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Introduction: Group B Streptococcus (GBS) or Streptococcus agalactiae is one of the main causes of invasive infections such as meningitis and septicemia in infants. Genital colonization with group B streptococci has been related to increased risk of premature delivery, and premature infants are at greater risk of disease. There is limited information about the prevalence of rectovaginal GBS colonization in pregnant women in Iran. The aim of the present study was investigating the prevalence of group B streptococcus colonization in pregnant women in Iran. Methods: Information of this study was attained by searching on databases including PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, Web of Science and SID using relevant keywords and without time limit. Then, the studies containing the inclusion criteria were reviewed. The data were analyzed using Comprehensive MetaAnalysis software (Biostat V3). Heterogeneity between studies was investigated with the I2 index and based on the results of heterogeneity, the random effect model was implemented in order to determine the prevalence of GBS in pregnant women. Results: Out of 231 articles, 15 articles were included in the study. The analysis of 15 studies showed that the prevalence of GBS in Iranian pregnant women was 12.2% (95% CI: 9.9-15.1). Conclusion: In order to prevent the invasive neonatal disease, screening for GBS colonization is recommended for pregnant women in 35–37 weeks of gestation. Regarding the lack of preventive strategies for GBS infections in Iran, national guidelines should be established to guide the obstetricians, midwives, and nurses on the prevention of GBS infections.

Introduction: Suicidal thought is an important predictive factor for committing suicide. One of the causes of the death of pregnant women is attempting suicide, so identifying its risk factors can be effective on policies aimed at reducing this problem. Therefore, the present study was conducted with aim to investigate the prevalence of suicidal thoughts and the factors influencing it in pregnant women. Methods: A cross-sectional study with a descriptive-analytical approach was conducted through a census in 2022 on 515 pregnant women under the care of 10 urban comprehensive health service centers in Aliabad Katoul city. The Persian version of Beck's Suicide Ideation Scale, the Persian version of the Goldberg General Health Questionnaire, and the HITS domestic violence screening form were the study tools. Using these instruments, the prevalence of suicidal thoughts and its relationship with mental health, physical health, domestic violence, sleep disorders, anxiety, and depression was examined. Data analysis was performed using SPSS statistical software (version 23) and included Spearman correlation, Chi-square tests, Fisher's exact test, and multiple logistic regressions. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered significant. Results: The prevalence of suicidal ideation was 7.9%. The level of suicidal ideation of pregnant women was low. Mental health of pregnant women was in the category of morbid symptoms. Age less than 25 years old, unwanted pregnancy, pregnancy more than 4 times, childbirth more than 4 times, having 4 or more children and high risk behavior of the spouse showed a statistically significant relationship with suicidal ideation (p=0.05). Conclusion: Considering the low mental health of pregnant women, there is a need for planning to carry out necessary interventions and continuous screenings of pregnant women in order to promote and ensure the mental health of pregnant women, especially women suffering from domestic violence.

Background and objectives: Women with physical mobility disabilities face many barriers in accessing safe, respectful and acceptable health care. This study was designed and conducted with the aim of providing strategies for improving prenatal care in women with physical disabilities in 1401. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted using a qualitative method of guided content analysis, and for this purpose, 24 people (12 pregnant women with physical disabilities and 12 pregnancy care providers) were selected using a targeted sampling method with maximum diversity, and in order to collect Data were used from semi-structured interviews with open-ended questions. In this study, the comparative analysis method was used, and Guba and Lincoln criteria were used for the accuracy and robustness of the data. Results: Data analysis led to the identification of 810 primary codes, 4 main categories and 16 subcategories. The strategies for improving prenatal care in women with physical disabilities were classified in four categories: empowering beneficiaries, creating a systematic support system, modifying the care process and protocol, and promoting intra- and inter-departmental cooperation. Conclusion: The results of the present study showed that there are many obstacles in the field of providing prenatal care, and in order to improve these cares, solutions were identified that make the policy makers and trustees of this field plan more precisely and through facilitation to The use of these strategies will improve the access of women with physical disabilities to prenatal care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Suicidal thought is an important predictive factor for committing suicide. One of the causes of the death of pregnant women is attempting suicide, so identifying its risk factors can be effective on policies aimed at reducing this problem. Therefore, the present study was conducted with aim to investigate the prevalence of suicidal thoughts and the factors influencing it in pregnant women. Methods: A cross-sectional study with a descriptive-analytical approach was conducted through a census in 2022 on 515 pregnant women under the care of 10 urban comprehensive health service centers in Aliabad Katoul city. The Persian version of Beck's Suicide Ideation Scale, the Persian version of the Goldberg General Health Questionnaire, and the HITS domestic violence screening form were the study tools. Using these instruments, the prevalence of suicidal thoughts and its relationship with mental health, physical health, domestic violence, sleep disorders, anxiety, and depression was examined. Data analysis was performed using SPSS statistical software (version 23) and included Spearman correlation, Chi-square tests, Fisher's exact test, and multiple logistic regressions. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered significant. Results: The prevalence of suicidal ideation was 7.9%. The level of suicidal ideation of pregnant women was low. Mental health of pregnant women was in the category of morbid symptoms. Age less than 25 years old, unwanted pregnancy, pregnancy more than 4 times, childbirth more than 4 times, having 4 or more children and high risk behavior of the spouse showed a statistically significant relationship with suicidal ideation (p=0.05). Conclusion: Considering the low mental health of pregnant women, there is a need for planning to carry out necessary interventions and continuous screenings of pregnant women in order to promote and ensure the mental health of pregnant women, especially women suffering from domestic violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Coronavirus disease increased concern about vulnerable groups of society including pregnant women and babies. This study was conducted in order to investigate maternal and neonatal outcomes in newborns admitted to Ali Ibn Abi Talib Hospital in Rafsanjan before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 337 infants admitted to the hospital in the first 3 months of 2019 (before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic) and 194 infants admitted in the first 3 months of 2020 (after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic) were included. Demographic characteristics and maternal and neonatal complications were extracted from the files and analyzed by independent two-sample t-test and chi-square test. Results: The Apgar scores of the first and fifth minutes had significantly decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic (p<0.001), while infant death (p=0.003) and asphyxia at birth (p<0.001) had significantly increased. The frequency of premature rupture of fetal membranes, pre-eclampsia, eclampsia, and diabetes in the pregnant mothers before and after the pandemic were not statistically significant (p>0.05). Conclusion: According to the results of the present study, although there was no difference in the prevalence of maternal outcomes between the period of COVID-19 and before, but the outcomes of newborns during the period of COVID-19 were more than before, which indicates the need for more careful prenatal care, health protocols training, and careful monitoring of the fetus during and after delivery to reduce neonatal complications and outcomes during the COVID-19. Keywords: Maternal outcomes, Neonatal outcomes, COVID-19 pandemic [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: One of the most sensitive periods of a person's life, which has a great impact on his future health, is the fetal period, while the risk of infection in children of mothers who are positive in terms of HBsAg serum level is very high. Therefore, the aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to determine the prevalence of hepatitis B infection in Iranian pregnant women. Materials and Methods: This study is a systematic review and meta-analysis by examining Scientific Information Database (SID), Medline (PubMed), ScienceDirect and Google Scholar until February 2024. Results: In a review of 45 studies with a sample size of 77,641 pregnant women, based on meta-analysis, the prevalence of hepatitis B infection in Iranian pregnant women was reported to be 1.1% (95% CI: 0.9-1.4 %), meta-regression results showed that with increasing The sample size, the prevalence of hepatitis B infection in Iranian pregnant women decreased (P<0.05) and also with the increase in the years of conducting studies, the prevalence of hepatitis B infection in Iranian pregnant women decreased (P<0.05) and also with the increasing age of women. pregnant, the prevalence of hepatitis B infection increases in Iranian pregnant women (P=0.133). Conclusion: The results of the present study show that the prevalence of hepatitis B infection in Iranian pregnant women is not at a high level, but according to the meta-regression analysis, which shows the effect of age at the same time as the increase of this infection in women, it is necessary to continue preventive measures and reach The lower levels of attention of health policy makers in this area should be directed to carry out extensive information and screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: Adequate and optimal nutrition during pregnancy is important for both pregnant women and their fetuses. The current study was conducted to identify the factors that influence the nutritional behavior of the pregnant women with an inappropriate pattern of weight gain during pregnancy. Materials and Methods: This descriptive-analytical study included 423 pregnant women seeking prenatal care in urban and rural comprehensive health service centers in Sanandaj. These women had prenatal care records and exhibited weight gain patterns that deviated from the standard scale during pregnancy.Sampling was performed randomly. Data were collected using questionnaires to investigate the nutritional behavior of the pregnant women and health literacy. Using SPSS version 16 software, data were analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistical tests. Results: The results revealed that among the pregnant mothers examined, 233 (56.7%) consumed three to four portions of fruits daily, while 106 (25.8%) consumed four to five portions of vegetables. 160 women (38.9%) consumed three portions of meat and legumes, 204 (49.6%) consumed seven to eleven portions of bread and grain group, and 135 (32.8%) consumed three to four portions of milk and dairy products. There was a significant relationship between the nutrition pattern of the pregnant mothers and mother's education (p=0.012), husband's education (p=0.045) and health literacy (p=0.0001). Conclusion: The results of this study showed that less than 50% of the women had optimal food consumption in regard to the four main food groups, namely vegetables, meat and beans, bread and cereals, and milk and dairy products, and 56.7% of the women had optimal fruit intake which is indicatve of a relatively unfavorable condition.

