**1. Introduction**

Man's health is an essential condition of his/her wellbeing, self-fulfillment and an active creation [1, 2]. However, throughout the world, there is a great number of people suffering from different diseases. A part of them is connected with the process of gestating and bearing a child, many of them are a result of poverty, and some others are a consequence of aging [3]. Nowadays, many scientists define the reason for hereditary disease growth as a result of that mankind has gone out of control of natural selection. For instance, at the end of the nineteenth century in Russia, 85% of infants who were born in summer died [4]. The reason for most children's death was intestinal infections and mothers' employment in agricultural works that decreased their care for the child. At present, infant mortality has fallen, but a lot of diseases have emerged. They may be an effect during pregnancy, some chronic diseases have exacerbates in the mother, or she has had infectious diseases, experienced the acute stress, etc. The mother for the child is a natural environment

in the course of development, and her health, of course, determines his/her health. Maternal organism provides everything the child needs in and develops in [5].

#### **1.1 The mother's diseases during the pregnancy and the child's health**

The extragenital and chronic genital pathology exerts a significant influence upon pregnancy outcome for the fetus [6]. Among the factors of adverse effect on the fetus, researchers point out chronic hypoxia due to the disturbance of uteroplacental blood circulation, the sympathetic-adrenal system insufficiency, fetal growth retardation, immaturity, the disturbance of function of cardiovascular and respiratory systems. Consequently, there appears a risk of the premature termination of pregnancy and birth of a premature baby [7]. Fetoplacental insufficiency is a complex of disturbances of placenta functions (transport, trophic, endocrine and metabolic) caused by morphofunctional changes in it and utero-placental blood circulation disturbance [8]. Placental insufficiency is a cause of the development disturbance and intrauterine hypoxia of the fetus and pathological statuses and diseases of a newborn baby.

At present, fetal hypoxia occupies a leading place in the structure of the reasons for perinatal mortality (from 40 to 70%) as well as central nervous system impairments in the fetus or a newborn (from 30 to 80%), which in turn lead to different disturbances of the somatic and neuromental development of children. At that, the degree of the severity of these pathological deviations depends upon the duration and severity of intrauterine hypoxia [9]. The chronic fetal hypoxia, fetal infection and birth trauma are main reasons for the perinatal lesion of central nervous system and the strongest stress factor [10, 11]. Fetoplacental insufficiency may arise throughout pregnancy but complications for the fetus manifest mainly during the third trimester. At delivery, fetal asphyxia progresses often in mothers with chronic fetoplacental insufficiency. The reason for that is an acute and chronic hypoxia of the fetus [12]. Newborn children have the central nervous system disturbances, changes in reflex excitability, cyanosis, bradycardia and so on [13]. The newborn children, whose mothers suffer from fetoplacental insufficiency, are born in the state of severe asphyxia in 10% of cases, and 81% experience a pathological course of an early neonatal period [14, 15].

In Russia, maternal toxemia during the first half of pregnancy occurs in 50% of women, late toxicosis in 2–30% of pregnant and parturient women [16]. Late gestosis represent a symptom complex of multiorgan and multisystem insufficiency, which manifest clinically more often from the 20th week of pregnancy and end immediately at birth or later after delivery [15]. The disturbances of mental, emotional and physical development are found in 20% of newborns from mothers with late gestosis; child morbidity rises considerably [17].

A number of investigations have shown that children born after pregnancy with gestosis have perinatal brain lesion, neurological complications, dysontogenesis, physical and neuromental development retardation, minimal brain dysfunction and immature indices of electroencephalogram [18]. Premature discharge of amniotic fluid is considered as an amniotic fluid release due to the rupture of membranes before the beginning of childbirth regardless of duration of gestation [19]. About 35% of premature labor is accompanied by premature discharge of amniotic fluid [20].

Among risk factors of premature discharge of amniotic fluid, there are aborts in an anamnesis (48%), inflammatory processes of genitals (33%), extragenital infectious diseases (12%), anomalies of the bone pelvis (8.5%) and hydramnion (3.4%). In case of premature discharge of amniotic fluid, complications during the childbirth and postpartum period increase considerably: birth abnormalities

**3**

ambivalent (C) types.

*The Interrelation of the Mother's Health Status with the State of Health…*

mediated, as it involves both genetic and environmental factors.

(16%), bleeding during the postpartum and early postpartum periods (12.5%) and

The growth of the incidence of dystocia is explained by the increase of a number of reasons leading to the development of that pathology. Central nervous system dysfunction underlies dystocia, namely: disturbance of equilibrium of the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions, somatic and genital diseases, endocrine disorders, flat fetal bladder and discrepancy between the fetus size and the mother's pelvis. Quite often, the reason for that anomaly is an undue and untimely prescrip-

