Causes of Infant Mortality in Babol, Northern Iran

Background and Objective: Infant mortality is an important health indicator. In order to reduce infant mortality, its causes should be considered in each region so that steps can be taken to improve the quality of health care and treatment. Therefore, this study was conducted in order to determine the causes of infant mortality in Babol, northern Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on all infants who died in public and private hospitals of Babol. The cause of infant death was extracted and analyzed based on the International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision (ICD-10) and also based on laboratory, clinical and paraclinical evidence recorded in the files. Findings: Out of a total of 16,005 live births in Babol, 123 infants (7.6%) died, of which 53 (43.1%) died in the first 24 hours of life. The mean gestational age of the deceased cases was 31.4±5.5 weeks, the mean birth weight was 1705.4±1045.3 grams, and their mean life span was 5.4±6.6 days. The most common causes of infant mortality were prematurity (30%), congenital anomalies (25.3%), sepsis (17.1%) and respiratory distress syndrome (13%). Conclusion: The results of the study showed that the most common causes of infant mortality are prematurity and congenital anomalies

Presenting a Model Regarding the Effect of Ethical Sensitivity and Its Associated Components on the Quality of Research among Academic Personnel

Background and Objective: Ethical sensitivity is one of the criteria regarding the professional competence of researchers, which affects the ethical performance of the researcher. Since compliance with the principles and rules of ethics is an effective factor in providing high quality research results, the present study was conducted to investigate the ethical sensitivity and its associated components on the quality of research among academic personnel of universities of medical sciences in metropolitan area No. 1 in Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 320 academic personnel of universities of medical sciences in metropolitan area No. 1 (Guilan, Mazandaran, Golestan, Babol, Shahrud, and Semnan) who were selected by stratified random sampling. Data were collected using ethical sensitivity and research quality questionnaires. The ethical sensitivity questionnaire includes 50 questions and two dimensions of "functional and individual", each of which includes 4 fields. The researcher-made questionnaire of research quality includes 31 questions and 4 fields. The questionnaires were rated from 1 to 5 according to Likert scale. Ethical sensitivity was compared between researchers based on work experience, academic degree and gender. Then, the effect of each component of ethical sensitivity on the quality of the research was evaluated. Findings: Out of 320 studied samples, 223 were male (69.7%) and 97 were female (30.3%). In people with experience of less than 10 years, the mean score of honesty was 15.74±3.21, ethical behavior was 30.50±5.74, accountability was 33.81±5.64, decision-making was 23.62±4.28, and interpersonal communication was 18.66±3.56, indicating higher values compared to people with an experience of more than 10 years (p<0.01). Among the dimensions of ethical sensitivity, the dimensions of honesty and discipline showed positive and significant effects on the quality of research. However, the effect of respect for the client, ethical behavior, professional knowledge, accountability, decision-making and interpersonal communication was not statistically significant despite the effect on the quality of the research. Discipline had the greatest effect on research quality (β=0.293). The R2 value (0.489) shows that about 49% of the variance of the research quality score is explained by the dimensions of ethical sensitivity. Ethical sensitivity with a standard coefficient of 7.758 had an effect on the quality of research. Conclusion: The results of the present study showed that ethical sensitivity, especially the dimensions of honesty and discipline, has an effect on the quality of research

Comparison of the Effect of Massage with Coconut Oil and Sunflower Oil on the Growth of Premature Infants

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Prematurity and low birth weight are one of the major health problems and the most common causes of infant mortality. Infant massage is potentially beneficial for physiological and psychological health. The present study was conducted to compare the effect of massage with coconut oil and sunflower oil on the growth of premature infants. METHODS: This clinical trial was performed on 100 premature infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit of Amirkola Children's Hospital in 2018 in four groups of 25 infants. Infants of the intervention groups with one cc of sunflower oil and coconut oil and the oil-free massage group were massaged for 15 minutes three times a day for seven days with the help of a research assistant, and the control group received only routine care. The weight, height, and head circumference of infants were collected using a personal profile questionnaire and compared in four groups at the beginning and end of the intervention. FINDINGS: Comparison of mean weight and head circumference changes at the end of the first week between coconut oil massage group (0.134±0.334 cm, 6.81±3.04 g), sunflower oil massage group (0.239±1.172 cm, 6.35±2.69 g), oil-free massage group (1.061±1.534 cm, 2.95±2.65), and control group (0.663±1.174 cm, 3.52±4.38 g) showed significant difference (p<0.05). Comparison of mean height changes in different groups (0.413±0.739, 0.448±0.747, 0.458±0.693, 0.429±0.611 cm, respectively) did not show any significant difference. CONCLUSION: The results of the study showed that oil massage is recommended as it increases the rate of changes in weight gain and head circumference in premature infants

Presenting a Model Regarding the Effect of Ethical Sensitivity and Its Associated Components on the Quality of Research among Academic Personnel

