The effect of intravenous hydration on latency period

Background and aims: Preterm delivery is associated with significant perinatal morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to determine the effects of intravenous (IV) hydration on time interval from rupture of membranes to delivery (latency period) in pregnant women with Preterm premature rupture of fetal membranes. Methods: 24 pregnant women during their 28 to 34 weeks of gestational age with singleton live pregnancy whose baseline amniotic fluid index (AFI) was ≥ 5 cm were randomized into 2 case and control groups. The study group (Amniotic Fluid Index) received one liter intravenous fluid bolus of isotonic Ringer serum during 30-minute period. The control group received expectant management. The time interval from rupture of membranes to delivery was studied. Independent t-test and paired t-test were used to compare 2 groups and mean latency period before and after hydration, respectively. Results: The results of this study demonstrated that AFI decreased significantly at 90 minutes in both control and study groups. The mean between time intervals and delivery was 196.41 h and 140.58 h in the study and control groups, respectively, But this differences were not statistically significant (95%: 75.9-316/9 CI 95% :10.2-270.9) (P=490). Conclusion: This study did not show any significant impact of hydration on AFI and consequently latency period as a prophylactic method. So, further studies with a larger sample size and at different time intervals seem to be needed to clarify the effect of hydration on latency period in PPROM

Sexual Function in Breastfeeding Women in Family Health Centers of Tabriz, Iran, 2012

Introduction:There are conflicting evidences about the effects of breastfeeding on postpartum maternal sexual functioning. With regard to the methodological weaknesses of previous studies and cultural differences affecting their issue, the present study aims to evaluate sexual functions of lactating women and its components. Methods:This is a descriptive study in which 200 eligible postpartum women were selected from eight health centers of Tabriz (25 from each center). The eligible women were called and invited to attend the health center. The evaluation was performed using the Persian version of normalized questionnaire of the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI). The participants’ sexual function scores above 28 were considered desirable (regarding the cut-off point mentioned in the Persian version of the questionnaire). Results:Almost all of the lactating women suffered from sexual dysfunctions. Regarding the sexual performance’s components the lowest scores were for libido and sexual arousal. Conclusion:According to the findings of the studies, in order to prevent the effects of sexual dysfunction on lactating women and their family members it is necessary to develop sexual health programs in health centers

Down syndrome screening methods in Iranian pregnant women

Introduction: Down syndrome is one of the most prevalent genetic diseases. Screening methods for this syndrome are easy and safe and are recommended to all pregnant wom-en particularly mothers over 35 years of age. This study aimed to review the status of Down syndrome screening and related factors in Iranian pregnant women. Methods: This descriptive analytical study was carried out in 2011. It included 400 women who were randomly selected from those referring to Alzahra Hospital (Tabriz, Iran) during their third trimester of pregnancy. Data was collected through a question-naire whose reliability and validity have been approved. The data was analyzed by chi-square test in SPSS13. Results: The results showed that while 28 and 26 women imple-mented screening tests during the first and second trimesters, respectively, only 5 sub-jects benefited from both (integrated test). Chi-square test showed significant correla-tions between the implementation of screening methods and age, education level, in-come, and the location of prenatal care (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The findings of the present study showed women to poorly implement Down syndrome screening methods. Therefore, the necessity of providing appropriate educational programs for health staff and mothers seems undeniable. Moreover, paying attention to the related factors such as income, educational level, and adequate training of mothers during pregnancy is essential

The Efficacy of Nigella sativa L. and Curcumin Nanomicelle Alone or Together on Lipid Profile, Glycemic Control Indices, and Serum 17-Β Estradiol in Postmenopausal Women

Introduction: Menopause is a condition for metabolic disorders. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of Nigella sativa (NS), curcumin nanomicelle (CN), lipid profile, glycemic status and 17-β estradiol (ES) levels in postmenopausal women. Methods: Triple-blind randomized clinical trial was conducted on 120 postmenopausal women. Participants were randomly assigned to four groups: 1) NS capsule 1000 mg and CN placebo, 2) 80 mg CN capsule and NS placebo, 3) both NS and CN capsules and 4) NS and CN placebo. Participants received a single dose daily for 6 months. The serum lipid profile, glycemic control biomarkers, and ES were measured pre-and post-intervention using biochemical methods. Results: Total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, fasting blood sugar (FBS), fasting insulin (FI), insulin resistance (IR), and ES showed significant improvement in NS group. CN significantly reduced TC, FI, and IR, and significantly increased ES. The combination of NS-CN significantly decreased TC, LDL, FI, and IR, and increased HDL and ES. The comparison of the studied with the placebo groups showed that these changes were significant in glycemic indices and NS significantly increased estrogen. Conclusion: NS, CN and NS-CN improved lipid profiles, blood sugar, and hormone levels. However, this improvement was significant in glycemic indices and estrogen levels compared to the placebo group. No superiority of combined NS-CN over NS or CN was found in this trial