Among the peculiarities of neonatal period in children from mothers with weakness of labor activity, there is a decrease of a favorable outcome of early adaption by newborns alongside with the prevalence of the perinatal lesion of central nervous system [24]. In many works, one points out a considerable influence of risk factors during the pre- and perinatal periods on the development of the cerebrum on the whole and higher cortical functions, which enhance the heterochrony of functional systems maturation [25]. The influence of the health of pregnant women on the somatic and mental health of infants is out of doubt. However, it is noteworthy that the totality of data evidence that in the long run, the mother's diseases lead to an inadequate nutrition of a baby in the course of gestation and oxygen anoxemia. During the antenatal and, particularly, postnatal periods, again, the influence of the mental health of the mother on the mental health of children is less obvious and

After birth, the child is connected with the mother physiologically and psychologically. During the first two living years, the mother's influence on his or her development almost overlaps all the other factors [26]. Even if the child gets any diagnosis at birth, in many cases there may come recovery under the adequate care of him or her [27]. The child's brain is extremely flexible during the first year of life that is why even traumas can be jugulated under quality care of him or her [28]. According to the modern concepts, the emotional connection between the child beginning from the first years of life and the mother is a major factor of his/her healthy development [29]. One should accept that it is the mother who is a main source of signs forming the emotional-informative environment of the child at early stages of his life [30]. According to Bowlby [31], a close relationship forms between the child and an adult caring during the first 2 years. They are built on the basis of the mutual direction to each other: the child seeks the contact, and the mother responds to it. That kind of behavior is determined biologically and is reasonable evolutionally, since in early days after birth, the child has to find the one who will defend and guard him [32]. According to the theory of attachment, the quality of the formed attachment depends directly on the child's parent who may take care of him in a different way. Ainsworth with co-authors [33] observed the communication of 26 mothers and their children aged one and a half years old during 1 year. As an indicator of attachment, they evalu-

ated the child's behavior at the moment of the mother's arrival and departure.

which correspond to three types of attachment of the child to the mother. Ainsworth calls them anxious-avoidant (A), secure (B) and anxious-resistant or

Based on the observations, three types of children's reactions are described,

The important thing is that children with secure attachment grow into adults who will care for their health and take the responsibility for that. On the contrary, children brought up under the circumstances of insecure attachment often grow into people depending on pernicious habits [34]. The emotional behavior of the

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.80754*

tion of stimulating-delivery remedies [23].

**1.2 The mother-child dyad after birth**

so on [21, 22].

*The Interrelation of the Mother's Health Status with the State of Health… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.80754*

*Maternal and Child Health Matters Around the World*

diseases of a newborn baby.

of an early neonatal period [14, 15].

with late gestosis; child morbidity rises considerably [17].

in the course of development, and her health, of course, determines his/her health. Maternal organism provides everything the child needs in and develops in [5].

The extragenital and chronic genital pathology exerts a significant influence upon pregnancy outcome for the fetus [6]. Among the factors of adverse effect on the fetus, researchers point out chronic hypoxia due to the disturbance of uteroplacental blood circulation, the sympathetic-adrenal system insufficiency, fetal growth retardation, immaturity, the disturbance of function of cardiovascular and respiratory systems. Consequently, there appears a risk of the premature termination of pregnancy and birth of a premature baby [7]. Fetoplacental insufficiency is a complex of disturbances of placenta functions (transport, trophic, endocrine and metabolic) caused by morphofunctional changes in it and utero-placental blood circulation disturbance [8]. Placental insufficiency is a cause of the development disturbance and intrauterine hypoxia of the fetus and pathological statuses and

At present, fetal hypoxia occupies a leading place in the structure of the reasons for perinatal mortality (from 40 to 70%) as well as central nervous system impairments in the fetus or a newborn (from 30 to 80%), which in turn lead to different disturbances of the somatic and neuromental development of children. At that, the degree of the severity of these pathological deviations depends upon the duration and severity of intrauterine hypoxia [9]. The chronic fetal hypoxia, fetal infection and birth trauma are main reasons for the perinatal lesion of central nervous system and the strongest stress factor [10, 11]. Fetoplacental insufficiency may arise throughout pregnancy but complications for the fetus manifest mainly during the third trimester. At delivery, fetal asphyxia progresses often in mothers with chronic fetoplacental insufficiency. The reason for that is an acute and chronic hypoxia of the fetus [12]. Newborn children have the central nervous system disturbances, changes in reflex excitability, cyanosis, bradycardia and so on [13]. The newborn children, whose mothers suffer from fetoplacental insufficiency, are born in the state of severe asphyxia in 10% of cases, and 81% experience a pathological course

In Russia, maternal toxemia during the first half of pregnancy occurs in 50% of women, late toxicosis in 2–30% of pregnant and parturient women [16]. Late gestosis represent a symptom complex of multiorgan and multisystem insufficiency, which manifest clinically more often from the 20th week of pregnancy and end immediately at birth or later after delivery [15]. The disturbances of mental, emotional and physical development are found in 20% of newborns from mothers

A number of investigations have shown that children born after pregnancy with gestosis have perinatal brain lesion, neurological complications, dysontogenesis, physical and neuromental development retardation, minimal brain dysfunction and immature indices of electroencephalogram [18]. Premature discharge of amniotic fluid is considered as an amniotic fluid release due to the rupture of membranes before the beginning of childbirth regardless of duration of gestation [19]. About 35% of premature labor is accompanied by premature discharge of

Among risk factors of premature discharge of amniotic fluid, there are aborts in an anamnesis (48%), inflammatory processes of genitals (33%), extragenital infectious diseases (12%), anomalies of the bone pelvis (8.5%) and hydramnion (3.4%). In case of premature discharge of amniotic fluid, complications during the childbirth and postpartum period increase considerably: birth abnormalities

**1.1 The mother's diseases during the pregnancy and the child's health**

**2**

amniotic fluid [20].

