Journal of Midwifery & Reproductive health
Volume:4 Issue: 4, Oct 2016

Introduction and Nulliparous women with unplanned pregnancy experience high levels of anxiety, which may adversely affect maternal-fetal attachment. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to determine the effect of guided imagery on maternal-fetal attachment in nulliparous women with unplanned pregnancy.
In this clinical trial, 67 nulliparous women with unplanned pregnancy were randomly divided into two groups of intervention (n=35) and control (n=32) in 2015. Data collection tools included a demographic form and London, DASS 21, and Cranley's maternal-fetal attachment questionnaires. In the intervention group, one session of guided imagery on maternal role was performed in 34th week of pregnancy in groups of four to seven. Afterwards, guided imagery CDs were given to mothers to be performed at home twice a week for two weeks; the control group only received the routine care. Maternal-fetal attachment was assessed before and two weeks after the intervention. To analyze the data, independent t-test, paired t-test, Chi-squared, Fisher’s exact test, and Mann-Whitney U tests were run using SPSS version 21.
Maternal mean age was 24.1±4.3 years, and most mothers (49.3%) had high school education. Mean score of maternal-fetal attachment was significantly different between the intervention (94.26±6.7) and control (90.22 ± 9.5) groups after the intervention (P=0.04). Also, there was a significant difference between mean score of maternal-fetal attachment at the beginning and end of the intervention in the intervention and control groups (5.86±7.2 vs. 1.72±3.2; P=0.004).
Guided imagery promoted maternal-fetal attachment in women with unplanned pregnancy; thus, it is recommended to use this method in prenatal care for these women.

The theory of value of children refers to the needs which children provide for their parents. Considering the close relationship between the value orientation of people with the decisions in organizing life and forming a family, including having children, and according to decreased fertility rate in Iran, the present study was performed with aim of intergenerational comparison of the value of children and its dimensions among women in Mashhad.
This cross-sectional study was performed as multi-stage sampling on 712 women referred to health centers in Mashhad and using a demographic questionnaire and the questionnaire of value of children, including three emotional, economic and social dimensions, which its validity was determined using content validity and its reliability by internal consistency. Data was analyzed using SPSS software (version 16). P
The studied women more perceived emotional value of children with a mean score of 68.89 ± 18.02, and then the economic value of children with a mean score of 46.13 ± 19.36, and the social value of children with a mean score of 43.89 ± 15.15 had the lowest priority among women. Also, the mean score of emotional value of children was higher among younger women and economic and social value was higher among older women.
The results of this study demonstrate more importance of emotional value of children among women and changing the value of children from economic and social point of view to emotional one among younger generation that suggests a new vision to design comprehensive and regular training plans in order to promote women's reproductive behavior.

About 20% of non-pregnant women aged 15 to 55 harbour Candida albicans in the vagina .the aimed to determine the Characterization of Candida Species Isolated from women with Vulvovaginitis candidates (VVC) of reproductive ages.
this descriptive study was conducted on 280 of who were selected for gathering samples by Purposive sampling based on their history and characteristics of vaginal discharges in 2009. Among these patients, 105 ones were diagnosed with candidiasis. The data were collected using demographic information form and disease symptoms. the species were differentiated using germ tube test, chrome agar test, and chlamidospore test. Data analysis was performed in SPSS V.16, using Descriptive Statistics
the prevalence of candida vaginitis was 9.3%.105 samples obtained from patients.. Chlamidospore was detected in 54.3% of the corn meal agar media. Besides, in chrome agar test, 41.9% of the samples turned into green representing candida albicans. In germ tube test, on the other hand, 70.5% of the samples were candida albicans, while 29.5% were candida non-albicans. Overall, The frequency of the Candida albicans, Candida glabrata, Candida tropicalis and the Candida Krusei were 66.6% , 219% , 8.6% , and 2.9%, respectively.
Candida albicans was the most common species leading to the Vulvovaginitis in patients with VCC while other species were at the secondary importance stages.Due to inaccurate diagnosis of the disease based on the clinical symptoms, fungal culture is recommended as a standard diagnostic method.

