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Background and Aims: Endometriosis is a common reason for infertility and poor outcomes of assisted reproductive technology (ART). Inflammation is involved in the pathogenesis of this disease. The presence of microorganisms in women with endometriosis may increase levels of inflammatory markers. The purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between the presence of bacteria in the follicular fluid with the inflammatory markers of the complete blood count (CBC) and the outcomes of in vitro fertilization (IVF) in women with endometriosis. Methods: This case–control study was conducted on 74 patients undergoing IVF, referred to Al‐Zahra Hospital in Rasht (Iran) in 2021. The patients were divided into two case groups including 37 women with endometrioma and the control group, including 37 infertile women with a male factor and normal ultrasound. In total, 74 follicular fluids were collected from the case and control groups and were cultured in the laboratory. The relationship between culture results with IVF outcomes and the levels of CBC inflammatory markers including the number of white blood cells (WBCs), lymphocytes, neutrophils, neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio (NLR), lymphocyte‐to‐monocyte ratio (LMR), and platelet‐to‐lymphocyte ratio (PLR), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and c‐reactive protein (CRP) was analyzed. Results: There was no significant statistical difference between the frequency of bacteria present in the follicular fluid (p = 0.861), the mean rate of fertilization (p = 0.363), the frequency of CRP (p = 0.999), and the mean WBCs, lymphocytes, neutrophils, NLR, LMR, and PLR in the two groups. There was a significant statistical difference between the mean number of oocytes of metaphase II (p = 0.034) and the mean ESR (p = 0.018) in the two groups. Conclusions: It seems necessary to evaluate follicular fluid as a biological substance that is considered an optimal factor for predicting oocyte quality, fertilization rate, embryo quality, and the success rate of ART. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Midwives were at the forefront of caring for pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic, therefore, the present study was conducted with the purpose of exploring midwives’ experiences of providing delivery care for women with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 infection. Methods: In this qualitative study, 18 midwives working in the public hospitals affiliated with Guilan University of Medical Sciences (Iran). Who had experience in providing delivery care to women with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 infection were selected using purposive sampling. Data were collected via individual semi-structured interviews until reaching data saturation, and analyzed through conventional content analysis. Results: Data analysis led to the extraction of three main categories and six sub-categories. The main categories included “COVID-19 and organizational support” with two sub-categories including lack of resources/neglecting the role of midwives, “COVID-19 and positive achievements” with two sub-categories including professional resilience/turning threats into opportunities, “COVID-19 and informational support” with two sub-categories, including upto-date training/empowering pregnant women. Conclusion: According to the findings, to realize and guarantee the provision of high-quality maternity care to pregnant women in dealing with epidemic diseases such as COVID-19 in the future, the attention of policymakers and healthcare service officials to the physical and psychological needs of midwives is necessary. Also, organizational and informational support, improving job satisfaction, and paying attention to the importance of midwives’ role in the medical team are recommended. Moreover, empowering pregnant women during epidemic diseases is essential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The outcomes and management of low amniotic fluid index (AFI) in pregnancy are controversial. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between low AFI and perinatal outcomes. Materials and methods: This prospective study was conducted on 420 uncomplicated singleton pregnant women with a gestational age of over 28 weeks who referred to Al-Zahra Hospital in Rasht (Iran) for routine perinatal care. Pregnant women were divided into 3 groups of 140 patients based on the AFI and were followed up until delivery. Three groups included normal (8

Background: Unwanted pregnancies in diabetic women can endanger the mother and the fetus. The present study was conducted to determine contraceptive methods for diabetic women referred to government diabetes clinics in the north of Iran. Methods: A total of 153 diabetic women referred to government clinics in Guilan were included in this cross-sectional study. A questionnaire made by the researcher regarding personal and social information and information related to contraceptive methods was administered. Data were analyzed analytically using SPSS version 19. Results: The findings of the present study revealed that 87.6% of diabetic women used contraceptive methods, of which 44.4% utilized low-effective contraceptive methods (withdrawal method and condoms), and 43.2% opted for highly effective contraceptive methods (tubal ligation, oral contraceptive pill, intrauterine device, and vasectomy). Decision regarding the choice of contraceptive methods was mainly made by couples, followed by consultation with a doctor. Conclusions: A relatively high percentage of diabetic women use less effective contraceptive methods, and the decision to use contraceptive methods is made mainly by couples. Therefore, targeted reproductive health interventions and providing counseling services as part of medical care for diabetic women seem necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Episiotomy is the most commonly performed surgical procedure during delivery, and its associated pain is a major problem in obstetrics. This study aimed to determine the effect of Olea ointment on the severity of post-episiotomy pain in primiparous women. Materials and Methods: This paralleled randomized controlled clinical trial was performed on 73 primiparous women in Al-Zahra hospital in Rasht, Iran in 2017-2018. Women were randomly allocated into intervention (n = 39) and control (n = 34) groups. The first intervention was performed 4 h after the episiotomy. This continued every 8 h for 10 days. The pain intensity of episiotomy was assessed by the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) before intervention, 2 and 24 h after the beginning of intervention, and 5 and 10 days after childbirth. Descriptive and inferential statistics (Mann-Whitney, Fisher exact test, Independent f-test, Friedman test, and Chi-square) were performed for statistical analysis. Results: There were no significant differences among two groups in terms of demographic and obstetrics characteristics. The severity of pain in intervention and control group before the intervention was not statistically significant, but the variable depicted a meaningful difference between the groups 2 h after the intervention (U = 483.50, p = 0.021), 24 h after the intervention (U = 489.50, p = 0.019), as well as the 5**' day (U = 112.50, p < 0.001) and 10**' day postpartum (U = 136.50, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Based on the findings, Olea ointment could be used effectively for reducing of episiotomy pain. Similar studies are recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Midwives were at the forefront of caring for pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic, therefore, the present study was conducted with the purpose of exploring midwives' experiences of providing delivery care for women with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 infection., Methods: In this qualitative study, 18 midwives working in the public hospitals affiliated with Guilan University of Medical Sciences (Iran). Who had experience in providing delivery care to women with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 infection were selected using purposive sampling. Data were collected via individual semi-structured interviews until reaching data saturation, and analyzed through conventional content analysis., Results: Data analysis led to the extraction of three main categories and six sub-categories. The main categories included "COVID-19 and organizational support" with two sub-categories including lack of resources/neglecting the role of midwives, "COVID-19 and positive achievements" with two sub-categories including professional resilience/turning threats into opportunities, "COVID-19 and informational support" with two sub-categories, including up-to-date training/empowering pregnant women., Conclusion: According to the findings, to realize and guarantee the provision of high-quality maternity care to pregnant women in dealing with epidemic diseases such as COVID-19 in the future, the attention of policymakers and healthcare service officials to the physical and psychological needs of midwives is necessary. Also, organizational and informational support, improving job satisfaction, and paying attention to the importance of midwives' role in the medical team are recommended. Moreover, empowering pregnant women during epidemic diseases is essential., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (© 2024 The Author(s).)