Background and Objective: Ethical sensitivity is one of the criteria regarding the professional competence of researchers, which affects the ethical performance of the researcher. Since compliance with the principles and rules of ethics is an effective factor in providing high quality research results, the present study was conducted to investigate the ethical sensitivity and its associated components on the quality of research among academic personnel of universities of medical sciences in metropolitan area No. 1 in Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 320 academic personnel of universities of medical sciences in metropolitan area No. 1 (Guilan, Mazandaran, Golestan, Babol, Shahrud, and Semnan) who were selected by stratified random sampling. Data were collected using ethical sensitivity and research quality questionnaires. The ethical sensitivity questionnaire includes 50 questions and two dimensions of "functional and individual", each of which includes 4 fields. The researcher-made questionnaire of research quality includes 31 questions and 4 fields. The questionnaires were rated from 1 to 5 according to Likert scale. Ethical sensitivity was compared between researchers based on work experience, academic degree and gender. Then, the effect of each component of ethical sensitivity on the quality of the research was evaluated. Findings: Out of 320 studied samples, 223 were male (69.7%) and 97 were female (30.3%). In people with experience of less than 10 years, the mean score of honesty was 15.74±3.21, ethical behavior was 30.50±5.74, accountability was 33.81±5.64, decision-making was 23.62±4.28, and interpersonal communication was 18.66±3.56, indicating higher values compared to people with an experience of more than 10 years (p<0.01). Among the dimensions of ethical sensitivity, the dimensions of honesty and discipline showed positive and significant effects on the quality of research. However, the effect of respect for the client, ethical behavior, professional knowledge, accountability, decision-making and interpersonal communication was not statistically significant despite the effect on the quality of the research. Discipline had the greatest effect on research quality (β=0.293). The R2 value (0.489) shows that about 49% of the variance of the research quality score is explained by the dimensions of ethical sensitivity. Ethical sensitivity with a standard coefficient of 7.758 had an effect on the quality of research. Conclusion: The results of the present study showed that ethical sensitivity, especially the dimensions of honesty and discipline, has an effect on the quality of research

The Effect of Kangaroo Mother Care on the Duration of Phototherapy in Term Infants with Hyperbilirubinemia

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Hyperbilirubinemia is a common problem in the neonatal period. Phototherapy is regarded as the most important treatment for this condition. Several factors affect the duration of phototherapy in newborns with jaundice. Considering the scarcity of research on the impact of kangaroo mother care (KMC) on phototherapy duration, in this study, we aimed to determine whether KMC can influence the duration of phototherapy in icteric infants. METHODS: In this clinical trial, 106 term neonates with hyperbilirubinemia were selected and randomly divided into intervention and control groups. Conventional phototherapy was performed following the same procedure for all the neonates. The subjects were matched in terms of age, sex, and weight and the two groups were breastfed at least every three hours. In the intervention group, KMC was applied during breastfeeding at least six times over 24 h. On the other hand, KMC was not applied in the control group during phototherapy. Bilirubin level was measured at 24, 48, and 72 h after phototherapy. The mean duration of phototherapy and length of hospital stay were compared during the treatment (IRCT: 201505231760N40). FINDINGS: Age, sex, and the mean bilirubin level at the beginning of the study did not significantly differ between the groups (16.75±0.75 mg/dl in the intervention group and 16.53±0.95 mg/dl in the control group). However, phototherapy duration and the mean length of hospital stay in the intervention group (64.25±17.54 h) were shorter than the control group (91.12±16.26 h) (p=0.000). CONCLUSION: Concurrent application of KMC and phototherapy can reduce the length of hospital stay among infants treated with phototherapy

The Impact of Self-Learning on the Improvement of Neonatal Resuscitation Knowledge and Skills among Nurses

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Neonatal resuscitation training for healthcare workers can prevent pregnancy-related mortality and reduce disability among birth asphyxia survivors. Since the participation of nurses in workshops is not always possible for recertification, in this study, we aimed to investigate the impact of self-learning, using the new edition of neonatal resuscitation textbook on the improvement of nurses’ skills and knowledge in this area. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 58 nurses at Babol hospitals, who had received the neonatal resuscitation certificate less than two years ago, were provided with the new edition of neonatal resuscitation textbook (published in 2011). Practical training was performed under the supervision of a trained instructor at the skill laboratory. After eight weeks, a knowledge test was performed based on the textbook, and Megacode skill test was carried out, using the skill assessment checklist in the textbook. The scores were rated as follows: poor ( 19). Afterwards, the mean scores of the previous workshop and self-learning were compared. FINDINGS: The comparison of knowledge scores revealed that 39.4% and 56.9% of the subjects obtained favorable scores in the previous workshop and self-learning (p=0.27), 10.4% and 36.2% obtained acceptable scores (p=0.05), and 44.8% and 6.8% had poor scores (p=0.0002), respectively. Moreover, the comparison of skill scores showed that 48.3% and 34.5% of the subjects obtained favorable scores in the previous workshop and self-learning (p=0.33), 34.5% and 43.1% had acceptable scores (p=0.052), and 17.2% and 22.3% obtained poor scores (p=0.56), respectively. CONCLUSION: Based on the obtained results, self-learning is more effective in improving theoretical knowledge rather than practical skills. Therefore, participation in skill workshops is recommended for the improvement of neonatal resuscitation skills

