三つ子以上の多胎児家庭における障害児の有無別にみた母親の疲労状態

Handicaps and Maternal Fatigue Symptoms in Families with Triplet, Quadruplet, and Quintuplet

緒言

　近年，不妊治療の普及によって，アメリカやイギリスと同様，本邦においても多胎出産は増加傾向にある^1-4）。特に，三つ子以上の多胎出産が激増しており，三つ子では1951年から1974年に出産100万対56であった出産数が1994年には275に，四つ子では1951年から1968年に出産100万対0.93であった出産数が1994年には26.7に，五つ子では1975年から1989年に出産100万対0.86であった出産数が1994年には2.89に至っている^5-9）。

　多胎児家庭のこのような増加は，妊娠管理や育児支援など地域での母子保健領域の新たな課題となっている。筆者はこのような社会情勢を背景として双子や三つ子以上の多胎児を対象とした調査を実施し，多胎児をかかえる家庭では妊娠中から出産後までさまざまな問題をかかえていることを報告してきた^10-16）。

　This study investigated fatigue symptoms in mothers with handicapped triplets, quadruplets and quintuplets, and identified factors associated with the risk of maternal fatigue. The Cumulative Fatigue Symptoms Index and self-rated fatigue as 5 grades was used to measure their fatigue symptoms. Two hundred thirty-six mothers of triplets, twenty mothers of quadruplets and four mothers of quintuplets were surveyed by mailed questionnaires. The following results were obtained.

　1) Mothers with handicapped triplets and high order births reported severe fatigue than those with non-handicapped triplets and high order births. In non-handicapped triplets and higher order births, mothers of triplets and higher order births aged three or more showed less physical fatigue than those of triplets and higher order births aged up to two. However, in handicapped triplets and higher order births, mothers of triplets and higher order births aged three or more did not show less physical fatigue than those of triplets and higher order births aged up to two.

　2) Mothers with handicapped triplets and high order births who did not receive assistance from others for childcare reported severe fatigue, compared to those with handicapped triplets and high order births who receive assistance from others. Especially, mothers who received no-cooperation from husbands showed severe mental fatigue than those who received cooperation from husbands.