The purpose of the current investigation was to develop a predictive model for quality of life in expectant women based on psychological resilience and couple intimacy, with pregnancy anxiety serving as a mediator. Pathway analysis and descriptive-correlational methods comprised the research design. During the fall and winter of 2019, expectant women who were referred to hygiene centers and gynecologists’ offices in the city of Ahvaz comprised the statistical population. Four hundred expectant women comprised the statistical population; they were selected using a readily available sampling method. Quality of Life Questionnaire (QLQ), Pregnancy Anxiety Questionnaire (PAQ), Psychological Resilience Questionnaire (PRQ), and Couple Intimacy Questionnaire (CIQ) were among the administered questionnaires. Through the utilization of Bootstrap testing and pathway analysis, the data was analyzed. SPSS version 23 and Amos version 23 were utilized for this purpose. Quality of life is significantly correlated with psychological resilience, couple intimacy, and pregnancy anxiety, according to the findings (p

Background and Objectives: The high prevalence of caesarean section is a global health concern, especially in Iran. Considering the possibility of complications caused by cesarean section and the importance of identifying the development process of this delivery method, the present research was conducted with the aim of determining the factors influencing the behavioral intention and the choice of the type of delivery by pregnant women of Bojnord city based on the theory of planned behavior. Materials & Methods: The current cross-sectional study was conducted in 2021 on 369 pregnant women first abdomen who referred to comprehensive health centers in Bojnurd city. The sampling method was multi-stage. The data collection tool was a questionnaire based on the theory of planned behavior. The data were analyzed by SPSS 21 software by using t-test, Mann-Whitney, and Chi-square tests. Results: 72.6% of the participants wanted to give birth naturally and 27.4% had a cesarean birth. People who intended to have a natural birth significantly had better knowledge, a more positive attitude towards natural birth, and a better perceived behavioral control (P<0.001). The two constructs of attitude (β=-0.234) and perceived behavioral control (β=-0.215) had the most negative and significant predictors of the behavioral intention to perform cesarean delivery (P<0.001). The results of the subjective norms showed that the doctor's opinion and the mass media had the greatest and least influence on the choice of the type of delivery in pregnant women, respectively. The constructs of the theory of planned behavior together predicted 17.2 of the variance of natural childbirth intention in pregnant women. Conclusion: The theory of planned behavior can be effective by identifying the factors of pregnant women's intention in choosing natural delivery. It is suitable with training and interventions to reduce the rate of cesarean section for pregnant women using this theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A high percentage of pregnant women experience anxiety symptoms. A review of recent studies shows that current psychological interventions have not focused on pregnancy. Therefore, considering the importance of investigating anxiety disorders during pregnancy and the impact of these disorders on the mental health system, the evaluation of anxiety disorders should be considered in controlled clinical studies. Aims: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of computer-based cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy (ECBT) on emotion regulation in pregnant women with anxiety. Method: This study was quasi-experimental. The studied population consists of pregnant women from 13 to 30 weeks pregnant, singletons, and suffering from anxiety disorders in Babol city. In a pre-test and post-test design, 84 pregnant women at 13-30 weeks of pregnancy were divided into two experimental groups (n = 42) and control (n = 42). The participants in both groups completed Garnevsky's (2002) cognitive emotion regulation questionnaire in two pre-test and post-test series. The data were analyzed using variance analysis of repeated measurements and SPSS 26 software. Results: The results of this study showed that ECBT is able to improve emotion regulation in pregnant women (p<0.05). The pre-test and post-test of emotion regulation showed a significant difference in repeated measurement evaluation. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest the use of computer-based cognitive behavioral therapy in reducing the emotional problems of pregnant women with anxiety disorders. Furthermore, the obtained results help psychologists and specialists in the field of women's health to gain new insights in relation to online treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose: The coronavirus epidemic has had a significant impact on people's lives and has created many problems in the economic, scientific, environmental, and personal dimensions of people's lives. Fertility in women was one of the threats addressed during the Covid-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the quality of life, marital satisfaction, and anxiety, depression, and stress in women of reproductive age referring to medical centers covered by Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and methods: The current study was descriptive and analytical in a cross-sectional manner. The statistical population included all women referred to medical centers covered by Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences from March 1399 to March 1400, who were questioned in two periods. Data were collected using a questionnaire that included demographic information, pregnancy, and COVID-19 disease. Also, the information related to the quality of life of the participants in the study was evaluated using the SF-12 questionnaire, anxiety, depression, and stress of the participants with the Lovebond scale (DASS), and marital satisfaction with the Enrich questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS 24 software. Results: 1759 women of reproductive age participated in this study. All participants (100%) were married, with an average duration of marriage of 8.5±1.5 years. 14.1% of women were infected with COVID-19 during the study. 7.2% of women had at least one underlying disease, hypothyroidism (4.3%), diabetes (1.3%) and hypertension (0.1%) being the most common cases. There were diseases. The results indicated a decrease in people's physical health and emotional problems due to the changes in their quality of life due to the outbreak of Covid-19. About 99% of women showed mild and moderate symptoms of mental disorders, including depression, anxiety, and stress, during the study. The participants' stress levels decreased over time (9.6±8.83 vs 8.3±69.7), and their marital satisfaction increased (2.91±0.3 vs 2.95±0.31, P=0.0). Also, the findings of the research showed that people's quality of life had a negative and significant relationship with the amount of mental disorders. Conclusion: The results of the study revealed an increase in marital satisfaction during the Covid-19 period. The study participants' quality of life had a significant difference in the two time periods. Consequently, special attention to Women of reproductive age, increasing their general and sexual awareness, and providing positive psychological programs in crisis conditions are recommended in formulating health policies and programs

Background: A high percentage of pregnant women experience anxiety symptoms. A review of recent studies shows that current psychological interventions have not focused on pregnancy. Therefore, considering the importance of investigating anxiety disorders during pregnancy and the impact of these disorders on the mental health system, the evaluation of anxiety disorders should be considered in controlled clinical studies. Aims: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of computer-based cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy (ECBT) on emotion regulation in pregnant women with anxiety. Method: This study was quasi-experimental. The studied population consists of pregnant women from 13 to 30 weeks pregnant, singletons, and suffering from anxiety disorders in Babol city. In a pre-test and post-test design, 84 pregnant women at 13-30 weeks of pregnancy were divided into two experimental groups (n = 42) and control (n = 42). The participants in both groups completed Garnevsky's (2002) cognitive emotion regulation questionnaire in two pre-test and post-test series. The data were analyzed using variance analysis of repeated measurements and SPSS 26 software. Results: The results of this study showed that ECBT is able to improve emotion regulation in pregnant women (p

Background and purpose: Emergence of multidrug resistance (MDR) among Streptococcus agalactiae isolated from pregnant women and the presence of polysaccharide capsules in these strains play a significant role in pathogenicity. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of antibiotic resistance, multidrug resistance, and Ia and Ib capsular types in these strains. Materials and methods: Vaginal samples were transferred to Todd-Hewitt Broth medium. After 24 hours, they were inoculated on the blood agar medium, and then the bacteria were identified using standard methods. The antibiotic resistance pattern of the isolates was determined by the disk agar diffusion method. Then, the bacterial DNA was extracted and the capsular genes were identified using PCR method. Results: The prevalence of colonization in pregnant women was 23.25%. Tetracycline with 94.33% resistance rate was the least effective drug, while 78.3%, 81.13% and 83.01% of the isolates were non-susceptible to ofloxacin, erythromycin and quinupristin-dalfopristin, respectively. Also, 78.3% of the isolates were sensitive to penicillin. Meanwhile, 94 (88.7%) isolates were MDR, while 20 (18.86%) isolates and 32 (30.18%) isolates had the Ia and Ib capsular types, respectively. Conclusion: Penicillin is a suitable drug for prophylaxis in high-risk pregnant women in this region. The high prevalence of MDR strains indicates the lack of proper management of antibiotics. In addition, the high prevalence of capsular types Ib and Ia, especially in MDR strains, shows the importance of these serotypes for designing capsular vaccines.

