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Objective: Determination of the effect of hysterectomy caused by benign diseases on female sexual function.Data Sources: A search was performed on Scopus, PubMed, Science Direct, ProQuest, ISI Web of Knowledge, and Embase databases. The keywords included hysterectomy (as exposure) and female sexual function (as outcome). Original English observational studies, including cohort, case-control, and cross-sectional studies published as of February 2021, which reported an association between any type of hysterectomy caused by benign female disease and sexual function as an outcome, were included in the study. Studies in participants who received hormone replacement therapy and had sex other than heterosexuals were not included. There was no limit to the initial search period, and articles published by February 2021 were searched.Methods Of Study Selection: The search process resulted in the retrieval of 5587 potentially related articles. After removing duplicated studies, the title and abstract were reviewed and 77 articles remained with the removal of unrelated items. The full text of 14 articles was published in non-English languages, and 52 articles were removed because they did not meet the inclusion criteria, and finally, 11 articles were included in the final analysis.Tabulation, Integration, and Results: The Newcastle-Ottawa scale was used to assess the methodological quality of included studies. The evidence was synthesized using meta-analysis via random-effect model with the Der Simonian and Laird weighted method. Publication bias was assessed using the funnel plot and Begg's and Egger's tests. The pooled standardized mean difference for sexual function in hysterectomy vs nonhysterectomy group was 0.08 (95% confidence interval, -0.38 to 0.55; I2 = 96.8%; χ2 = 307.94; p <.001; τ2 = 0.59). Publication bias and small study effects were not detected. The results of the subgroup analysis showed that the possible sources of heterogeneity are the World Bank countries classification and type of hysterectomy (in some studies, the type of hysterectomy was not specified separately for the study groups; because of this, comparisons were made between Total and supracervical/total). Pooled standardized mean difference was affected by the type of sexual function scale, World Bank countries classification, type of hysterectomy, ovary status, and reproductive status. The results of meta-regression analysis also showed that for each month of distance from hysterectomy, women's sexual function score increases by 0.18.Conclusion: The results of this study showed that hysterectomy caused by benign diseases does not change the sexual function significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Vitamin D may be beneficial in preventing the occurrence of preeclampsia. • Studies have yielded inconsistent results about the benefits of vitamin D for preeclampsia. • A new meta-analysis was needed to include recent studies. • The meta-analysis assessed vitamin D's impact on preeclampsia risk during pregnancy. • Vitamin D supplementation reduces the incidence of preeclampsia. The results of previous studies regarding the effect of vitamin D on the incidence of preeclampsia are inconsistent. Therefore, the primary objective of the present review was to determine the effect of vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy on the risk of preeclampsia. Five major scientific databases were searched from inception to June 10, 2023. Studies with randomized controlled trial designs were identified. To assess the methodological quality of the selected studies, the Cochrane Tool Checklist (CTC) was used. The random effect model was chosen as a combination model. Statistical heterogeneity was evaluated using the standard χ2 test, and the intensity of heterogeneity was calculated using I 2. Effect size indicators including risk ratio (RR), risk difference (RD), and number needed to treat (NNT) were calculated with estimated 95 % confidence intervals. Nineteen studies were included in the systematic review and meta-analysis. The pooled RR of preeclampsia in the intervention group compared to the control group was 0.61 (95 % CI, 0.47 to 0.78; I2 =14.4 %; χ2=23.37; p = 0.27; tau2=0.05), and indicated a 39 % reduction in the risk of preeclampsia. The pooled RD of preeclampsia in the intervention group compared to the control group was -0.03 (95 % CI: -0.05 to -0.01; I2 =45.5 %; χ2=36.68; p = 0.01; tau2=0.0008) and the difference in the risk of preeclampsia among women who received vitamin D supplements was 3 % less than the control group. The NNT was 29 (95 % CI: 20 to 52). Vitamin D supplementation significantly reduces preeclampsia during pregnancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Introduction Food insecurity is associated with adverse health consequences in women, especially pregnant ones. Present study is aimed to