Unwanted Pregnancy and Its Risk Factors Among Pregnant Women in Tehran, Iran

Background: Unwanted pregnancies remain a main public health problem worldwide. In Iran, comparative studies on the risk factors of unwanted pregnancies and their effects on maternal health are rare. Objectives: This study was conducted to determine the risk factors of unwanted pregnancies and their impact on maternal behavior during pregnancy. Patients and Methods: This case-control study was carried out on 240 pregnant women who referred to the healthcare centers of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Science for receiving routine prenatal care. Of the 240 women, 120 had unwanted pregnancies (case) and 120 had wanted pregnancies (control). Data collection was performed using a researcher-made questionnaire. The data were analyzed using chi-square tests, Fisher’s exact tests, t-tests, Mann Whitney U tests, odds ratios, and logistic regression analysis. Results: Compared to women with wanted pregnancies, those with unwanted pregnancies were more employed (23.3% vs. 12.5%, P = 0.006), had lower education levels (P = 0.016), had lower incomes (P = 0.009), had more children (1.30 ± 1.08 vs. 0.53 ± 0.67, P = 0.001), and had more traditional marriages (15% vs. 3.3%, P = 0.002). Also, women with unwanted pregnancies had significantly lower tendencies to do prenatal care (P = 0.002), had a higher tendency to abortion (P = 0.001), had higher previous abortion attempts (P = 0.001), and had higher levels of unhealthy behaviors (P = 0.017) compared to those with wanted pregnancies. Conclusions: Lower education and socioeconomic status, longer marriage duration, being employed, and unwilling of spouse were among the risk factors of unwanted pregnancies. These women are at high risk for unhealthy behaviors and have a higher tendency to abortion that consequently threatens their health

The Effect of Camellia Sinensis Ointment on Perineal Wound Healing in Primiparous Women

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Delay in recovery of episiotomy can lead to infection and persistence of perineal pain. Perineal pain is a stressful problem for primiparous women and has a negative effect on their function.The present study was conducted to determine the effect of Green tea ointment on the healing process of episiotomy. METHODS: This three-blind clinical trial was conducted on 60 primiparous participated in this research, were divided in two groups: Green tea ointment and placebo ointment. According to the routine of the hospital, 500 mg capsule cephalexin was given to all mothers every six hours for seven days. Mothers used an ointments every 12 hours for a period of ten days in the area of sutures. Wound healing was measured on the fifth and tenth day after delivery using REEDA scale. FINDINGS: There was no significant difference in demographic features and obstetric variables (for example age and weight newborn). Before the intervention, two groups did not have a significant difference in score of the perineal evaluation scale (p=0.475). The average of this scale on the fifth day in the green tea group was (1.83±1.147) and in placebo group it was (3.33±1.155) on the 10th day, the average of the perineal evaluation scale was (1.2±0.805) for the green tea group and (2.63±1.066) for the placebo group. The average of REEDA scores on the 5th and 10th day after delivery was significantly different between the two groups(p<0.00001) CONCLUSION: Green tea can improve episiotomy wound healing, due to its healing propertie

Sources of get information and related factors during pregnancy among Afghan migrant women in Iran

Aim: The present study aims to investigate the sources of information and its related factors among pregnant Afghan migrant women who reside in southeast Tehran Province, Iran. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: A total of 280 pregnant Afghan women who received care at the prenatal clinics of selected healthcare centres in southeast Tehran Province (Iran) in 2018 enrolled in this study. Data were collected by continuous sampling by a questionnaire that asked about demographic, obstetric and sources of information used during pregnancy. Results: The most important sources of information accessed by pregnant Afghan women were healthcare providers (65.1), family and friends (47.55), the Internet (32.1) and media (18.9). There was statistically a significant relationship between sources of information and education level, number of children, length of residence in Iran, place of birth and insurance status. © 2020 The Authors. School of Nursing and midwifery, Iran University of Medical Sciences. Nursing Open published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd

Sensitivity of jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata) to phosphate, phosphite, and arsenate pulses as influenced by fungal symbiotic associations

Many plant species adapted to P-impoverished soils, including jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata), develop toxicity symptoms when exposed to high doses of phosphate (Pi) and its analogs such as phosphite (Phi) and arsenate (AsV). The present study was undertaken to investigate the effects of fungal symbionts Scutellospora calospora, Scleroderma sp., and Austroboletus occidentalis on the response of jarrah to highly toxic pulses (1.5 mmol kg−1 soil) of Pi, Phi, and AsV. S. calospora formed an arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis while both Scleroderma sp. and A. occidentalis established a non-colonizing symbiosis with jarrah plants. All these interactions significantly improved jarrah growth and Pi uptake under P-limiting conditions. The AM fungal colonization naturally declines in AM-eucalypt symbioses after 2–3 months; however, in the present study, the high Pi pulse inhibited the decline of AM fungal colonization in jarrah. Four weeks after exposure to the Pi pulse, plants inoculated with S. calospora had significantly lower toxicity symptoms compared to non-mycorrhizal (NM) plants, and all fungal treatments induced tolerance against Phi toxicity in jarrah. However, no tolerance was observed for AsV-treated plants even though all inoculated plants had significantly lower shoot As concentrations than the NM plants. The transcript profile of five jarrah high-affinity phosphate transporter (PHT1 family) genes in roots was not altered in response to any of the fungal species tested. Interestingly, plants exposed to high Pi supplies for 1 day did not have reduced transcript levels for any of the five PHT1 genes in roots, and transcript abundance of four PHT1 genes actually increased. It is therefore suggested that jarrah, and perhaps other P-sensitive perennial species, respond positively to Pi available in the soil solution through increasing rather than decreasing the expression of selected PHT1 genes. Furthermore, Scleroderma sp. can be considered as a fungus with dual functional capacity capable of forming both ectomycorrhizal and non-colonizing associations, where both pathways are always accompanied by evident growth and nutritional benefits