Medication errors are among the most serious health errors threatening patient safety in all countries, with major impacts on public health. Midwives as members of healthcare systems are prone to such errors. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to determine medication errors and the contributing factors among midwives working in maternity units of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran in 2015.
This descriptive, cross-sectional study was performed on 104 employed midwives at four hospitals (Imam Reza, Ghaem, Omolbanin, and Hashemi Nezhad hospitals), affiliated to Mashhad University of Medical Sciences. The validity and reliability of the data collection tools were confirmed through content validity and internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha), respectively. For data analysis, descriptive and analytical tests, multiple linear regression, and negative binomial regression analysis were performed, using SPSS version 20 and STATA version 11.
The average incidence of medication errors for each midwife was 21.24±2.89 in the past six months. Among reasons against reporting medication errors, fear of confrontation with authorities (3.79±1.5) and attributing the medication error to individual factors by officials (3.88±1.34) had the highest average scores. The most common causes of medication errors were overcrowding of the ward (4.32±1.01), excessive workload and overexertion (4.19±1.08), and presence of critically ill patients in the ward (4.03±1.18).
Overcrowding of the ward, fear of authorities, and attributing the medication error to individual factors were the main reasons against reporting medication errors, respectively. Therefore, more attention should be paid to error reporting systems, and workshops in this area are highly recommended.

Breast cancer is recognized as the most common type of cancer among Iranian women. Cancer screening and early diagnosis are among the most effective strategies to reduce the associated mortality and healthcare costs. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to investigate the level of knowledge and practice of breast cancer screening among women referred to hospitals affiliated to Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
This cross-sectional, descriptive, analytical study was conducted on 70 women, referred to hospitals affiliated to Ahvaz University of Medical Sciences. The subjects were randomly selected via cluster sampling. For data collection, a questionnaire consisting of three parts, i.e., demographic, knowledge, and practice information, was used. For statistical analysis, Chi-square test was performed, using SPSS version 16.
The results showed that the majority of the patients were married and within the age range of 35-39 years. Most participants (42.9%) had poor knowledge of breast self-examination. Based on the findings, knowledge and practice of breast cancer screening were not significantly associated with age or educational level. Nevertheless, a significant relationship was found between the knowledge level and marital status of the subjects.
Based on the findings, women's knowledge and practice of breast cancer screening were quite poor. Therefore, it is suggested to promote the current level of knowledge in order to prevent delayed diagnosis.

Maternal concept is part of the feminine gender role. The important part of the maternal concept is the unique relationship experience between mother and child that begins with maternal-fetal attachment(MFA) during pregnancy. The aim of this study is predict the MFA according to Gender role in pregnant women in Shiraz city.
This descriptive correlational study was conducted on 171 primiparous and multiparous women with Gestational age above 24 weeks of pregnancy reffering to the obstetric and midwifery department of Shiraz –Kowsar Hospital during 2 monthes period from May to June 2015, which were selected using the Purposive sampling.Data were collected using a Demographic obstetric questionnaire including age and obstetric information,Cranly’s Maretnal Fetal Attachment questionnaire(validity:0.85) and Bem Gender Role questionnaire(reliability:0.90) were used during this study.
For data analysis Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple regression were performed,using spss version 16.
Results showed a statistically significant correlation between components of femininity and masculinity of gender role with maternal-fetal attachment. Maximum correlation was between Masculinity and MFA ( R=0.33, P=0.001) and then between Femininity and MFA (R=0.24,P=0.009).There was no correlation between neutral and MFA.(R=0.12,P=0.084) Almost 14% of the variance in maternal-fetal attachment was explained by gender role .
According to the comparison of regression coefficients, the femininity indicator (β=0.159 ,P=0.015) and masculinity indicator (β=0.266, P=0.001) were positively predicted the maternal-fetal attachment, but neutral component (β=0.109, P=0.064) was not predicted the maternal-fetal attachment (Table 2).
Gender role is part of mental health that predicts MFA during pregnancy. Mental health of mother and fetus can be improved by identifying mothers based Gender role. These finding could be used for promoting maternal fetal attachment behaviors during pregnancy.