The Effect of Music on the Anxiety of Mothers of Infants Admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Mothers with premature infants often experience a lot of anxiety, and since music has positive effects on anxiety, the present study was conducted to investigate the effect of music on the anxiety of mothers of infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit. METHODS: This clinical trial was performed on 120 mothers with infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit of Rouhani Hospital in Babol and Bu-Ali Sina Hospital in Sari. Samples were randomly divided into two groups of experimental and control each consisting of 60 patients. In the experimental group, relaxing music was played daily through mobile phones and headphones for each mother individually for 10 minutes in 10 sessions. No intervention was performed for the control group. Both groups of mothers completed the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) before the start of the study and on the tenth day and were compared. FINDINGS: The mean age of mothers was 27.8±5.71 years and the mean age of infants was 3.92±3.88 days. In this study, anxiety was relatively severe or severe in 60% of mothers before the intervention. Levels of overt anxiety and covert anxiety in mothers of music groups before the intervention (59.48±13.66), (55.62±12.26) showed a significant decrease compared to after the intervention (31.27±6.57), (33.08±8.66), respectively (p<0.0001). CONCLUSION: The results of the study showed that music is effective in reducing the anxiety of mothers with infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit

Evaluating the Establishment of the National Program on Regarding of Medical Residents to the Principles of Professional Ethics at the Universities of Medical Sciences Located in the Macro Educational Region Number One

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Professional assistants are among the learners whose ability in terms of professional ethics and commitment influences their future performance after graduation so that, as an excellent physician, they can combine patient care with confidence and desirable medical skills. Considering that no comprehensive assessment of the national guideline on regarding of establishment of medical residents to the professional ethics has been published, so far this study aimed to evaluate the activities of medical universities to conduct this program. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the activities of the major medical universities in region one, where had medical residents, during 2015-2018. Information on the formation of committees related to the evaluation of feedback, teaching the basics of professional ethics and how to respond to residents by asking managers of different levels of the university in the Medical Ethics Council, the Vice Chancellor for Education, medical School, department heads and departments Educational and medical centers with assistants. FINDINGS: Four universities of medical sciences (80% of the target population) with 4 faculties, 8 educational hospitals and 8 educational departments were evaluated. The implementation and activities of committees to investigate the professional ethics of assistants in the educational departments and hospitals of different universities has not been exactly in accordance with national guidelines. The hospital committee and the medical school committee have been established in accordance with the national guideline only at one university. None of the universities in the region had a fourth-level university committee. CONCLUSION: This study shows the establishment of a national program of commitment of medical assistants to the principles of professional ethics in the majority of macro medical universities in region one and the attention of different levels of universities, including senior administrators, faculties, educational centers and clinical departments in different dimensions of this program especially training for assistants to commitment to professional principles in these universities

Evaluating the establishment of the national program on regarding of medical residents to the principles of professional ethics at the universities of medical sciences located in the macro educational region number one

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Professional assistants are among the learners whose ability in terms of professional ethics and commitment influences their future performance after graduation so that, as an excellent physician, they can combine patient care with confidence and desirable medical skills. Considering that no comprehensive assessment of the national guideline on regarding of establishment of medical residents to the professional ethics has been published, so far this study aimed to evaluate the activities of medical universities to conduct this program. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the activities of the major medical universities in region one, where had medical residents, during 2015-2018. Information on the formation of committees related to the evaluation of feedback, teaching the basics of professional ethics and how to respond to residents by asking managers of different levels of the university in the Medical Ethics Council, the Vice Chancellor for Education, medical School, department heads and departments Educational and medical centers with assistants. FINDINGS: Four universities of medical sciences (80 of the target population) with 4 faculties, 8 educational hospitals and 8 educational departments were evaluated. The implementation and activities of committees to investigate the professional ethics of assistants in the educational departments and hospitals of different universities has not been exactly in accordance with national guidelines. The hospital committee and the medical school committee have been established in accordance with the national guideline only at one university. None of the universities in the region had a fourth-level university committee. CONCLUSION: This study shows the establishment of a national program of commitment of medical assistants to the principles of professional ethics in the majority of macro medical universities in region one and the attention of different levels of universities, including senior administrators, faculties, educational centers and clinical departments in different dimensions of this program especially training for assistants to commitment to professional principles in these universities. © 2020, Babol University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved