Voices of Mother's Interaction with Midwives in Natural Childbirth: A Qualitative Study

Interaction between mothers and midwives during natural childbirth is one of the important factors in relationship between mothers and midwives in natural childbirth. In this qualitative study we explored experiences of mothers and midwives in interaction with each other in natural childbirth. This study was a part of a larger study which was carried out in Iran in 2013-2014. A total of 23 participants participated in this study. 12 primiparous and multiparous women planned to have natural deliveries and 11 midwives were purposefully included for semi-structured in-depth interviews in this study. For analysis and interpretation of mothers’ and midwives’ experience, conventional content analysis was used. Data were coded in MAXqda software (version 2). Interaction between mothers and midwives could be organized and categorized in one theme “relationship”. This theme consists of two subthemes: “respect for the mother” and “interaction” and five categories: “Feeling confidence, Feeling satisfaction, Associated with sensory relationship, Understanding mother’s situation, Understanding the meaning of interaction”. Good relationship between mothers and midwives in natural childbirth could improve the experience of natural childbirth for mothers. This experience could increase woman’s tendency toward natural birth instead of cesarean section in future pregnancies. Findings of this study can be seen as a challenge for health care professionals and policy makers to upgrade care of natural childbirth based on women’s preferences and needs.

Anxiety, Depression and Coronary Artery Disease among Patients Undergoing Angiography in Ghaem Hospital, Mashhad, Iran

The prevalence of coronary artery disease (CAD) is increasing in Iran. Patients with depression who have a myocardial infarction are more likely to die and patients who have depressive symptoms during hospitalization may have increased cardiovascular events. This study aimed to determine the relationship between anxiety, depression and coronary artery disease among patients undergoing angiography in Ghaem Hospital, Mashhad. This was a case-control study conducted between September 2011 and August 2012 among patients undergoing coronary angiography in Ghaem Hospital, Mashhad, Iran. There were 486 cases that were found to have one or more coronary stenoses, with a stenosis of equal or more than 50% of the diameter of at least one major coronary artery. The other patient group consisted of the patients in whom the coronary artery stenosis was less than 50% in diameter which was classified as angiography negative, and a control group that consisted of 440 healthy adults aged 18 years old and above who were selected among people who attended for routine medical checkup and medical examination of employment. The dependent variables were Beck Anxiety and Depression Inventory scores and the independent factors were coronary artery disease, and socioeconomic profiles. Validated and reliability-tested questionnaires were used for data collection. The mean age of patients was 55.75 ± 10.64 years and in the healthy group was 55.83 ± 8.55 years;there was no significant difference in age between subject groups (p = 0.897) nor a significant difference in the gender frequency distribution of subjects (p = 0.610). There was a significant difference in anxiety score between the Angio positive and Angio negative patients and healthy control subjects

Gastrointestinal effects of Artemisia absinthium Linn. based on traditional Persian medicine and new studies

One of the most extensively used herbs in traditional Persian medicine (TPM) used in the treatment ofgastrointestinal (GI) disorders, is the plant Artemisia absinthium Linn. (AAL). It also has a wide range of activitiessuch as analgesic and anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-fungal, and anti-bacterial activities, hepatoprotective,and neuroprotective activities in addition to having gastroprotective effects. This article is a review comparingTPM resources with new medicines. This review investigates this herb in major TPM sources and strives toextrapolate the exact function it serves in the digestive tract and compares the collected information on the functionof AAL with information found in new medical resource databases such as ISI, Pubmed, Scopus, Google Scholar,and Scientific Information Database. AAL from the Asteraceae family of TPM, known as Afsentin, was used in thetreatment of GI weaknesses, stomach pains, swellings, intestinal parasites, diarrhea, and vomiting. AAL increasedappetite, so it was used for insect repellents and insecticide. Recent studies have indicated that the effects of thisplant improved the symptoms of Crohn's disease and played a role in reducing inflammatory factors. It also hasstrong anti-parasitic, anti-insect, hepatoprotective, and antioxidant effects. Given the widespread use of AAL as atraditional medicine currently in use in different countries, particularly in the treatment of GI diseases, furtherclinical studies that focus on the therapeutic qualities of this plant are required in the future.

Can Social Media be Used to Control Academic Stress?An Application of the Theory of Planned Behavior

The present study was conducted aiming at investigating the effect of social media-based intervention according to the Theory of Planned Behavior(TPB)to control the academic stress of the students.This study comes in two descriptive and quasi-experimental sections in the Academic Year 2018-2019.In order to determine the effect of planned behavioral constructs on stress levels,the descriptive study was conducted on 320 students.The quasiexperimental study was organized to determine the effect of a social media-based educational intervention on the TPB on 180 students.Data collection was conducted through questionnaires of personal information,Gadzella’s Student-Life Stress Inventory,and researcher-made questionnaire based on the TPB,with a confirmed validity and reliability.TPB predicted 15.1%of the variance of academic stress among students and the perceived behavioral control construct had the most significant effect(p<0.001).The mean score of knowledge and subject norms in the experimental group was significantly increased during the study(p<0.05).The social media intervention could reduce the students’academic stress to some extent and lead to the student’s subject norms development.

Anti-irritable Bowel Syndrome Syrup Improves Constipation-Predominant Irritable Bowel Syndrome:A Randomized,Placebo-Controlled Trial

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of administration of the formulated Persian herbal syrup on improving the symptoms of patients with constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome(IBS-C).Methods This study was conducted in 70 patients with IBS-C,who were recruited from 3 medical centers in Mashhad,Iran,from November 2017 to August 2018.Seventy patients were randomly assigned to 2 groups including treatment and placebo groups by block randomization,35 cases in each group.Patients in the treatment group received 15 mL of anti-IBS syrup,thrice daily for 6 weeks and followed up for 4 weeks.Placebo syrup was also prepared through similar instruction,BP syrup without plant extract was used.Primary outcome induding IBS Symptom Severity Scale(IBS-SSS)questionnaire and secondary outcomes in terms of Hospital Anxiety and Depression(HADS)questionnaires,the Bristol Stool Form Scale(BSFS)were completed and evaluated at weeks 6 and 10,respectively.Safety indices were collected at the end of the treatment and Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events v4.0(CTCAE)was used to evaluate the adverse events.Results The response to treatment was 84.4%(27/32)in the treatment group and 46.4%(13/28)in the placebo group,respectively(P=0.002).Compared with pre-treatment,a significant decrease was found on the IBS-SSS and BSFS scores after 6-week intervention in both groups(P<0.001).Moreover,IBS-SSS and BSFS scores in the treatment group were lower than the placebo group after the intervention(P=0.041).There was no significant difference in the anxiety and depression scores after treatment in both groups(P>0.05).Side effects reported in the treatment group included 2 cases of headache during the first week of the onset of the treatment,1 case of drowsiness,1 case of increase in menstrual bleeding,which did not result in discontinuation of the treatment.In the placebo group,1 case of exacerbation of the disease was reported.Conclusions Anti-IBS syrup significantly reduced the severity of IBS symptoms compared to placebo.However,there was a need for further investigation regarding the anxiety and depression scores.(Registration No.IRCT2017061034446N1).