Microbial Functional Capacity Is Preserved Within Engineered Soil Formulations Used In Mine Site Restoration

Mining of mineral resources produces substantial volumes of crushed rock based wastes that are characterised by poor physical structure and hydrology, unstable geochemistry and potentially toxic chemical conditions. Recycling of these substrates is desirable and can be achieved by blending waste with native soil to form a 'novel substrate' which may be used in future landscape restoration. However, these post-mining substrate based 'soils' are likely to contain significant abiotic constraints for both plant and microbial growth. Effective use of these novel substrates for ecosystem restoration will depend on the efficacy of stored topsoil as a potential microbial inoculum as well as the subsequent generation of key microbial soil functions originally apparent in local pristine sites. Here, using both marker gene and shotgun metagenome sequencing, we show that topsoil storage and the blending of soil and waste substrates to form planting substrates gives rise to variable bacterial and archaeal phylogenetic composition but a high degree of metabolic conservation at the community metagenome level. Our data indicates that whilst low phylogenetic conservation is apparent across substrate blends we observe high functional redundancy in relation to key soil microbial pathways, allowing the potential for functional recovery of key belowground pathways under targeted management

Roadmap on label-free super-resolution imaging

Label-free super-resolution (LFSR) imaging relies on light-scattering processes in nanoscale objects without a need for fluorescent (FL) staining required in super-resolved FL microscopy. The objectives of this Roadmap are to present a comprehensive vision of the developments, the state-of-the-art in this field, and to discuss the resolution boundaries and hurdles that need to be overcome to break the classical diffraction limit of the label-free imaging. The scope of this Roadmap spans from the advanced interference detection techniques, where the diffraction-limited lateral resolution is combined with unsurpassed axial and temporal resolution, to techniques with true lateral super-resolution capability that are based on understanding resolution as an information science problem, on using novel structured illumination, near-field scanning, and nonlinear optics approaches, and on designing superlenses based on nanoplasmonics, metamaterials, transformation optics, and microsphere-assisted approaches. To this end, this Roadmap brings under the same umbrella researchers from the physics and biomedical optics communities in which such studies have often been developing separately. The ultimate intent of this paper is to create a vision for the current and future developments of LFSR imaging based on its physical mechanisms and to create a great opening for the series of articles in this field

The Relationship between CO Ambient and Low Birth Weight

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Background and Objectives: &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;LBW is the strongest factor related to prenatal, neonatal, postnatal and childhood mortality and morbidity. Air pollution is one of the risk factors that is recently gaining attention. This study was carried out to determine the relationship between the CO ambient and low birth weight in women referring to Tehran hospitals in 2007-2008. &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Methods: &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;In this historical cohort study 225 pregnant women having lived within 5 kilometers of a monitoring station during pregnancy and referring to selected hospitals in Tehran were investigated. An information questionnaire was used for data collection and sampling was done by multistage sampling and convenience method. Women were assigned to low exposure group and high exposure group based on mean exposure to each pollutant during pregnancy. These two groups were matched with respect to confounding factors. SPSS software version 15, T statistics, c2, Man Withnney, and Relative Risk procedures were used for data analysis.&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Results:&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; The result showed that 31.6% of CO high exposure group and 7.4% of CO low exposure group had Low birth weight baby&lt;strong&gt;.&lt;/strong&gt; The result also showed a significant relationship between exposure to high amount of CO and LBW (p=0.001). Relative Risk calculated with confidence interval (RR=4/67, CI=(1/76-9/43) was found to be 95% and the amount of attributable risk was 66%.&lt;strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Conclusion: &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;Based on these finding, exposure to carbon monoxide pollution can cause LBW. There should be an educational program about the disadvantages of CO pollutant on pregnant women living in densely populated areas of the city. Moreover, practical approaches should be provided to reduce these pollutants.&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt

Diagnostic Value of C-reactive Protein in Determining of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM)

This study was designed to evaluate diagnostic value of C-reactive protein in determining of gestational diabetes mellitus. The present case-control study was conducted on 60 pregnant women with GDM (case group) and 120 women with normal pregnancy (control group) referred to Ayatollah Taleghani and mahdiyeh Hospitals. The serum level of qualitative and quantitative CRP was measured and diagnostic value of CRP was determined. In this study information form was completed by interview and sampling was performed by convenience method. Data were analyzed by SPSS-17 and significance level of p&lt;0.05 was considered. Serum CRP value in GDM and control groups was 3/ 59±3/2 and 1/44±3/3 mg/liter, respectively. Regarding to cut-off of 2/2 mg/liter, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of quantitative CRP were 71%, 60%, 47% and 81%, respectively in diagnosis of GDM. The under curve area was 0/70. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of qualitative CRP in diagnosis of GDM was calculated 33/3%, 98/3%, 90% and 74%, respectively. It seems that measuring CRP in pregnant women with GDM risk factors can be used as a simple, new and reliable method to screen gestational diabetes mellitus