The Effect of training Emotional Support to Fathers on Acute Stress Disorder in Mothers of Preterm Infants Admitted to Neonatal Intensive Care Units

Background & aim: Prematurity and the admission of preterm infants in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) may pose emotional and practical challenges for parents and can cause acute stress disorder (ASD) in their mothers in case of mismanagement. Emotional support training to fathers may prevent mothers from these symptoms. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the effect of training emotional support to fathers on ASD symptoms in the mothers of preterm newborns admitted to NICUs. Methods: This clinical trial was conducted on 61 parents, 31 of whom were assigned into the intervention group, with preterm infants admitted in NICUs of Omolbanin Women's Hospital, Imam Reza Hospital, and Ghaem Hospital in Mashhad, Iran, 2016. The parents in intervention group were trained the skills of emotional support in one 120-minute session. Then, they received the educational content in the form of a brochure. The participants in control group received routine care. Prior to the intervention and four weeks after the birth, the mothers in both groups completed the Stanford Acute Stress Reaction Questionnaire (SASRQ) and the emotional support scale (ESS). Data analysis was performed using independent and paired t-tests, as well as Mann-Whitney U, Chi-squared, and Fisher’s exact test and two-way analysis of variance in SPSS software, version 16.  Results: The mean scores of SASRQ obtained by the intervention and control groups were 20.7±11.0 and 54.6±24.3, respectively in post-intervention phase. The results of the independent t-test showed a significant difference between the groups in terms of SASRQ scores (

Investigating the effect of context factors on the effectiveness of brand placement in movies

Brand placement is a modern method in advertising in a variety of media modes especially in movies. This research aims to investigate the effect of context factors on the effectiveness of brand placement. In this regard, two factors of purchase intention and recall are studied as the most important criteria of effectiveness of brand placement. This research is applied in terms of objective, and descriptive in terms of data collection. The research population consists of the students of applied courses in business training center of Tehran. The sample includes 342 people who were selected randomly. In order to analyze the data by inferential statistics, Bartlet test, Confirmatory factor analysis, exploratory factor analysis and SEM are used. The research results indicate that context factors such as the audience interest in the movie and the overall interest in movies affect the overall attitude of audience. Furthermore, the factor of familiarity with a movie does not affect the overall attitude of audience toward brand placement

The effect of posture in premature infants on the arterial oxygen saturation, fraction of inspired oxygen and abdominal distension

Background: Putting infants in a posture that reduces oxygen requirement and the complications of the continuous positive airway pressure method is very important. This study aimed at examining the effect of the posture on the arterial oxygen saturation, fraction of inspired oxygen (FIO2) and abdominal distension in premature infants with the respiratory distress syndrome under nasal continuous positive airway pressure. Materials and Methods: In this clinical trial study, 41 premature infants were selected by the simple random sampling and one-group before-after design. The amounts of arterial oxygen saturation, FIO2 and abdominal distension in supine and prone positions were recorded in a data-collection form. Results: There was a significant difference between the mean FIO2 and between the mean abdominal circumference in the prone and supine positions (P=0.022, P<0.001, respectively). There was no significant difference in the mean of arterial oxygen saturation between the two positions (P=0.749). Conclusion: According to the results of the present study, the neonates’ abdominal distension and FIO2 decreased in the prone position. Thus, this supportive, free of charge and effective method can be recommended for these neonates

Prevalence of serum antibodies to TORCH infection in the first trimester of the pregnancy in Kashan, Iran

Introduction:TORCH infections causing via Toxoplasma gondii, other microorganisms (e.g., Treponema pallidum), Rubella virus, Cytomegalovirus (CMV) and the Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) types 1 and 2 during the first trimester of pregnancy can lead to severe fetal anomalies or even fetal loss. The current study determined the serological data of TORCH infections in women who were in their first trimesters of pregnancy.This descriptive study was carried out on 80 pregnant women in their first trimester in Kashan, Iran.Methods: To detect specific IgM antibodies and specific IgG antibodies against the TORCH infections via ELISA, Sera were collected from the pregnant women.Results: The specific IgG antibodies were found to be positive in 30(37.5%) cases for toxoplasmosis, in 74 (92.5%) cases for the Rubella virus, in 79(98.8%) cases for CMV and in 73 samples (91.3%) for the HSV types 1 and 2 infection. 3.8% of cases were found to be seropositive for Toxoplasma IgM antibody (95% CI, 0.38-7.9), 5% were positive for CMV IgM antibody (95% CI, 0.23-9.77) and 7.5% were positive for the HSV IgM antibody (95% CI, 1.8-13.2). 63.8% of pregnant women were at risk for at least to one of the TORCH agents.Conclusion: This study showed a high prevalence of infections caused by TORCH agents among pregnant women. Therefore, national screening programmed is necessary to screen the TORCH infections routinely and to prevent and treat congenital TORCH infectio