Breast, cervical, and colorectal cancers are the leading causes of mortality among women, the incidence rate of which has an upward trend with advancing age. Although cost-effective, easy, and available screening programs can help control these types of cancer in their early stages, it seems that cancer screening programs have not been implemented effectively. In this study, we investigated the rate of cancer screening practice in middle-aged women and explained the influential factors.
This cross-sectional study with a sequential mixed method approach was conducted on 483 middle-age women selected through cluster random sampling in Yazd, Iran. Data were obtained by a research made questionnaire and analyzed with descriptive statistics and performing Pearson product-moment correlation, Student’s t-test, and One-way ANOVA tests, using SPSS version 16. In the second phase of the study, qualitative, semi-structured interviews were performed and data were analyzed through content analysis.
The majority of the subjects had never been screened for cancer through mammogram (87.7%), Pap test (64.2%), or fecal occult blood test (FOBT) (89.8%). Educational level, employment status, perceived adequacy of income, perceived health status, and the number of children were significantly associated with breast and colon cancer screening practice. Qualitative data showed that lack of knowledge, the cost of screening exams, lack of financial independence, negligence of spouse, fear of cancer, embarrassment, and belief in destiny were the main reasons for non-adherence to cancer screening tests. In addition, knowledge and observing cancer in acquaintances and relatives were the main motivators of cancer screening.
Middle-aged housewives, as well as women with low educational level and income were the most vulnerable groups, who did not adhere to cancer screening. Planning and management of cancer preventive programs and implementing educational programs on cancer screening for both women and their husbands are of great significance. Moreover, efficient health policies such as insurance payment should be considered by the government.

To improve mothers and children's health, the World Health Organization has emphasized on women's empowerment and enhancement of their well-being. It is of paramount importance for the individuals to have an assessment of social support and self-empowerment in the sensitive moments after childbirth. This study therefore aimed to investigate the relationship between perceived social support from family and postpartum empowerment with maternal wellbeing in the postpartum period.
In this descriptive study 358 women who were in 24-48 hours after delivery were included in the study. The social support was measured by Perceived Social Family Scale. The health status and women's empowerment were also evaluated with self-structured questionnaires. The data was analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM).
The mean scores of well-being, perceived social support from family and the empowerment of women were 12.9±5.8, 15±3.7, and 70.3±13.5, respectively. The results showed that the score of perceived social support from family had a direct relationship with mothers’ well-being score. Moreover, there was a significant correlation of 0.55 between the postpartum empowerment and perceived support from family.
Since there is a direct relationship between postpartum empowerment and perceived support from the family, to enhance the well-being of mothers in this memorable period, providing required training for families and health care personnel is recommended.

Takayasu’s arteritis is a rare, chronic vasculitis, affecting women of reproductive age. With disease progression, evidence of vascular involvement and insufficiency becomes clinically apparent due to the narrowing or occlusion of the proximal or distal branches of the aorta. Therefore, pregnancy-related complications, such as superimposed preeclampsia, renal failure, and congestive heart failure, may be encountered in these patients.
Case report: In this report, we present the case of a 23-year-old, Iranian, primigravida woman with a prior history of Takayasu’s arteritis, which was diagnosed two years before her pregnancy. The patient’s primary presentations were thrombocytosis (more than one million per milliliter), weight loss, and weakness in the shoulders and arms, appearing two years before her pregnancy. Following spontaneous pregnancy, the patient received regular perinatal care by a medical team, consisting of an obstetrician, a rheumatologist, a radiologist, and a nephrologist. Pregnancy termination was planned due to the preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM) at 36 weeks of gestation. A normal live male neonate (weight= 3100 g) was born with a normal Apgar score (8-8).
Based on the findings, a multidisciplinary collaboration between rheumatologists, nephrologists, and obstetricians is required to achieve optimal maternal and neonatal outcomes.