Aim and Background: Tokophobia is a pathological fear of childbirth that can lead to anxiety and worry in pregnant women. The aim of present study was to investigate of the psychometric characteristics of Tokophobia Severity Scale amongst pregnant women. Methods and Materials: This descriptive study, the sample has been carried out on 205 pregnant women which were selected through available sampling. In this study, data were collected using Wooten et al. Tokophobia Severity Scale of (2020) and Gladstone et al. Brief Measure of Worry Severity (2005). The reliability coeffcients were calculated by Cronbach alpha and Halving method and to determine the validity of the scale, confirmatory factory analysis and concurrent validity were used. For analysis the data SPSS version 22 and AMOS version 24 soft ware were used and significant level was 0.01. Findings: Confirmatory factor analysis showed that the two factor model of Tokophobia Severity Scale fits among the pregnant women. Reliability by Cronbach's alpha method and halving was obtained as 0.87 and 0.84, respectively, which indicated good reliability and validity. Conclusions: It seems that due to the acceptable reliability and validity of the tokophobia severity scale in pregnant women, it can be used as a diagnostic tool to identify the severe fear of childbirth and to start teaching the management of this fear in pregnant mothers.

Background & Aim: Infectious diseases represent a significant health concern within human communities. Considering the importance of pregnancy, the present study was conducted with the aim of exploring the health behaviors exhibited by pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods & Materials: This qualitative study employed the conventional content analysis approach to examine a cohort of 16 pregnant women in 2021. The research was conducted within the health centers of Ilam, employing the purposeful sampling technique and unstructured interviews to collect the data. Simultaneous to the data collection, conventional content analysis was employed to analyze the data. MAXQDA version 10 software was utilized for data management purposes. Results: The participants had a mean age of 30 years, while the average gestational age was 30.38 weeks. Through analysis, three main themes and eight categories were derived from the collected data. The main themes identified were as follows: 1- self-care practices for disease prevention, 2- the adverse effects of the pandemic on pregnancy, and 3- changes in the healthcare system. Conclusion: The results of the present study highlight the emergence of a novel form of self-care among pregnant women as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic. The adverse effects of the pandemic, such as quarantine measures, were associated with the development of negative ruminations within pregnant women. Following the quarantine restrictions, significant modifications were observed in the ways through which women sought health-related information and engaged in daily activities. Moreover, alterations were made to care policies. Paying attention to the comprehensive health needs of pregnant women, including both physical and mental health, is imperative within the context of pandemic-related health services.

