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Introduction: Anually, 585000 women die from complications of pregnancy and childbirth in the world. Using postpartum contraceptive methods helps to prevent repeated pregnancies.

Materials and Methods: This research is a descriptive and analytic cross-sectional study that has been performed among women who refered to health centers of Kermanshah city in 2002 to evaluate contraceptive use during two years postpartum and attitude toward it. In this study, some of health centers of Kermanshah city had been selected with cluster sampling and then 260 married women in fertility ages attending these health centers who had delivered during previous two years were selected, using stratified random sampling. Data collecting was performed by interview using a questionnaire that was consisted of 5 parts the data were analyzed using 2 and Fisher exact test, student T-test, Pearson and Logistic regression. Standard deviation (Sd) was reported for mean values.

Results: The findings of this research indicated that 50.4% of women had a positive attitude toward using contraceptive methods during two years postpartum and 79.2% were using some contraceptive method. Husband education (p=0.036), having sexual activity (p=0.001), the time that has been elapsed from the last delivery (p=0.001), number of pregnancies (p=0.013), tendency to have more children (p=0.037), attitude toward contraceptive use (p=0.001), the type of breast feeding (exclusive or partial) (p=0.001), and quality of menstural cycles (p=0.001) were in relation to use of contraceptive methods during two years postpartum.

Conclusion: According to these findings, attitudes and believes, breast feeding status and quality of menstural cycles play an essential role in postpartum contraception. Therefore, key steps to better family planning services at this time include effective counseling and starting training programs.

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Background & Aim: Postpartum depression is mood disorder that affected 10-15% of women during 6 months after delivery. This study was designed to investigate preventive effect of supportive activities during prenatal on postpartum depression.

Methods & Materials: This research is clinical trial study and the samples were 440 pregnant women in Lahijan and Astanea in eastern of Gilan .The sampling was simple randomization for 2 groups. One group presented in education classes and others received current prenatal care. Between 4 to 8 weeks after delivery their Beck depression inventory (BDI) score was evaluated among two groups. Data analysis has been done by SPSS statistical software.

Results: Prevalence depression (cases who have Beck score more than 16) in study group was 6.5% versus 18.6% in control group. Mean BDI score in study group was 7.08 versus 8.69.

Conclusion: Participated to education classes during pregnancy decrease the postpartum depression.

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Background & Aim: Postpartum depression is a severe and pervasive sadness with labile mood that affect 8-15% women after delivery. It can negatively impress mother-infant bonding. There are a lot of factors which make women vulnerable to postpartum depression so that controlling them can prevent from the postpartum depression incidence. Several researches have shown an association between serum cholesterol reduction and depression. The aim of present study is to determine relation between postpartum depression with total serum cholesterol changes before and after child birth in Lahijanian women in years 2006-2007.

Methods & Materials: This research sought a descriptive-analytical design. Samples consisted of healthy Primigravidia women (101 persons) with normal labor, normal delivery at term, married, and a medium to high socio-educational level, without history of a depressive disorder, and metabolic disorders or hyperlipidemia. The excluded were the women with maternal or fetal complication before delivery, having problem with accepting infant gender, fetal death and being depressed during pregnancy. All women were visited in two stages: 3 weeks before the expected delivery and also 6 weeks after delivery. On both visits the Beck depression inventory and serum cholesterol registration questionnaire were completed. Data were collected using a questionnaire which had three sections: demographic characteristics, the Beck depression inventory and laboratory tests. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics (Spearman correlation coefficient and t-test) by SPSS computer software.

Results: Findings indicated that serum cholesterol declined considerably in the postpartum period, also it was shown that there was a significant correlation between reduced serum cholesterol and postpartum depression (r=-0.331, P<0.001).

Conclusion: Serum cholesterol reduction has a relation with postpartum depression.

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Background & Aim: Rapid changes experienced after child birth expose mothers to unpleasant experiences such as disturbances in sleep pattern. These experiences threaten health of mothers and infants. Some studies have shown that exercise can be an effective and non-pharmacologic method in improving sleep quality. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of exercise on sleep quality among postpartum mothers.