The impact of Supplementation With Fish Oil on Lipid Profile of Pregnant Mothers: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Objective: The impact of supplementation with omega-3 fatty acid during gestational period on lipid profile levels remains unknown. The objective of this trial was to investigate the impact of supplementation with fish oil on maternal lipid profile. Materials and Methods: This research was a randomized triple blinded controlled trial. The study population was comprised healthy pregnant subjects who had family records at health care centers in Tabriz, Iran. A total of 150 women who were eligible for study were randomized into two groups, one group took fish oil supplement capsules (1000 mg/day), and another group took placebo. A total of 92 women fulfilled the study which 45 participants were in the supplemented group and 47 participants were in the placebo group. Consumption of fish oil capsules and placebo was daily one capsule from the beginning of the 21th week of gestation until delivery which was about 20 weeks. At the start of trial (16th-20th weeks) and in the fifth care of gestation (during 35th-37th weeks) 3 cc blood samples collected and sent to the laboratory for evaluation of lipid profile levels. Results: Despite substantial increases in total cholesterol, triglycerides and Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels with advancing pregnancy, there was no statistically significant discrepancy between the intervention and placebo groups. (P = 0.345, 0.299, 0.109, respectively). Despite a significant decrease in the levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol with advancing pregnancy, there was no statistically meaningful difference between two groups (P = 0.786) Conclusion: We found no effect of supplementation with fish oil during gestation on plasma lipid profile of pregnant mothers

Effect of Synbiotic Supplementation on Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes in Pregnant Women With Pre-eclampsia: Study Protocol for a Triple Blind Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

Objectives: Background: Preeclampsia is one of the main causes of premature birth, growth restriction, and intrauterine death of fetus. Probiotics has the potential to modulate inflammatory and oxidative stress biomarkers that implicated in the pathophysiology of preeclampsia. The aim of the present study is to establish the impact of synbiotic supplements, comprising of probiotic and prebiotic fructooligosaccharide, in comparison to placebo, on the maternal and neonatal outcome outcomes in women afflicted with mild preeclampsia. Methods: This is a study protocol of a randomized, controlled, phase 3, triple-blind, randomized clinical trial. The classification is based on the gestational age at the time of diagnosis of mild preeclampsia (early-onset or late-onset preeclampsia). Participants will be 128 pregnant women with mild pre-eclampsia (systolic blood pressure between 140-160 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure between 90-110 mm Hg, along with other preeclampsia symptoms). Participants will divide into two intervention and control groups using a 1:1 random allocation ratio randomly. They will receive one oral capsule (the concentration of 109 CFU) or placebo daily from admission until delivery. Primary outcomes included mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure, mean gestational age from diagnosis to delivery, and mean birth weight. Also, secondary outcomes included proteinuria, serum creatinine level, the incidence of severe PE, the use of antihypertensive drugs, the rate of natural delivery, incidence of serious complications, maternal blood factors such as platelet count, and serum levels of liver enzymes such as ALT, AST, bilirubin, and LDH. Discussion: The present trial can importantly contribute to the selection of an appropriate Synbiotic supplement as safe pharmaceutical adjuvants in the treatment of pregnant women with mild preeclampsia and prevention of maternal and neonatal complications. Trial Registration: IRCT20110606006709N20. Registered on August 13, 2022

The Effect of Ceratonia siliqua L. on Semen Parameters in Idiopathic Male Infertility: A Systematic Review

Background & aim: At least 50% of infertile couples' problems are related to the male factor infertility. There is widespread use of herbal medicine among men for infertility problems. This study was conducted to determine the effect of Ceratonia siliqua L. (Carob) on semen parameters in idiopathic male infertility.Methods: This systematic review was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). Articles were searched without time restrictions till September 2023 through searching English databases including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, EMBASE and ProQuest using MeSH terms of male infertility, RCT, herbal medicine, idiopathic male infertility, Ceratonia siliqua L, Carob, semen parameters and their equivalent words in Persian, which were searched individually or in combination. Two reviewers independently assessed eligibility and quality of included articles and any disagreements were resolved by consensus with a third party.Results: Out of 140 articles, 97 documents were removed due to duplication. After screening 43 remaining articles, 30 articles were excluded based on the title and abstract, and eight articles due to being conducted on animals. One article was the study protocol, which was also excluded. Finally, four articles were included in systematic review. All studies reported Carob is effective in improving some or all parameters of semen including count, motility, and morphology.Conclusion: Considering small number of human studies related to the effect of Carob on semen parameters, conducting more robust clinical trials are recommended