Background and purpose: The coronavirus epidemic has had a significant impact on people's lives and has created many problems in the economic, scientific, environmental, and personal dimensions of people's lives. Fertility in women was one of the threats addressed during the Covid-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the quality of life, marital satisfaction, and anxiety, depression, and stress in women of reproductive age referring to medical centers covered by Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and methods: The current study was descriptive and analytical in a cross-sectional manner. The statistical population included all women referred to medical centers covered by Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences from March 1399 to March 1400, who were questioned in two periods. Data were collected using a questionnaire that included demographic information, pregnancy, and COVID-19 disease. Also, the information related to the quality of life of the participants in the study was evaluated using the SF-12 questionnaire, anxiety, depression, and stress of the participants with the Lovebond scale (DASS), and marital satisfaction with the Enrich questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS 24 software. Results: 1759 women of reproductive age participated in this study. All participants (100%) were married, with an average duration of marriage of 8.5±1.5 years. 14.1% of women were infected with COVID-19 during the study. 7.2% of women had at least one underlying disease, hypothyroidism (4.3%), diabetes (1.3%) and hypertension (0.1%) being the most common cases. There were diseases. The results indicated a decrease in people's physical health and emotional problems due to the changes in their quality of life due to the outbreak of Covid-19. About 99% of women showed mild and moderate symptoms of mental disorders, including depression, anxiety, and stress, during the study. The participants' stress levels decreased over time (9.6±8.83 vs 8.3±69.7), and their marital satisfaction increased (2.91±0.3 vs 2.95±0.31, P=0.0). Also, the findings of the research showed that people's quality of life had a negative and significant relationship with the amount of mental disorders. Conclusion: The results of the study revealed an increase in marital satisfaction during the Covid-19 period. The study participants' quality of life had a significant difference in the two time periods. Consequently, special attention to Women of reproductive age, increasing their general and sexual awareness, and providing positive psychological programs in crisis conditions are recommended in formulating health policies and programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Maintaining the health of mother and fetus during pregnancy requires knowledge of pregnancy care. This study endeavors to investigate the role of online news and information search skills in the area of pregnancy of pregnant women in Kohnouj in improving their health information search behavior during pregnancy. Methods: This research is a semi-experimental type (pre-test-post-test with a control group). The statistical population of the research is pregnant women in the Kohnuj. The sample was 48 pregnant women who were randomly selected and divided into two intervention and control groups. The instrument was a researcher-made questionnaire. The validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by experts and its Cronbach's alpha coefficient was equal to 0.828. Results: The mean scores of mothers' health literacy increased slightly in the control group after educational interventions, but the increase was higher in the intervention group. Besides, information search skills after educational interventions in the control group increased little, but in the intervention group, this increase was high. In other words, teaching information search skills to mothers in the intervention group has been effective in increasing and improving their health information search skills in the field of pregnancy. Conclusion: Information search skills training had a positive effect on increasing the level of awareness of pregnant women to take care of themselves and the fetus. As such, it led to the improvement of their search for health information in the field of pregnancy during the pregnancy period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose: Emergence of multidrug resistance (MDR) among Streptococcus agalactiae isolated from pregnant women and the presence of polysaccharide capsules in these strains play a significant role in pathogenicity. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of antibiotic resistance, multidrug resistance, and Ia and Ib capsular types in these strains. Materials and methods: Vaginal samples were transferred to Todd-Hewitt Broth medium. After 24 hours, they were inoculated on the blood agar medium, and then the bacteria were identified using standard methods. The antibiotic resistance pattern of the isolates was determined by the disk agar diffusion method. Then, the bacterial DNA was extracted and the capsular genes were identified using PCR method. Results: The prevalence of colonization in pregnant women was 23.25%. Tetracycline with 94.33% resistance rate was the least effective drug, while 78.3%, 81.13% and 83.01% of the isolates were non-susceptible to ofloxacin, erythromycin and quinupristin-dalfopristin, respectively. Also, 78.3% of the isolates were sensitive to penicillin. Meanwhile, 94 (88.7%) isolates were MDR, while 20 (18.86%) isolates and 32 (30.18%) isolates had the Ia and Ib capsular types, respectively. Conclusion: Penicillin is a suitable drug for prophylaxis in high-risk pregnant women in this region. The high prevalence of MDR strains indicates the lack of proper management of antibiotics. In addition, the high prevalence of capsular types Ib and Ia, especially in MDR strains, shows the importance of these serotypes for designing capsular vaccines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & Aims During the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccination is necessary for pregnant or lactating women which can prevent them from infection to severe case of disease. The present study aims to determine the factors related to the acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination among pregnant or lactating women in Zahedan, Iran using the health belief model (HBM). Materials & Methods This is a cross-sectional study. Participants were 260 pregnant or lactating women referred to comprehensive health service centers in Zahedan city in 2022. Sampling method was done as a convenience sampling method. Data collection was done using a demographic form and a HBM-based questionnaire. The reliability of the questionnaire was confirmed based on Cronbach’s alpha value of 0.7. Moreover, the content validity index value was 0.81 and the content validity ratio was 0.77. The data were analyzed using non-parametric Wilcoxon test, Mann-Whitney U test, Spearman correlation test, and regression analysis in SPSS software, version 22. Results The results of the regression analysis showed that the demographic variables explained 12.6% of the variance in vaccine acceptance behavior, where only the effect of age and educational level was significant, (P<0.05). The BM constructs along with age and educational level predicted 26.3% of the variance in vaccine acceptance behavior, where only age, self-efficacy and perceived benefits had a significant effect (P<0.05). Overall, the mentioned variables predicted 38.9% of the variance in vaccine acceptance behavior. Conclusion The factors of young age, high educational level, and the HBM constructs of self-efficacy and perceived benefits can predict the COVID-19 vaccine acceptance behavior of pregnant or lactating women in the South East of Iran. These findings can help policymakers and health care providers to use this model in designing program for improving vaccination acceptance of these high-risk groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Despite the adverse consequences of cesarean delivery, its incidence rate is increasing in many provinces of the country, especially Ilam city. For this reason, it is important to identify the causes of the increase in cesarean delivery in order to reduce it. Therefore, the present study was conducted with the aim of determining the frequency of cesarean section and its causes in primiparous women in Ilam city in 2016. Methods: The present study was conducted cross-sectionally in the second half of 2016 in Ilam city, and the study population was all primiparous women referred to a single specialty maternity hospital (Ayatollah Taleghani Hospital). The sampling method was census and all cesarean deliveries were recorded in Ayatollah Taleghani Hospital. The inclusion criteria included all primiparous women. The data of the study was collected using a researcher-made questionnaire that included demographic and midwifery information. After collecting the data, the data was entered into the SPSS version 16 software Central indices were used to describe data in quantitative variables, and absolute and cumulative frequency and percentage of dispersion frequency were used for qualitative variables. Results: According to the findings of this study, out of 1738 births, 867 (49.88%) were natural births and 871 (50.12%) were cesarean. Among the natural births, 427 (49.25%) and among the cesarean births, 296 (33.98%) were primiparous. Among the maternal factors, lack of progress and among the fetal factors, fetal distress and among the maternal-fetal factors, head- to-pelvis disproportion was one of the most important causes of cesarean delivery in primiparous women. In general, fetal factors with more than 67% were the most important causes of caesarean section in primiparous women. Conclusions: According to the findings of the study, 33.98% of cesarean births were primiparous. Considering the high statistics of caesarean section, especially cesarean section for first births, It is necessary to reduce the number of elective cesarean sections by increasing the number of physiological births and painless births, as well as increasing the awareness of families about birthing methods and the advantages and disadvantages of each of them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & Aim: Infectious diseases represent a significant health concern within human communities. Considering the importance of pregnancy, the present study was conducted with the aim of exploring the health behaviors exhibited by pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods & Materials: This qualitative study employed the conventional content analysis approach to examine a cohort of 16 pregnant women in 2021. The research was conducted within the health centers of Ilam, employing the purposeful sampling technique and unstructured interviews to collect the data. Simultaneous to the data collection, conventional content analysis was employed to analyze the data. MAXQDA version 10 software was utilized for data management purposes. Results: The participants had a mean age of 30 years, while the average gestational age was 30.38 weeks. Through analysis, three main themes and eight categories were derived from the collected data. The main themes identified were as follows: 1- self-care practices for disease prevention, 2- the adverse effects of the pandemic on pregnancy, and 3- changes in the healthcare system. Conclusion: The results of the present study highlight the emergence of a novel form of self-care among pregnant women as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic. The adverse effects of the pandemic, such as quarantine measures, were associated with the development of negative ruminations within pregnant women. Following the quarantine restrictions, significant modifications were observed in the ways through which women sought healthrelated information and engaged in daily activities. Moreover, alterations were made to care policies. Paying attention to the comprehensive health needs of pregnant women, including both physical and mental health, is imperative within the context of pandemic-related health services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Pregnant women due to hormonal and physical changes in pregnancy face many problems, such as sleep disorders, which creates stress, tension and anxiety. Due to limitation of drug consumption during pregnancy, it is possible to use non-pharmacological methods to improve this situation, which can point to Benson's relaxation and mindfulness. Therefore, the present study was conducted with aim to determine and compare the effect of Benson's relaxation and mindfulness on the sleep quality of pregnant women. Methods: : In this single-blind randomized clinical trial study which was conducted in 2022, 102 pregnant women from Shiraz city with low sleep quality were allocated to one of the three groups of Benson relaxation, mindfulness and control by using the random block allocation method. The data related to the quality of sleep was checked through the Pittsburgh questionnaire before and one month after the intervention. The interventions were carried out in 8 weeks. Data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 21) and Chi-square, ANOVA, Tukey's post hoc test and paired t-test. P0.05). The mean total scores of sleep quality before the intervention in the three groups of Benson's relaxation, mindfulness and control were 7.08±1.83, 7.52±2.77 and 6.76±2.27, respectively, and after the intervention were 3.52±3.23, 2.73±2.24 and 6.91±2.19, respectively; there was a significant difference between the two intervention groups and the control group after the intervention (p

Introduction: In the past decades, umbilical cord blood has been recognized as a valuable source of stem cells, which is used in the treatment of many diseases. The present study was performed with aim to investigate the level of knowledge and attitudes about cord blood storage and donation in pregnant women referring to Amiralmomenin Hospital of Zabol. Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was performed in 2022 on 500 pregnant women referred to Amiralmomenin Hospital in Zabol city. The data collection tool was a researcher-made questionnaire consisting of three parts: demographic characteristics, awareness and attitude towards cord blood storage and donation, which was completed by individuals. The score of the awareness section was divided into 3 groups: poor, average and good knowledge and the score of the attitude section was divided into three groups: negative, neutral and positive. Data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 16) and Spearman correlation coefficient. P

Background and Objective: This study aimed to determine the relationship of health-promoting behaviors with demographic and pregnancy characteristics in overweight and obese pregnant women in Bijar, Iran. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 194 pregnant women who were selected from five comprehensive health centers in Bijar, Iran, in 2020, using the convenience sampling method. The data were collected via demographic and pregnancy characteristics form and Walker's health promotion lifestyle questionnaire. Following that, the independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficient, and multiple linear regression were used for data analysis. A P-value of 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The health-promoting behaviors of pregnant women were explained under the influence of gestational age and the number of prenatal care. The results showed that obese and overweight pregnant women who had 7 to 8 prenatal cares had a higher and significant mean score of health promoting behaviors, compared to pregnant women who had 1 to 2 cares (β=5.30; Ρ=0.022). Moreover, pregnant women whose gestational age was more than 35 weeks obtained a higher and significant mean score of health-promoting behaviors than pregnant women with a gestational age of less than 25 weeks (β=7.54; Ρ=0.03). Conclusion: Using these findings, in addition to the number of pregnancy cares and age of pregnancy, it seems that there are other factors affecting health-promoting behaviors in pregnant women.

Maternal and neonatal outcomes of pregnant women diagnosed with covid-19 in Shahid Jalil and Imam Sajjad hospitals in Yasuj from April 2020 to July 2021 Zahra Asadi Kalemeh1, Parvinsadat Eslamnik1*, Seyed Eisa Salehi Dehno 2 1Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecolog , School of Medicine Yasuj University of Medical Sciences,iran. 2Assistant Professor of Surgery Department of Surgery, School of Medicine Yasuj University of Medical Sciences, iran Abstract Introduction: In the period of emerging outbreaks such as new virus diseases, pregnant women and their fetuses are more vulnerable than other populations. On the other hand, there are limited studies and findings on the possible consequences of this disease during pregnancy in pregnant women. It was done from April 2020 to July 2021. Methods: In this retrospective descriptive study, 227 healthy pregnant women and 109 pregnant women with Covid 19 who were referred to Shahid Jalil and Imam Sajjad (AS) Hospitals in Yasouj for delivery from April 2016 to July 2015 were studied. . Demographic information, pregnancy, Covid's disease 19, delivery and postpartum were collected using a questionnaire and data were analyzed using statistical software (SPSS version 22) and descriptive indicators. Results: The most common age group in this study was 31-35 years. 18.3% of women were in the 22nd week of pregnancy and in the group of healthy women 20.7% were between 38 and 39 weeks and 17.2% were between 39 and 40 weeks of pregnancy. They were experiencing their second pregnancy. Both groups had a history of miscarriage, stillbirth and multiple births. Blood groups O + and A + were the most common blood groups in pregnant women with Covid 19. 63.3% of infants born to infected mothers and 90.7% of infants born to healthy mothers had an Apgar score of 10-9. 55% of women with Covid 19 birth by cesarean section. Premature labor Respiratory diseases, preeclampsia and preterm labor were the most common complications of Covid 19 in pregnant women with Covid 19. Conclusion: It seems that for pregnant women, Covid 19 can increase the patient and its complications and pose a risk to maternal and fetal health. Also, careful prenatal care, health protocol training, close monitoring of the mother and fetus during and after delivery are essential to reduce maternal and neonatal complications. Keywords: Pregnant women, Maternal outcomes, Neonatal outcomes and Covid 19

Introduction: Considering the priority of supporting vulnerable groups when fighting against COVID-19, the present study aimed to evaluate the levels of COVID-19-induced anxiety and depression in two vulnerable groups: medical staff and pregnant women.Methods: The present study is a descriptive cross-sectional study performed on 140 treatment staff and 338 pregnant women. The questionnaire used in this study includes demographic characteristics and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale- modified. Univariate and multiple linear regression analysis and analysis of variance were used to identify the effect of variables on anxiety and depression.Results: Among the staff, 88.6% were women. The mean and standard deviation of their COVID-19-induced anxiety and depression were 12.76 ± 1.78 and 7.75 ± 2.27, respectively. The staff exhibited high levels of abnormal anxiety, with 92.9% reporting symptoms. In contrast, the prevalence of abnormal depression among the staff was lower, with only 11.4% reporting symptoms. Marital status (p=0.05) and exercise (p=0.03) significantly affected the covid-19-induced depression of the medical staff. The mean and standard deviation of COVID-19-induced anxiety and depression in pregnant women were 10.53 ± 2.04 and 11.15 ± 2.09, respectively, and these scores were significantly different compared to the medical staff groups.Conclusion: Vulnerable groups had high levels of anxiety and depression associated with COVID-19. Nurses prioritized psychological programs targeting anxiety reduction, while pregnant women prioritized psychological programs addressing depression reduction.

Mobile applications have been proposed as a helpful tool to provide health-related information to people, and this is more important in pregnancy-related mobile applications. This review study aimed to investigate the features of Persian and English mobile apps for self-care in pregnancy.This descriptive cross-sectional study was done on all Persian and English mobile applications related to pregnancy in 2022. A search was conducted on Iranian digital app market (Bazaar) and "Google Play", using the following keywords: "pregnancy", "pregnant women", "obstetrics", and their Persian translations. For each app, the extracted information included name, user satisfaction rate, and the features and provided information by mobile app.The total number of retrieved applications was 416 apps. After removing the duplicates and applying the inclusion criteria, 63 applications were selected for features extraction. Reviewing the features and information provided by the applications showed that the most frequent categories of information included the following items: childbirth and pregnancy (including timing contractions, fetal movement, symptoms of pregnancy and predicting delivery time), restrictions and limitations (including behavioral limits, sexual restrictions, smoking and alcohol, cosmetics and pregnancy and drug use during pregnancy), and monitoring and control tools (BMI Calculator, managing weight gain during pregnancy, control of blood pressure).Paying attention to pregnant women and meeting their information needs could lead to healthier generation. A wide range of mobile applications related to pregnancy are available with many capabilities. Considering pregnant women’s need for information and using these apps in self-care, it seems essential to develop and design a series of high-quality apps matching pregnant women's needs.

Background & Aims Providing adequate prenatal care for women can help maintain or improve the health of the mother and fetus. This study aims to identify the incentives and barriers to receiving prenatal care in Zahedan, southeast Iran. Materials & Methods This is a qualitative study using a conventional content analysis approach. Participants were 26 people, including 8 healthcare workers and 18 pregnant women referred to the healthcare centers in 2022 in Zahedan. They were selected by a purposive sampling method and underwent semi-structured in-depth interviews, which continued until the data saturation. Content analysis was carried out along with assessing the validity and reliability of data using Graneheim and Lundman’s four criteria (credibility, dependability, transferability, and confirmability). Results After analysis, 504 codes were obtained, which were reduced to 215 codes, from which 19 sub-categories, 6 sub-themes, and 2 themes of prenatal care barriers and incentives. Conclusion Policymakers and authorities in Zahedan should pay attention to the incentives and barriers to receiving prenatal care identified in this study for developing plans to improve the health of pregnant women in this area.