Methods & Materials: This was a randomized clinical trial. Eighty primiparous women aged 18-35 years were recruited from health centers in Rafsanjan in 2009. The inclusion criteria were singleton pregnancy, lack of any acute and chronic physical and mental illnesses, having healthy and term babies, and having vaginal deliveries. Participants were randomly allocated to the intervention (n=40) and control (n=40) groups. Women in the intervention group received five 30-minutes sessions of Pilates weekly for eight weeks. The PSQI instrument was used to measure the related variables at baseline, forth and eighth weeks after the deliveries. Data were analyzed using the repeated measures ANOVA.

Results: Significant improvement was seen in the intervention group within eight weeks follow-up the interaction within time and group was significant (P=0.02). Comparison of mean sleep quality between the two groups has shown that the intervention was effective (P<0.001).

Conclusion: The Pilates exercise was effective in improving quality of sleep in postpartum period.

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Background & Aim: Mother-Child bonding is an emotional aspect of relationship between mother and baby that affects children's psychological development. This study was performed to determine the predictors of mother-child bonding.

Methods & Materials: This cross-sectional study was performed on 270 mothers 8 to 10 weeks postpartum referred to eighteen health centers of Tabriz, 2014-2015. Data were collected using the obstetric and socio-demographic characteristics questionnaire, the Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire, the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. The statistical tests including Pearson correlation, Independent t, one-way ANOVA and multivariate linear regression were used for data analysis through SPSS v.21. The significance level was considered as P<0.05.

Results: The mean (SD) of mother-child bonding score was 46.2±8.4, with achievable scores range from 0 to 125. 85.2% of mothers had a mother-child bonding disorder. The most frequent disorder pertained to the dimension of impaired mother-child bonding and the least frequent disorder was anxiety about child care. Variables of depression, state anxiety and unwanted pregnancy were among the predictors of mother-child bonding.

Conclusion: The study shows that anxiety, depression, and unwanted pregnancy are the determinants affecting mother-child bonding. Thus, the screening of mothers for the early identification and treatment of anxiety and depression, and also the reduction of unwanted pregnancy rate using purposeful family planning counseling can improve the mother-child bonding, resulting in improved children's growth and development.

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Background & Aim: Postpartum depression disorder is a common psychosocial disorder with negative consequences for the mother and child. On the other hand, attention training technique can be more effective than other techniques for intervention in the cognitive-attention syndrome. Therefore, the present study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of attention training technique on the symptoms of depression, anxiety and metacognitive beliefs in patients with postpartum depression.
Methods & Materials: This study was conducted in a single-case experimental design using a multiple baseline design in eight sessions during one-, three- and six-month follow-ups on two patients, referred to the psychology and psychiatry unit of Tabriz Red Crescent in 2018. The Beck Depression Inventory, the Beck Anxiety Inventory and Metacognitive Beliefs Questionnaire were used to collect the data. Data analysis was performed using the Excel software as a graphical analysis and then based on the percentage of improvement, effect size and clinical significance.
Results: At the end of treatment, a significant reduction was observed in the symptoms of depression (61% remission), anxiety (48% remission) and metacognitive beliefs (83% remission) in patients with postpartum depression.
Conclusion: The results of this study showed that attention training technique can be effective in the treatment of patients with postpartum depression. However, further studies are needed in this area.
Clinical trial registry: IRCT20171227038096N1
 