(16%), bleeding during the postpartum and early postpartum periods (12.5%) and so on [21, 22].

The growth of the incidence of dystocia is explained by the increase of a number of reasons leading to the development of that pathology. Central nervous system dysfunction underlies dystocia, namely: disturbance of equilibrium of the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions, somatic and genital diseases, endocrine disorders, flat fetal bladder and discrepancy between the fetus size and the mother's pelvis. Quite often, the reason for that anomaly is an undue and untimely prescription of stimulating-delivery remedies [23].

Among the peculiarities of neonatal period in children from mothers with weakness of labor activity, there is a decrease of a favorable outcome of early adaption by newborns alongside with the prevalence of the perinatal lesion of central nervous system [24]. In many works, one points out a considerable influence of risk factors during the pre- and perinatal periods on the development of the cerebrum on the whole and higher cortical functions, which enhance the heterochrony of functional systems maturation [25]. The influence of the health of pregnant women on the somatic and mental health of infants is out of doubt. However, it is noteworthy that the totality of data evidence that in the long run, the mother's diseases lead to an inadequate nutrition of a baby in the course of gestation and oxygen anoxemia. During the antenatal and, particularly, postnatal periods, again, the influence of the mental health of the mother on the mental health of children is less obvious and mediated, as it involves both genetic and environmental factors.

#### **1.2 The mother-child dyad after birth**

After birth, the child is connected with the mother physiologically and psychologically. During the first two living years, the mother's influence on his or her development almost overlaps all the other factors [26]. Even if the child gets any diagnosis at birth, in many cases there may come recovery under the adequate care of him or her [27]. The child's brain is extremely flexible during the first year of life that is why even traumas can be jugulated under quality care of him or her [28]. According to the modern concepts, the emotional connection between the child beginning from the first years of life and the mother is a major factor of his/her healthy development [29]. One should accept that it is the mother who is a main source of signs forming the emotional-informative environment of the child at early stages of his life [30].

According to Bowlby [31], a close relationship forms between the child and an adult caring during the first 2 years. They are built on the basis of the mutual direction to each other: the child seeks the contact, and the mother responds to it. That kind of behavior is determined biologically and is reasonable evolutionally, since in early days after birth, the child has to find the one who will defend and guard him [32]. According to the theory of attachment, the quality of the formed attachment depends directly on the child's parent who may take care of him in a different way. Ainsworth with co-authors [33] observed the communication of 26 mothers and their children aged one and a half years old during 1 year. As an indicator of attachment, they evaluated the child's behavior at the moment of the mother's arrival and departure.

Based on the observations, three types of children's reactions are described, which correspond to three types of attachment of the child to the mother. Ainsworth calls them anxious-avoidant (A), secure (B) and anxious-resistant or ambivalent (C) types.

The important thing is that children with secure attachment grow into adults who will care for their health and take the responsibility for that. On the contrary, children brought up under the circumstances of insecure attachment often grow into people depending on pernicious habits [34]. The emotional behavior of the

mother is predetermined considerably by her emotional intelligence [35–38]. The ability to realize and ponder over one's own and others' emotions, of course, implies numerous consequences, first of all, in a person's behavior. Due to that, the interrelation between emotional intelligence and attachment degree is of absolute interest [29, 33, 39, 40]. This is especially significant, since attachment involves the phenomena, which in the real life a person verbalizes seldom. It is difficult to imagine the mother who says by herself: "I accept my child", or "I support and I do not ignore my child". Attachment to the child is an intimate feeling being close to the instinct [31], and a person does not speak to himself or herself about its details.

We assume that one of the most important parameters influencing the child's health is a level of the emotional maturity of the mother. It manifests in the high emotional intelligence and emotional attachment to the child. We set the task to evaluate the state of health of the mother and child at birth, and the probability of the diagnosis cancelation in the child at the end of the second year of life. It depends upon two characteristics of the mother: emotional intelligence and the degree of attachment to the child.

In Russia, quality examination of the child is fulfilled after birth in the maternity hospital, and a major part of children gets one or the other diagnosis. Another attending doctor may cancel the diagnosis of the child, if the child's status has been normalized. At that, by the end of the first and, quite often, second year of life, medical specialists cancel children's diagnoses made earlier [27]. To a considerable extent, the child's status change is determined by efficient actions of caring persons, mainly, the mother [41]. It is the mother who in the majority of families takes the child to a doctor and carries out all the necessary directions for the rehabilitation. In that situation, her involvement in the process of the child's health recovery impacts substantially on the positive prediction of his/her recovery provided that the disease is not genetic but determined by the peculiarities of intrauterine development and birth.