Background and Objective: health practices of pregnant women affect the maternal and neonatal health and pregnancy outcomes. We aimed to determine the effect of virtual childbirth preparation education on improving the health practices of pregnant women. Materials and Methods:A quasiexperimental study was conducted in three phases on 633 pregnant women covered by health centers in the south of Tehran in 2019. Since the number of eligible individuals were close to the sample size, sampling was not done and the census method was used. In total, 310 of individuals were placed in the intervention group and 323 individuals in the control group. In the pre-test phase, the health practices of pregnant women questionnaire were completed by women in both intervention and control groups. Then women in the intervention group participated in virtual childbirth preparation education. In the post-test phase, the questionnaire was completed again by women in the 34th to 38th week of pregnancy. We used the SPSS 26 software for data analysis and the effectiveness of educational intervention was evaluated by Generalized Linear Model. Results: The mean scores of participants in the intervention group in the aspects of nutrition, special health care for pregnant women and correct pregnancy information were significantly higher than the control group (P < 0.001) and the overal mean scores of health practices of pregnant women in the intervention group (90.53±9.71) were significantly higher than the control group (83.86±10.58) (P<0.001). Among the participants charactristics, nationality had an effect on the relationship between virtual education and health practices of pregnant women (P=0.03). Conclusion: virtual childbirth preparation education had a positive effect on the health practices of pregnant women. When it is not possible to hold face-to-face childbirth preparation education, virtual education is a suitable alternative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Marital satisfaction is one of the concepts that creates sexual health in a person and one of the most important influencing factors in the family is having marital satisfaction. The purpose of this study is to investigate marital satisfaction in pregnant women during the outbreak of Covid-19 in Jahrom city. Material and Method The present study is a descriptive and analytical type that was conducted in 1400 with the participation of 287 women referring to women's clinic in Jahrom city using easy and accessible sampling. The data collection tool was personal and social characteristics and Enrich Marital Satisfaction Questionnaire. Results The results showed that the average marital satisfaction of women participating in the study was 175.59±25.38. The level of marital satisfaction of the majority of women was high (56.6%). With increasing age, women's marital satisfaction decreases; But with the improvement of the economic situation, women's marital satisfaction has increased. Also, the results of the t-test showed that there is no relationship between women's marital satisfaction and its components with covid-19. Conclusion Based on the results of the present study, the marital satisfaction of the majority of pregnant women was reported at a high level during the Corona period. Marital satisfaction of women has been influenced by various factors such as age and economic status. By knowing more about the effective components in improving marital satisfaction, effective steps can be taken to improve it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Self-efficacy during pregnancy is a self-assessment of one's ability to manage stress and perform important behaviors, especially in coping with pain. Women who benefit from the support of others during pregnancy feel more self efficacious. The studies show that involving family members in education, support or presence during pregnancy has contradictory consequences. This study was therefore conducted with the aim of determining the effect of an accompanying training programme based on Bandura's theory on the mother's self-efficacy during childbirth. Material & Methods: This RCT was conducted on 60 primiparous mothers between 20 and 23 weeks of gestation who were admitted to Umm al-Banin Hospital in Mashhad and were randomly assigned to two intervention and control groups. The control group received 8 sessions of 90 minutes of oral and practical training. In addition to these sessions, training sessions based on Bandura's theory were held for the intervention group, including two sessions of companions and pregnant mothers together and two sessions alone. A demographic questionnaire and a Childbirth Self Efficacy Inventory (CBSEI, Lowe, 1993) were completed by both groups before and immediately after the training. Data were analyzed using independent t-tests, paired t tests, Mann-Whitney and Wilcoxon in SPSS 16 software. A significance level of less than 0.05 was considered. Findings: The average age of the mothers in the intervention group was 26.7±8.3 years and in the control group 28.3±5.9 years. In most cases, the mother 's companion was her sister (73.3%). Before the training, the mean value of self-efficacy was 82.5±22.3 in the intervention group and 87.5±32.4 in the control group (P = 0.492, independent t-test). After the training, the mean value of self-efficacy was 132.4±18.5 in the intervention group and 115.2±26.4 in the control group (P=0.006, Mann-Whitney test). Self-efficacy after the intervention compared to before increased by 49.9±31.3 in the intervention group and by 27.7±29.5 in the control group (P=0.007, Mann-Whitney test). In intragroup comparison, the difference between the intervention group after and before the training was significant (P<0.001, Wilcoxon test). The difference between before and after the training was also significant in the control group (P<0.001, paired t-test). Discussion & Conclusion: Companion training based on Bandura's theory has an effect on the self-efficacy of pregnant women during childbirth and is recommended as a training method for childbirth preparation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Considering the priority of supporting vulnerable groups when fighting against COVID-19, the present study aimed to evaluate the levels of COVID-19-induced anxiety and depression in two vulnerable groups: medical staff and pregnant women. Methods: The present study is a descriptive cross-sectional study performed on 140 treatment staff and 338 pregnant women. The questionnaire used in this study includes demographic characteristics and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale- modified. Univariate and multiple linear regression analysis and analysis of variance were used to identify the effect of variables on anxiety and depression. Results: Among the staff, 88.6% were women. The mean and standard deviation of their COVID19-induced anxiety and depression were 12.76 ± 1.78 and 7.75 ± 2.27, respectively. The staff exhibited high levels of abnormal anxiety, with 92.9% reporting symptoms. In contrast, the prevalence of abnormal depression among the staff was lower, with only 11.4% reporting symptoms. Marital status (p=0.05) and exercise (p=0.03) significantly affected the covid-19- induced depression of the medical staff. The mean and standard deviation of COVID-19-induced anxiety and depression in pregnant women were 10.53 ± 2.04 and 11.15 ± 2.09, respectively, and these scores were significantly different compared to the medical staff groups. Conclusion: Vulnerable groups had high levels of anxiety and depression associated with COVID19. Nurses prioritized psychological programs targeting anxiety reduction, while pregnant women prioritized psychological programs addressing depression reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Congenital anomalies are one of the important causes of disability and infant mortality. These abnormalities occur during egg fertilization or embryonic development, which can be detected by laboratory methods. The aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence of congenital anomalies in Rafsanjan City. Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 4868 infants born in Rafsanjan city in 2018. Data collection tool was a questionnaire including information about mothers and infants. The questionnaire was completed using health records available in health centers of Rafsanjan city. Data were analyzed using SPSS 20 and independent t-test and Chi-square. Results: The results showed that the overall prevalence of congenital anomalies in Rafsanjan was 5/38 per 1000 live births. Out of 4868 pregnant women, 474 (9/7%), had abortions or stillbirths before the second trimester, and 12 (0/2%) had therapeutic abortions. After analyzing these anomalies, three cases of Down syndrome (trisomy 21), three cases of Edward syndrome (trisomy 18), one case of aneuploidy, and two cases of microcephaly were found, and the rest had one of the structural abnormalities.. Conclusion: The results of this study indicated a high rate of congenital anomalies in Rafsanjan. Therefore, further studies are recommended to better understand the causes and prevent these anomalies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Women during pregnancy are high risk for contracting coronavirus disease 21019 (COVID-19), and vaccination is probably the best way to prevent it during this period. This study aims to survey perceptions of COVID-19 vaccination among Pregnant Mothers in Qom, Iran. Methods: This is a qualitative study using the content analysis approach, Semi-structured interviews were used to collect information. Participants were 22 pregnant mothers living in Qom city who were eligible for vaccination, but had not yet been vaccinated. Results: The results of content analysis led to the extraction of three main themes: vaccine acceptance (lack of knowledge and awareness, lack of trust in news, advice from others), vaccine safety (unknown side effects of vaccine on the mother and the fetus/newborn), and vaccine effectiveness (effectiveness of the vaccine for the mother and the fetus/newborn). Conclusion: The pregnant mothers in Qom avoid COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy due to the lack of knowledge and awareness, lack of trust in the news, and advice from others. They are also worried about the unknown side effects of the vaccine on the mother, the fetus or newborn and have no knowledge of the effectiveness of the vaccine for the mother, the fetus or newborn.

Background: Due to the prevalence of coronavirus infection in Iran and the greater susceptibility of pregnant women to the disease, this study aimed to investigate the predictors of pregnant women's self-care behavior in coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) epidemic using the Extended Parallel Process Model (EPPM). Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on 309 pregnant women in Isfahan City, Iran. The samples were selected using two-stage cluster sampling method from 14 health centers in Isfahan City. In order to collect data, participants completed a researcher-made questionnaire based on EPPM constructs online. The collected data were analyzed using Spearman correlation coefficient and hierarchical linear regression tests via SPSS software. Findings: The mean age of the participants was 29.00 ± 6.25 years. Overall, the four variables of “perceived sensitivity, perceived severity, self-efficacy, and response efficiency” constituted about 44% of the total variance of protective behaviors in pregnant women (adjusted R2 = 0.42%, P = 0.030). Among them, the constructs of self-efficacy (β = 0.41) and response efficiency (β = 0.15) had the greatest power in predicting self-care behavior (P < 0.050). Conclusion: Self-efficacy and response efficiency constructs have been the main determinants of self-care behaviors of pregnant women during COVID-19 disease. Therefore, in order to promote self-care behaviors in pregnant women, more emphasis can be placed on strategies of improving the mentioned constructs.

Introduction: The lack of information about the impact of Covid-19 on pregnancy and the increased side-effects of the disease for pregnant mothers and fetuses showed the importance of investigating its impact on pregnancy and neonate. The present study was performed with aim to investigate the impact of positive test result of PCR on the weight and Apgar scores of infants. Methods: In this analytical study (retrospective cohort), sampling was conducted by examining the files of 98 pregnant women who gave birth between April 2020 and September 2021 using the apple system which were covered by health care centers located in Isfahan province. The information obtained from the comparison of two groups of mothers based on the results of the PCR test was analyzed by SPSS software (version 18) and Independent t-test. P

Background and Objective: Today, abortion treatment is performed legally for reasons such as preserving the health and life of the mother and fetus with disabilities. The aim of this study was to investigate the basic information and determine the main reasons for legal abortions in medical abortions referred from forensic medicine in Babol as a basis for designing and conducting studies in the future regarding the improvement of reproductive health among women of reproductive age. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted via census sampling method among 104 cases of medical abortion referred from the forensic medicine of Babol to affiliated hospitals of Babol University of Medical Sciences in 2017-2020. Information related to individual and social factors and maternal and fetal causes leading to abortion was collected by a researcher-made checklist. Then, the data were reviewed and compared in terms of gestational age, termination of pregnancy, and maternal and fetal causes leading to abortion. Findings: The mean gestational age at termination of pregnancy with fetal causes was 16.21±2.35 weeks and for maternal causes was 10.33±3.96 weeks. There was a statistically significant relationship between the history of underlying disease, gender at the time of abortion, gestational age, and the causes of termination of pregnancy (p