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Background & Aim: The important aspects of maternal postpartum adjustment are readiness in caring for the family, newly-added member and self as well as return to pre-pregnancy functional status. The aim of the study was to determine the predictors of postpartum maternal functioning.
Methods & Materials: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 422 newly delivered mothers attended the healthcare centers of Bonab in 2016 using the cluster random sampling method. Data were collected through a socio-demographic characteristics form, the Edinburgh postpartum depression scale, and the functional status questionnaire. The multivariate linear regression model on the SPSS software version 21 was used to determine the predictors of functional status.
Results: Mean (SD) of the functional status total score was 2.3 (0.24). The maximum and the minimum scores were in the subdomains “infant care” [3.64 (0.32)], and “social activities and society” [1.43 (0.41)], respectively. There was a significant inverse correlation between postpartum depression and total score of functional status, self-care and social activities and society subscales. According to the general linear model, postpartum depression, spouse’s age and job, economic status, mother’s education level and the number of pregnancy were the predictors of mothers’ functional status during postpartum period.
Conclusion: Postpartum depression and some socio-demographic characteristics are among the variables influencing maternal functional status. Therefore, the early diagnosis and treatment of postpartum depression and consideration of the mothers’ socio-demographic characteristics, can improve maternal functional status and result in better maternal postpartum adjustment.
 

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Background & Aim: Establishing effective communication and forming a strong attachment with a newborn baby are crucial tasks during the postpartum period. The bond between mother and baby has a profound impact on the child's well-being, as well as the mother's health. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of auriculotherapy on the mother-infant attachment.
Methods & Materials: This randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted between March 2021 and September 2022 on a sample of 106 pregnant women who referred to the maternity ward of Shahid Sadoughi Hospital in Isfahan for normal vaginal delivery. The participants were randomly assigned to either the intervention group, which received auriculotherapy in addition to routine care, or the control group, which received only routine care. Auriculotherapy involved the stimulation of specific acupuncture points including oxytocin, uterus, Shen Men, thalamic, lung 1, and lung 2. Data collection was carried out using a checklist of demographic characteristics and the Maternal Postnatal Attachment Scale. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software version 26, employing independent t-test, paired t-test, exact Fisher's test, and chi-square test. A significance level of P<0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results: The results showed that there was no statistically significant differences observed in demographic variables between the intervention and control groups (P>0.05). However, the mean score of attachment after delivery in the auriculotherapy group was significantly higher compared to the control group (P=0.004).
Conclusion: Based on the findings of this study, it has been determined that auriculotherapy exhibits the potential to enhance maternal attachment to the baby. Given its ease of use and non-invasive nature, it is strongly recommended to consider incorporating auriculotherapy as an intervention to improve mother-baby attachment during the postpartum period.
Clinical trial registry: IRCT20091219002889N12

 

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Background & Aim: The utilization of emotional expression methods, including narrative counseling and written emotional expression, has been shown to be efficacious in mitigating the intensity of diverse psychological issues such as depression and acute stress, particularly following traumatic events. Additionally, emergency cesarean section is commonly acknowledged as a traumatic event that may lead to psychological challenges for the mother. The purpose of this research was to compare the effectiveness of emotional expression through writing and narration in reducing post-traumatic stress and postpartum depression among women undergoing emergency cesarean section.
Methods & Materials: This quasi-experimental study was conducted in Zahedan, involving a total of 120 women who underwent emergency cesarean section and were admitted to Ali Ibn Abi Talib (AS) hospital during the period of 2021-2022. The participants were selected using convenience sampling and were randomly divided into three groups: written emotional expression, narration and control, with each group consisting of 40 participants. The intervention consisted of one face-to-face session and two non-face-to-face sessions. Data collection involved the use of the Edinburgh Depression Questionnaire and PTSD assessments, administered before and six weeks after the intervention across all three groups. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 24, employing descriptive and inferential tests such as ANOVA and Tukey's post hoc analysis.
Results: The results showed a significant decrease in the average scores of post-traumatic stress and postpartum depression in the written emotional expression and narration groups, compared to the control group, after the intervention (P<0.05). However, before the intervention, there were no significant differences observed among the three groups (P>0.05). Furthermore, a higher mean difference was observed in both post-traumatic stress and postpartum depression scores before and after the intervention in the written emotional expression group, compared to the narration group, indicating a greater effect of written emotional expression (P<0.001).
Conclusion: Based on the research findings, highlighting the positive effect of both narration and written emotional expression, it is recommended to incorporate these techniques as supplementary components within comprehensive educational and care programs for women experiencing traumatic childbirth.