Cosmetic Breast Implants and the Risk of Suicide: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Objective: Having cosmetic breast implants increases a woman's chance of suicide, which is now a global challenge. This systematic review evaluated the possible risk of suicide among women who undergo cosmetic breast implants. Method: This meta-analysis was done based on Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). In the current systematic review and meta-analysis, we systematically searched for all articles written in both English or Persian that estimated the prevalence of suicidal ideation in women who had cosmetic breast implants. We systematically searched different databases, including MEDLINE (PubMed), Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane, Library ProQuest, Scopus, and Google Scholar, from inception to March 2021. There was also a search for references. Suicidal ideation, a suicide plan, or suicide attempts were the outcomes. In order to determine the total pooled prevalence of suicidal ideation, we utilized a random-effects model. To examine the risks of bias in each study, we applied the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal method. Results: We identified 218 citations in our initial search. After omitting duplicated citations and excluding irrelevant studies according to the title and abstract selection, 42 studies were chosen for the full text analysis. Finally, 11 research, examining a total of 324,332 women were incorporated into the systematic review and critical appraisal assessment. Eight of these studies were found to be eligible for meta-analysis. The frequency of suicide in women with cosmetic breast implant was 0.2% (95% CI: 0.1% to 0.4%; P < 0.001) (Q-value: 168.143, I2:95.83). Most of the included studies had moderate quality. Conclusion: There might be a correlation between cosmetic breast implants and suicide risk, which could be stronger in the presence of a history of mental illnesses. The evidence about the possible effects of breast implants on the risk of suicide is still inconclusive, and there is a need for future well-designed studies on this topic

HYSSOP and POLIUM could help to prevent COVID-19 in high-risk population: The results of a parallel randomized placebo-controlled field trial

243-253This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of HYSSOP (composed of Hyssopus officinalis L., Echium amoenum Fisch & C. A. Mey and Glycyrrhiza glabra L.) and POLIUM (contained Teucrium polium L., Cuscuta epithymum Murr and Cichorium intybus L.) combined distilled herbal medicines compared to placebo in the prevention of COVID-19. This is a double-blind parallel placebo-controlled field trial conducted on 751 asymptomatic individuals whose one of the family members recently had a positive RT-PCR test for COVID-19. They were divided into three groups including POLIUM, HYSSOP and placebo using random blocks with a 1:1:1 allocation ratio. Participants received daily 5 cc (under 12 years) or 10 cc (over 12 years) of allocated oral medications for 20 days. The primary outcome was the frequency of positive RT-PCR test among participants who became symptomatic. The mean age of participants was 36.6. Nineteen participants get infected by COVID-19 during the intervention; fifteen of them belonged to the placebo and four to the POLIUM group. Fisher's exact test indicated significant differences between HYSSOP and placebo (p<0.001) as well as POLIUM and placebo (p=0.009) groups in terms of COVID-19 confirmed by PCR tests. Cox regression model adjusted for confounders illustrated that the hazard of getting infection by COVID-19 in POLIUM and HYSSOP groups decreased by 66% (OR (95% CI): 0.34 (0.12 to 0.94); p=0.038) and 93% (OR (95% CI): 0.07 (0.01to 0.56); p=0.012) respectively, compared to placebo .Oral administration of HYSSOP and POLIUM with the other supportive health care could decrease the risk of getting COVID-19

Status of Breast Self-Examination Performance among Women Referring to Health Centers of Tabriz, Iran

Objective: Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer and the second principal cause of deaths from cancer in women. Breast self-examination (BSE) is an inexpensive screening method and is carried out by women themselves. The purpose of this study was to examine the status of breast self-examination performance among women referring to health centers of Tabriz, Iran. Materials and Methods: This study was a descriptive/ cross-sectional research carried out on 400 women aged 20-50 years. The samples were recruited randomly from among female clients of health centers in Tabriz. A questionnaire and an observational checklist were used to elicit socio-demographic information and status of BSE performance among women. Content validity was used for validation and Cronbach’s alpha was calculated (0.80) for reliability of instrument. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze data through SPSS software. Results: The findings of this research showed that only 18.8% of women performed BSE. Among them, 46.67% performed BSE monthly, and 40% at the end of menstruation. The initiation age of BSE in 77% was between 21-30 years of age. It is considerable that 54.7% of them had received no advice on BSE from physicians and midwives. The majority of women did not perform the various steps of BSE. The quality of this screening was very desirable in 2 (0.5 %), desirable in 5 (1.3%), average in 19 (4.8%), undesirable in 36 (9%), and very undesirable in 338 (84.5%) women. Chi-square test showed a significant relationship between the quality of BSE performance and level of education, employment, breastfeeding quality, and family history of breast cancer (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The findings showed that the status of BSE performance was very poor. Therefore, to encourage women to use BSE correctly and regularly, education programs should be performed through various media including television, radio, and leaflets. The role of Health personnel in this field is very important