Background and Objective: Considering the importance and role of education in the diseases prevention, especially infections, this study was designed and implemented with the aim of determining the effect of an educational intervention based on the theory of planned behavior on the incidence of urinary tract infections and its preventive behaviors in pregnant women in Rafsanjan. Materials and Methods: The quasi -experimental study was conducted among 95 pregnant women in the first trimester in two groups (intervention 48 and control 47) by random cluster sampling method in 2021-22. The data collection tool was a researcher-made questionnaire based on the theory of planned behavior and urine culture test in two stages. The training program was conducted virtually through the WhatsApp social channel for one month, twice a week. Data analysis was done by SPSS version 20 software and independent t, paired t, chi-square and covariance analysis at a significance level of 0.05. Results: Covariance analysis showed a significant difference between the mean score of knowledge, attitude and behavior of the two groups three months after the intervention (p<0.05). Three months after the implementation of the educational program, the result of the urine culture test of three pregnant women in the control group was positive, while in the intervention group, no positive cases were observed (p=0.038). Conclusion: The educational program had a significant effect on the incidence of urinary tract infections in pregnant women. However, due to the lack of impact on the constructs of subjective norms and perceived behavioral control, it is suggested that one of the most important members of the family be involved in intervention programs in future interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mobile applications have been proposed as a helpful tool to provide health-related information to people, and this is more important in pregnancy-related mobile applications. This review study aimed to investigate the features of Persian and English mobile apps for self-care in pregnancy. This descriptive cross-sectional study was done on all Persian and English mobile applications related to pregnancy in 2022. A search was conducted on Iranian digital app market (Bazaar) and "Google Play", using the following keywords: "pregnancy", "pregnant women", "obstetrics", and their Persian translations. For each app, the extracted information included name, user satisfaction rate, and the features and provided information by mobile app. The total number of retrieved applications was 416 apps. After removing the duplicates and applying the inclusion criteria, 63 applications were selected for features extraction. Reviewing the features and information provided by the applications showed that the most frequent categories of information included the following items: childbirth and pregnancy (including timing contractions, fetal movement, symptoms of pregnancy and predicting delivery time), restrictions and limitations (including behavioral limits, sexual restrictions, smoking and alcohol, cosmetics and pregnancy and drug use during pregnancy), and monitoring and control tools (BMI Calculator, managing weight gain during pregnancy, control of blood pressure). Paying attention to pregnant women and meeting their information needs could lead to healthier generation. A wide range of mobile applications related to pregnancy are available with many capabilities. Considering pregnant women's need for information and using these apps in self-care, it seems essential to develop and design a series of highquality apps matching pregnant women's needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives Hypothyroidism is one of the causes of mental disorders such as depression and anxiety, especially in pregnant women. One of the ways to prevent the occurrence of such disorders is the use of non-pharmacological methods such as muscle relaxation, which can be taught to pregnant women either face-to-face or face-to-face. Therefore, the present study was conducted with the aim of comparing the effectiveness of muscle relaxation training in two ways, face-to-face and remotely, on the level of stress and anxiety of pregnant women with hypothyroidism. Subjects and Methods This semi-experimental study was conducted with a pre-test and post-test design in the year 2019 in selected centers of comprehensive health services in Najafabad. The research sample included 66 pregnant women with hypothyroidism. In this research, easy sampling method and random allocation of samples in two groups were used. Data collection tools were Spielberger anxiety and stress questionnaires spp-14. The data were described and analyzed with SPSS version 21 software at a significance level of less than 0.05. Results The results showed that face-to-face training is an effective method in muscle relaxation training as a safe and effective intervention in reducing stress and anxiety in pregnant women. Conclusion Based on the findings of the present study, face-to-face training is an effective method for muscle relaxation training as a safe and effective intervention in reducing stress and anxiety in pregnant women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & Aims: rug abuse is a major health challenge all over the world, and the majority of society thinks that drug abuse is mainly a male phenomenon. While drug abuse in women is increasing. Women experience a stressful life with drug abuse and need more support from family and society. If they do not receive the necessary support, they will be stuck in the cycle of addiction and it will be difficult for them to bear failures. Pregnancy with substance abuse poses serious risks to women's mental, psychological, physical and physical health and threatens the mental, social, political and economic health and safety of the society. In this context, midwifery personnel play a role as active people in the health care team and as one of the important sources of information to the community members in increasing social support and bearing more failures. The present study was conducted with the aim of determining the role of social support in coping with the failure of pregnant women with substance abuse who referred to Hazrat Zainab Hospital in Shiraz in 2021. Methods: The current study is a descriptive-cross-sectional study and the statistical population of all pregnant women with substance abuse referring to the clinic, laboratory, IVF unit, ultrasound, emergency department, and inpatient departments who, based on their self-report, declared that they suffered from substance abuse in a 12-month period. The consumption of substances such as cigarettes, opium, opium juice, heroin, crack, glass, hashish, morphine, cocaine, amphetamine, methadone, marijuana, NAS, pan, bong, flower, alprazolam, buponorphine and other substances and in different sections. Hazrat Zainab Hospital was in Shiraz. 200 people were included in the study by continuous sampling. The inclusion criteria included: having Iranian nationality, women aged 18 and above, ability to read and write, being married and with drug abuse according to the individual, mental and physical conditions were suitable.While respecting the privacy and confidentiality of information, demographic questionnaires, VAX social support and Harrington's failure tolerance were completed. Sampling continued from Mehr to Esfand 1400. Data analysis was done with SPSS 22 software with descriptive and analytical statistics tests of frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation, Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple regressions. Results: In the present study, 200 Iranian pregnant mothers with substance abuse with an average age of 34 years, average age of marriage 21.70 ± 4.51 years, majority of married women, housewives, with unfavorable economic status and no insurance were examined. Women and spouses with primary and secondary education levels had the highest frequency compared to other people. Women with working spouses also had the highest frequency compared to other people. 56% of these women had an unwanted pregnancy and 50 of these women had a history of prison and half of them had a history of prison once. The reason for the conviction of 60% of women was for carrying drugs, 30% for theft and 10% for other reasons. Women with 2 children had the highest frequency. The average social support score of pregnant women with substance abuse was 53.4 ± 2.32, which indicates unfavorable social support. Social support in the support of friends dimension had the highest mean (2.44 ± 0.91) and the support of community members had the lowest mean (2.24 ± 0.64). Social support was more in wives and husbands with middle and higher education levels. The mean failure tolerance score was 136.73±22.5, and failure tolerance was inversely correlated with social support (P=0.012) in the dimension of not tolerating stress, not tolerating discomfort, and not tolerating injustice and dissatisfaction. Conclusion: The social support received by pregnant women with drug abuse is not optimal and these women receive most of their support from friends, family and acquaintances, which provides the basis for more harm to them and makes them more prone to fall into the trap. Addictive Most of these women have not been able to bear failures, so it seems necessary to design and hold life-enhancing programs. Social support in these women was related to the level of education and favorable economic status, which can be helped by promoting education and improving the economic situation by creating simple jobs and educational spaces for these women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Poor sleep quality during pregnancy could lead to adverse outcomes for the mother and fetus. Therefore, this study aimed to employ auriculotherapy to improve sleep quality in pregnant women and enhance pregnancy outcomes. Methods: The present study was a one-blind randomized clinical trial carried out on 99 pregnant women (49 in the intervention group and 50 in the control group) with sleep disorders who were referred to the health center of the Tehran University of Medical Sciences. The intervention group underwent auriculotherapy for four weeks. In the control group, the ear seeds were placed on different points without pressure was applied on these points. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) questionnaire was completed for both groups before and 2 and 4 weeks after the intervention. Data were analyzed by the SPSS software using paired t-test and ANOVA. P<0.05 was considered significant. Results: The results showed that sleep quality scores in the control group were not significantly different between the three times (P<0.05). In the intervention group compared to the control, sleep quality scores improved significantly two and four weeks after the intervention (P<0.05). Conclusion: Based on our findings, auriculotherapy can be used as an uncomplicated and effective method instead of harmful drug treatments to improve the sleep quality of pregnant women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & Aims Providing adequate prenatal care for women can help maintain or improve the health of the mother and fetus. This study aims to identify the incentives and barriers to receiving prenatal care in Zahedan, southeast Iran. Materials & Methods This is a qualitative study using a conventional content analysis approach. Participants were 26 people, including 8 healthcare workers and 18 pregnant women referred to the healthcare centers in 2022 in Zahedan. They were selected by a purposive sampling method and underwent semi-structured in-depth interviews, which continued until the data saturation. Content analysis was carried out along with assessing the validity and reliability of data using Graneheim and Lundman’s four criteria (credibility, dependability, transferability, and confirmability). Results After analysis, 504 codes were obtained, which were reduced to 215 codes, from which 19 subcategories, 6 sub-themes, and 2 themes of prenatal care barriers and incentives. Conclusion Policymakers and authorities in Zahedan should pay attention to the incentives and barriers to receiving prenatal care identified in this study for developing plans to improve the health of pregnant women in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: Considering the quality of prenatal care services, indentification of the avoidable and inevitable maternal factors and proper promotion of the knowledge and skills of health care service providers is vital for providing suitable preventive and interventional services with the aim of ensuring a successful pregnancy and proper management in the health care system. This study was conducted to compare the adverse pregnancy outcomes among women with or without a history of Covid-19 in the pregnancy and postpartum stages covered by the Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran. Materials and Methods: This was a descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study including 4124 women, either pregnant or after a recent childbirth (with or without Covid-19) between 20.2.2020 and 29.3.2022, registered in the Sib electronic system (hereinafter Sib) of Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran. Using a checklist developed and validated by an expert panel data were collected on the prevalence of maternal and neonatal outcomes in mothers with or without a history of Covid-19 and compared. The data collected were analyzed with SPSS 24 using descriptive tests such as chi-square and Fisher's exact test and STATA version 22, and the adverse outcomes with high frequencies following Covid-19 were determined. Results: Analysis of the data showed the following to be the most common outcomes among mothers with a history of Covid-19: 1. obstetric complications and maternal disorders/diseases (hypertension, type-2 diabetes mellitus, at least one case of bleeding during pregnancy, premature/delayed birth and premature rupture of the amniotic sac, n= 457, 27.8%); 2. medical and surgical problems (unhealthy pregnancy weight gain and thromboembolic events, n=206, 12.5%). In addition, there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups of pregnant mothers with and without a Covid-19 infection as regards medical and surgical problems (P=0.001) and obstetric complications and maternal diseases (p=0.002). As regards the adverse neonatal outcomes in pregnant mothers with and without a history of Covid-19, there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of Apgar score at minutes 1 and 5 (p≥0.001) and exclusive breastfeeding (P=0.001) and the presence of Covid-19 symptoms in the baby (p<0.001). Conclusion: Based on the findings of this study it seems that Covid-19 infection during pregnancy is associated with a higher risk of some of the undesirable maternal and neonatal outcomes. Therefore, it is essential to plan and implement programs for health education, creation of a sound attitude towards better management, enhancement of the skills and capabilities of the health-care providers and, finally, promotion of the knowledge of service recipients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective: Fear of childbirth is one of the major problems in delivery and the postpartum period. In most women, fear of childbirth is associated with increased pain, prolonged labor and unpleasant labor experience, and increased rate of elective cesarean section Materials and Methods: This interventional study was conducted on 90 pregnant women referred to health centers in Kordkuy, Iran. They were randomly assigned to two groups: intervention and control. The inclusion criteria entailed a wish for cesarean delivery or being doubtful about the mode of delivery, primigravida, singleton pregnancy, the age range of 18-35 years, reading and writing literacy, gestational age of 22-30 weeks at the beginning of the study, and a healthy fetus based on ultrasound examinations in the first trimester. The exclusion criteria were as follows: clear and identifiable obstacles to natural childbirth at the time of sampling, mental and neurological disorders, smoking, drug, and alcohol addiction, repeated abortions, and a history of infertility. The data collection tools included the Wijma Delivery Expectancy/Experience Questionnaire (version A) and the demographic information form. The intervention in the experimental group was performed in five one-hour sessions, while the control group received routine pregnancy care. The data were analyzed in SPSS software using independent chi-square and independent t-tests. Results: Before the intervention, demographic variables, such as age, occupation, and education, were homogeneous between the intervention and control groups. At the end of the support group therapy sessions, the mean fear of childbirth score in the intervention group was 69.22, which was significantly lower than that in the control group (84.58) (P