investigate prevalence and predictors of food insecurity among pregnant women. Method A cross-sectional study was conducted on 394 pregnant women in Qazvin during November 2016–May 2017. The Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) was used to assess food insecurity among pregnant women. Besides, the relationship of demographic, midwifery and socioeconomic factors was investigated using Chi-squared and logistic regression tests. Then, the obtained data were analyzed in Stata-12 software at the significance level of 0.05. Findings Nearly 44% of the participants had food insecurity. In multivariate analysis, only husbands’ unemployment and unwanted pregnancy were associated with food insecurity; thus, the chance of food insecurity among women with unemployed husband was higher than the women with employed husband by 4.7 times [OR (95% CI) = 4.69(1.64, 13.42)]. Furthermore, the probability of food insecurity among the participants with unwanted pregnancy was twice more than those with wanted pregnancy [OR (95% CI) = 2.07(1.14, 3.74)]. Conclusion Unemployed husband and unwanted pregnancy are related to food insecurity among pregnant women. Nevertheless, due to the nature of this study, it was not possible to clearly specify the path of such a relationship. To reduce food insecurity among pregnant women, it is essential to take all the necessary measures for providing financial supports for pregnant women through different ways in order to reduce the stress and worries caused by financial burden of pregnancy, and to improve nutrition quality and eating behaviours among pregnant women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perineal pain after an episiotomy is common and distressing and affects quality of life of women who have just given birth. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of green tea ointment on pain and wound healing after episiotomy. This randomized controlled trial was conducted in 2019 on 130 parturient mothers in Hamadan, Iran. Mothers were assigned into two groups using blocked randomization. Data collection tools were a demographic questionnaire, Redness, Edema, Ecchymosis, Discharge, and Approximation (REEDA) scale to measure episiotomy wound healing, and a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) to measure episiotomy pain score. REEDA and VAS were completed 6 h after episiotomy surgery. Green tea ointment was administered to the patients in the intervention group twice a day for 10 days while the control group received placebo. On days 5 and 10 following the intervention, REEDA and VAS were completed. The data were analyzed using Stata-13 software and the significance level was considered at p <0.05. Comparison of the wound healing scores between the two groups on days 5 and 10 indicated no statistically significant differences. There was a significant difference between the two groups in terms of episiotomy pain score on days 5 and 10 and Cohen's d revealed the effect of the intervention on episiotomy pain (0.64 and 0.68, respectively, p-value=0.001). The results of the study suggested that green tea ointment appeared to improve episiotomy pain but did not significantly change wound healing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study sought to compare the effects of multi-point ear and body acupressure on labor pain and the duration of labor active phase.Design: Three-armed randomized controlled trial.Setting: Kowsar Hospital, Qazvin, Iran.Intervention: Participants in the body acupressure group received acupressure on GB21, GB30, BL32, LI4, and SP6 points, each for two minutes, at cervical dilation of four, six, and eight centimeters. For participants in the ear acupressure group, adhesive auriculotherapy-specific Vaccaria seeds were attached to their auricles on the zero, genitalia, Shen Men, thalamic, and uterine 1 and 2 acupoints. The seeds were compressed every thirty minutes, each time for thirty seconds. Participants in the control group received routine care services.Main Outcome Measures: Labor pain intensity was assessed using a visual analogue scale at cervical dilation of four and ten centimeters.Results: While there was no significant difference between mean scores of pain among three groups, mean score of labor pain in both acupressure groups was significantly less than that in the control group (P < 0.001). However, the difference between the acupressure groups was not statistically significant (P = 0.12). Moreover, the duration of labor active phase in the ear acupressure group was significantly less than those in the body acupressure and the control groups (P < 0.001).Conclusion: Ear acupressure was significantly effective in reducing labor pain and shortening labor active phase. However, body acupressure solely reduces labor pain. Therefore, ear acupressure can be used to reduce labor pain and shorten labor active phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]