Psychological experiences of women regarding menopause

Introduction: Menopause is one of the stages of life for women that cause a wide variety of symptoms, effects, and sometimes limitations. Therefore this study aims to describe the psychological symptoms of postmenopausal women. Method: This is a qualitative study using phenomenological method on postmenopausal women in the city of Isfahan. The sampling was at first carried out using simple sampling and later using snowball sampling method. The data gathering tool as interviews carried out in the office of obstetricians and gynecologists. Data were classified using colaizzi′s seven stage data analysis method. Results: Various psychological symptoms were reported in the interviews which can be summarized as irritability, aggression, fatigue, feelings of helplessness, and uselessness. Conclusion: During the interviews, postmenopausal women mentioned a variety of psychological symptoms that can cause limitations and hardships and require suitable support and follow-up

Evaluation of Field Training from the Viewpoints of Management and Informatics Students of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences

Introduction. Considering the improvement of teaching quality in higher education, this study was planned to evaluate the field training in the Faculty of Management and Medical Information by students. Its results will be used in planning field training for this faculty. Methods. A checklist with five variables was distributed among 57 students in this descriptive survey. The validity and reliability of the questionnaire was confirmed by content validity and test, re-test. Data analysis was done by SPSS software. Results. Student’s self-assessment of their competences was significantly different in all three groups. A significant relationship was observed between students learning from their teachers and their competences in management training and using databases. There was also a significant relationship between their competence, and their self-study and assignments. Conclusion. According to the results of this study, revising practical training in some sections, increasing training hours and involving faculty members more in training seem to be necessary

Comparing the effect of auriculotherapy and vitamin B6 on the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome among the students who lived in the dorm of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences

Background: Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a series of physical and psychological symptoms before menstruation which its prevalence around the world has been reported to be 80%. Consumption of vitamin B6 is a common treatment for this syndrome, and this study was conducted to compare the effect of auriculotherapy and vitamin B6 on the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome. Materials and Methods: This study was a clinical trial. Eighty-four female students who lived at the university dorm were randomly selected and allocated into two groups of 42. The first group received auriculotherapy (10 sessions) for two menstrual cycles and the second group consumed 40 mg of vitamin B6 daily from a week before their menstruation for two menstrual cycles. The severity of symptoms was recorded for both groups during two cycles before the intervention and two cycles after the intervention. Data gathering tool was a 28-question, questionnaire to assess the severity of symptoms of premenstrual syndrome based on DSM-IV. Results: The mean score of symptoms in the auriculotherapy group in the first and second cycles was 26.70 (19.49) and 24.76 (17.07), respectively, and in the vitamin B6 group, was 22.60 (10.87) and 24.17 (14.15), respectively, which showed a significant difference compared to before the intervention (P = 0.001). However, comparing the total score of symptoms in the first and second cycles after the intervention between both groups showed no significant difference. Conclusions: Auriculotherapy, similar to vitamin B6, decreases the severity of PMS symptoms

The effect of auriculotherapy on the stress and the outcomes of assistant reproductive technologies in infertile women

Background: Infertility means failure to achieve pregnancy after one year of regular unprotected sexual intercourse. Infertile women may experience severe stress and depression. Numerous studies have indicated that auriculotherapy could reduce stress. Thus, the aim of the present study was to determine the effect of auriculotherapy on the stress and the outcome assisted reproductive technology in infertile women. Materials and Methods: The present study was a clinical trial that was conducted on 56 infertile women aged 20–45, who were assigned into two groups of intervention and control, from November 2014 to November 2015. The control group only received the routine treatments, while the intervention group, in addition to their routine treatment, received auriculotherapy for 8–10 sessions during menstrual cycle. Both groups completed Newton's Fertility Problem Inventory in three stages. The datasets collected for the study were analyzed using independent t-test, repeated-measures analysis of variance, and Chi-square test. Results: The mean score of stress in the intervention group decreased significantly, compared to the control group prior to the embryo transfer and pregnancy test stages. Although insignificant, the rate of pregnancy in the intervention group was higher than the control group. There was a significant increase in the rate of clinical pregnancy in the intervention group, compared to the control. Conclusions: The results indicated that auriculotherapy might be effective in reducing stress and improving the outcome of assisted reproductive treatment

Comparative study on the influence of three delivery positions on pain intensity during the second stage of labor

Background: Labor is a physiologic process, and consideration of labor pain and relieving that is among the major components of maternal care. Application of some labor position can lay the fetus better in pelvic canal direction. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of laying the mother in three labor positions on the pain severity in the second, third, and fourth stages of labor. Materials and Methods: This is a clinical trial conducted on 96 primiparous pregnant women randomly selected through convenient sampling from those who were hospitalized in the hospitals of Isfahan and Jahrom. Women with a gestational age of 37-42 weeks, singleton pregnancy, who had passed the first labor stage through physiologic process, and with cephalic presentation were selected. The subjects were randomly allocated to be in the groups of lithotomy, sitting, and squatting positions. Pain severity in the second, third, and fourth labor stages was measured with visual analog scale (VAS) as well as McGill present pain intensity (PPI). The data were collected through interviews and observations with the help of VAS. The data were analyzed by Chi-square and Kruskal-Wallis statistical tests. Results: In the latent phase of the second labor stage, mean pain severity in lithotomy (2.27) and squatting positions (2.48) was significantly less than the mean pain severity in sitting (5.33) position (P = 0.001). Pain severity in the active phase of the second and third labor stages was significantly less in squatting position (6.14) group compared to the other two groups (7.59 and 7.41 in sitting and lithotomy positions, respectively) (P = 0.024). Pain severity in the fourth labor stage showed no significant difference in all three groups. Conclusions: Application of various labor positions as one of the non-medicational methods to reduce pain in the second and third stages of labor leads to labor pain reduction

The effects of aromatherapy on the mood state and resilience of pregnant women: A clinical trial

BACKGROUND: Pregnancy has always been associated with rapid physiological, emotional, and social changes that can cause mothers’ stress and anxiety, eventually leading to psychological effects. Therefore, resilience and knowing how to deal with stress during pregnancy are of great importance. As a result, this study aimed to investigate the effects of aromatherapy on pregnant women’s mood and resilience. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This clinical trial study was conducted on 70 pregnant women in 2021. Participants were randomly selected from Isfahan’s health centers and then divided into two groups. A handkerchief sprinkled with orange blossom essential oil was given to the experimental group to inhale for an hour, three times a week for a month. However, the control group received only the usual care. The mood state and resilience of the participants were evaluated before the intervention, immediately after, and also one month after the intervention. Data analysis was carried out using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPPS) 24.0, independent-samples t-test, Chi-square, and Mann–Whitney U-test. RESULTS: According to the results, the score of mood state in the experimental group was 60/97±14/26 before the intervention, 40/97±14/30 immediately after receiving the intervention, and 49/86±11/78 one month after the intervention. These findings indicated that the score of mood state in the experimental group was significantly lower than that in the control group (P < 0/05). Moreover, the mean score of resilience in the experimental group was 60/83±13/02 before the intervention, 66/54±7/85 immediately after receiving the intervention, and 62/80±8/07 one month after the intervention. The results showed that the mean score of this variable was significantly higher in the experimental group compared with the control group immediately after the intervention and insignificantly higher than the control group one month after the intervention. CONCLUSION: Aromatherapy with orange blossom oil can enhance mothers’ mood state and resilience during the third trimester. As a result, orange blossom oil can be used as a complementary therapy

Reciprocal Effects of Multiple Sclerosis, Childbirth, and Postpartum

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease of the central nervous system, which is more prevalent in women than men. Considering the onset of MS in the women of reproductive age, the present study aimed to investigate the reciprocal effects of MS, childbirth, and postpartum. Methods: This retrospective, descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 110 women diagnosed with MS during pregnancy in Isfahan, Iran during 2016-2017. The subjects had become pregnant within the recent decade and were selected via random sampling. Data on the demographic characteristics, pregnancy and postpartum profile, medicinal changes, symptoms, severity, and attack rates of MS were collected. Data analysis was performed in SPSS version 16. Results: Mean age at the completion of pregnancy was 38.13 weeks. In total, 63.9% of the deliveries were accomplished via caesarean and 35.1% of the women had natural vaginal delivery. Mean pain intensity at childbirth was 7.11. No symptoms of MS attacks were reported in 86.7% of the subjects during delivery and 90.7% of the women within the first six weeks of childbirth. All the neonates were healthy, and 66.3% of the mothers had no psychological and emotional postpartum complications. In addition, 40.3% of the women started their MS medication within the first six months after childbirth. Conclusion: According to the results, MS was not associated with the increased risk of preterm or post-term delivery. Moreover, it did not increase the severity of labor pain in the mothers. On the other hand, the rate of elective cesarean section was higher in MS patients compared to the general population, especially in the cases with disabilities. According to the Friedman curve, MS caused no substantial changes in the progression of delivery, and most of the neonates were healthy males with an Apgar score of 10. However, the severity of limb numbness and blurred vision increased in the women with MS in the postpartum period

Investigating the accuracy of Johnson’s rule in estimating fetal weight

BACKGROUND: Birth weight has a significant impact on perinatal mortality. Therefore, the estimation of fetal weight greatly influences the policies necessary for care during and after delivery. We aimed to investigate Johnson’s rule in estimating fetal weight. MATERIALS AND METHOD: This study was a single-group longitudinal study that was conducted in 6 months from October 2021 to April 2022 on 150 pregnant women in Isfahan-Iran. The sampling method was accessible. Inclusion criteria include being term, singleton, without abnormality, intact membranes, cephalic presentation, and exclusion criteria include diagnosed polyhydramnios or oligohydramnios and mother’s abdominal or pelvic known masses. After completing the informed consent, fetal weight was estimated by Johnson’s rule and was compared with the birth weight. Descriptive and analytical statistics (mean-standard deviation (SD), number-percentage, t-paired, and Spearman’s correlation coefficient) were used to achieve the objectives of the study. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was also used to determine the sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive value of Johnson’s law. RESULT: The mean (SD) birth weight was 3032.88 ± 481.11 g and the mean (SD) estimated fetal weight (EFW) by the clinical method was 3152.15 ± 391.95 g. There was a significant difference between the averages (P < 0.001). The percentage error of EFW showed a significant negative correlation (r = -0.286; P < 0.05) with gestational age (GA) and a significant positive correlation (r = 0.263; P < 0.05) with the fetal head station. The sensitivity and specificity of EFW with Johnson’s rule, in normal fetal birth weight, were higher than in low birth weight fetal. The accuracy of EFW with ± 10% of the actual weight was higher in average for gestational age (AGA) (84.3%) and high-for-gestational-age (LGA) (70%) than in low-for-gestational-age (SGA) (4%). The EFW mean percentage error in SGA was higher than in the other two weight groups. This method, especially for AGA and LGA fetuses, can be a suitable alternative to other weight estimation methods. CONCLUSION: Clinical estimation of weight via Johnson’s rule due to availability and no cost can be a suitable method for managing childbirth based on fetal weight