Background: Preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM) is one of the factors that can increase maternal and neonatal mortality, which is affected by several factors. This study aimed to investigate the factors affecting the frequency of preterm premature rupture of membranes in pregnant women. Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was conducted in Afzalipour Hospital in Kerman from January 2018 to January 2019. All pregnant women with PPROM and normal pregnant women referred to this Hospital were included in the study through convenient sampling. The data collection tool was a checklist containing patients' demographic information (age, education, occupation, gestational age, number of pregnancies, urinary tract infection (confirmed by the attending physician), history of premature rupture of the water sac, vaginal bleeding (bleeding in any period of pregnancy as the person had visited the doctor), history of premature birth, pregnancy care and trauma (any trauma)). To analyze the data, descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation), analytical (Chi-square test) and SPSS software version 22 were used. Results: In this descriptive-analytical study, 400 pregnant women were studied. Two hundred of pregnant women had preterm premature rupture of membranes and 200 of pregnant women did not have such condistion and were normal. The mean age of pregnant women was 27.4±5.4 years old and the mean gestational age of pregnant women was 34.1±2.1 weeks. The mean parity of pregnant women was 2.3±1.4. Risk factors such as maternal age (P=0.011), number of pregnancies (P=0.035), maternal education (P=0.018), history of preterm premature rupture of membranes (P=0.046), history of preterm delivery (P=0.019), trauma (P=0.037) and pregnancy care (P=0.037) affected preterm premature rupture of membranes. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that maternal age, number of pregnancies, maternal education, and history of preterm premature rupture of membranes, history of preterm delivery, trauma, and prenatal care are risk factors for PROM. Therefore, by educating pregnant mothers about these risk factors, the incidence and complications of preterm premature rupture of membranes can be reduced.

Introduction: Due to the high risk of Covid-19 disease, especially delta variant in pregnant women, as well as the novelty of this epidemic in the world and the lack of similar studies in Iran and the region, it seems necessary to perform a study on mortality rate and laboratory and clinical findings of the disease in pregnant women. Therefore, this study was performed aimed to determine the laboratory and clinical findings in hospitalized pregnant women with Covid -19 based on disease outcome during the outbreak of Delta variant (summer and autumn 2021) in Ardabil province. Methods: In this cross-sectional and descriptive study, all pregnant women with Covid-19 admitted to the hospitals of Ardabil province in summer and autumn 2021 at the time of delta outbreak were included. Finally, 187 infected pregnant mothers were studied. Demographic information, clinical signs and laboratory findings were studied in all mothers. Data were analyzed by SPSS (version 24) and Fisher Exact test and Pearson Correlation. P

Introduction: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is defined as glucose intolerance and insulin resistance. Decreased vitamin D levels increase the risk of gestational diabetes up to 45%. The present study was performed aimed to compare the relationship between serum level of vitamin D with gestational diabetes in pregnant women with and without gestational diabetes referred to the gynecology clinic in Jahrom.Methods: This case-control study was performed in 2021 on 110 pregnant women referred to Jahrom gynecology clinic. GTT was performed with 4 blood samples for screening for gestational diabetes and measurement of HbA1C. Those with four or more abnormalities in the intravenous blood glucose test were identified as having gestational diabetes and were included in the case group, and those with normal GTT were matched with the case group and were placed in the control group. Data were analyzed by SPSS software (version 21) and T-test, Mann-Whitney and Spearman Correlation Coefficient. P

Introduction: Mycoplasma is one of the most important bacterial causes of genital infections in women and men, followed by premature birth and even abortion in pregnant women. The present study was performed aimed to detect and isolate Mycoplasma genitallium in some pregnant women in first trimester of pregnancy. Methods: In this cross-sectional (descriptive-analytical) study which was performed in 2020-2021, evaporated urine sampling was collected from 66 pregnant women who were referred to the health center for screening tests on first trimester of pregnancy (between 11-14 weeks). In this way, these women did not urinate for at least 2 hours and then urine samples were collected in sterile containers. Urine sediment DNA was extracted and the genome of Mycoplasma was detected by PCR method. Data were analyzed by SPSS software (version 20) and Independent T-test. P