates suffered from burnout. Excluding those with signes of the disorder, the completely normal accounted for less than half ofthe five years' graduates.
The midwife's job arrangement and/or family life, which had existed as a potentional factor, was found to be a rather indirect contributor to burnout, since the support from her family members or friends help to alleviate its effects. However, her attitudes toward the job or willingness was found to be directly related to the burnout, and to be strongly influences by superiors' or colleagues' evaluation of her job. Moreover, the survey revealed that job transfers tend to act as a direct contributor to the hazard.

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Since Women are said to be confronted with developmental crisis in the process of becoming a mother, we consider that “maternity blues” might be one of the signs of that crisis. Thus in orber to reveal the relationship between signs of maternity blues observed in postpartum period and maternal consciousness developed in the process of becoming a mother during perinatal period, a survey was conducted in 270 puerperae using Zung's Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) and other scales to determine the degree of maternity blues, maternal consciousness during gestational and postpartum periods, and satisfaction with delivery, the rate of effective reply was 100%.
Subjects were 28.6 years of age in average, 58% of them were primiparae, and the mean SDS score (+SD) was 33.65 (±6.5). Subjects were divided into two groups: the depressed group with the score of mean+1SD or over, and the non-depressed group with the score of less than mean+1SD.
Comparative analysis of two groups revealed statistically significant differences in consciousness during gestational and postpartum periods and satisfaction with delivery between two groups: the non-depression group showed more positive consciousness and a higher level of satisfaction. There were significant correlations between negative maternal consciousness during gestational and postpartum periods and dissatisfaction with delivery.

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This study will be performed to clarify the circumstances for pregnant women of an advanced age to decide whether or not they will undergo amniocentesis.
Semi-structured interviews wereconducted with 30 pregnant wornen of an advanced age.Theresult were as follows:
1.The major motivation for thinking amniocentesis were“to doctor'spresentation”“to have a good knowledge about amniocentesis”, “to have ahandicapped children”, “to have taken amniocentesis” and“to know the child of Down's syndrome”.
2.The women had positive or nagetive thoughts of the amniocentesis.
Positive thoughts: 1) To be happy for the new born child and family.
2) To make a contribution to fetuscare.
Negative thoughts: 1) To be meaningless it, because of there is scarcely the care
2) Tohavesideefectsandphysicalinlury.
3) To prevent to make the relation of mother and babyin the eary pregnancy.
3.The positive and/or negative of the amniosentesis were concernd of deciding whether or not undergo amniosentesis. And these results were same with the husband and the parents.Then the women who suffered were affected by the thoughts of their husband and parents.
4.The women who did not suffer were the motivations for thinking amniosentesis:
“to have a handicapped children”, “to know the child of Down's syndrome” and “to have taken amniocentesis”.

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