Assessing Family-Centered Care in Iranian NICUs from Perspective of Neonatal Individual Developmental Care

Background: Preterm deliveries and premature babies are among challenges for families and communities. A family-centered care model is a model that helps families become less challenged by preterm birth and learn how to care for their premature infants. The aim of this study was to evaluate the implementation of family-centered care in the Iranian neonatal intensive care units (NICUs).Methods: This national cross-sectional study was conducted on a total of 23 NICUs of 9 universities of medical sciences, where students were trained in the neonatology fellowship course, in seven provinces of Iran. Family-centered developmental care was assessed in six different domains, including the philosophy of nursery, family communication, family support, family resources, admission and discharge planning, and decision-making. In addition, a total of 29 items were asked. The data were analyzed using Stata software (version 13) using descriptive statistical tests.Results: The mean scores in all domains were weak, and the total score for all domains was 34.18 (95% CI: 33.75-34.60) out of 100. The mean scores were 30 in the philosophy of nursery, 43.47 in family communication, 26.71 in family support, 35 in family resources, 45 in admission and discharge planning, and 25 in decision-making. The lowest score was reported for decision-making, and the highest score was reported for admission and discharge planning.Conclusion: Since family-centered developmental care in Iran is not favorable, the obtained findings suggest the development of a suitable plan to upgrade family-centered developmental care as well as comprehensive NICU care, including developmental care, with regard to other domains

Assessment of Physical Environment of Iran’s Neonatal Tertiary Care Centers from the Perspective of the Neonatal Individualized Developmental Care

Background: Globally,it is estimated that approximately 13 million neonates are born prematurely each year. The development of the central nervous system in premature neonates continues outside of the uterus and in the environment of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). This study aimed to evaluate the physical environment of hospital and nursery in Iran’s tertiary care centers. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on a total of 23 NICUs of nine Universities of Medical Sciences, where students are trained in the neonatal fellowship course, from seven provinces of Iran, 20th July to 21th September 2015. Data analysis was performed using SPSS software, version 16, and descriptive statistics. Results: In this study, four dimensions of physical environment of hospitals and NICUs including the accessibility of NICU, the physical environment of NICU, infants’ bed space, and the sensory elements of bed spaces were evaluated. The obtained scores for each item was 41.17, 39.95, 38.83, and 39.28 out of 100, respectively. The highest mean score was 71.30 that was related to NICU temperature and ventilation considerations. The lowest mean score was 20, which was related to controlling over the movements around the infants’ beds. The total mean score of the physical environment of hospital and NICU was 39.77. Conclusion: According to the results, it is recommended to take appropriate action to develop physical space and infrastructures for neonatal care regarding developmental care along with other dimensions

Safety evaluation of saffron stigma (Crocus sativus L.) aqueous extract and crocin in patients with schizophrenia

Objectives: Saffron is the stigma of Crocus sativus L., which has the potentials to play a role in the treatment of many diseases. Although many researches are now going on this precious spice, there are few data on saffron safety in human, especially in patients with chronic mental illnesses. This study aimed to evaluate the short-term safety and tolerability of both saffron and crocin (its major constituent) in adult patients with schizophrenia. Materials and Methods: The capsules of saffron aqueous extract (SAE) and crocin were used to evaluate short-term safety and tolerability in patients with schizophrenia. A double-blind, placebo-controlled study was performed on patients with schizophrenia. The patients were all male and were divided into three 22-patient groups. While receiving their normal treatment, they also received a 12 week treatment with SAE (15 mg twice daily), crocin (15 mg twice daily) or placebo. Results: A total of 61 patients completed the trial; none of them reported a serious side effect. WBC count increased significantly in patients receiving saffron aqua extract (SAE), but it was within the normal range and had no clinical significance. Other hematologic components, markers of thyroid, liver and kidney or inflammation markers had no statistically significant difference among the groups. Conclusions: This study showed that SAE and crocin in doses of 15 mg twice daily were safely tolerated in patients with schizophrenia