Psychological distress in pregnancy and postpartum: a cross-sectional study of Babol pregnancy mental health registry.

BACKGROUND: Psychological distress (PD) is a significant issue during pregnancy and postpartum, adversely affecting both children and mothers. This study aims to determine PD's prevalence and risk factors in a large Iranian population sample during pregnancy and postpartum. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted using data from the Babol Pregnancy Mental Health Registry (located in the north of Iran) between June 2020 and March 2021. A total of 2305 women were included, with 1639 during pregnancy and 666 during postpartum. Psychological distress was assessed using the Brief Symptoms Inventory (BSI-18), and data were analyzed using independent t-tests and multiple logistic regressions. RESULTS: The prevalence of psychological distress, defined by a cut-off score of BSI ≥ 13, was 19% during pregnancy and 15% during postpartum. Multivariate logistic analysis revealed that high-risk pregnancy was the leading risk factor for psychological distress during the antenatal period (ß = 1.776, P < 0.001), as well as its three subscales: somatization (ß = 1.355, P = 0.019), anxiety symptoms (ß = 2.249, P < 0.001), and depressive symptoms (ß = 1.381, P = 0.028). Additionally, women with a gestational age < 20 weeks had a higher risk of psychological distress (ß = 1.344, P = 0.038) and the somatization subscale (ß = 1.641, P < 0.001). During the postpartum period, women residing in urban areas were at higher risk of psychological distress (ß = 1.949, P = 0.012), as well as two subscales: anxiety symptoms (ß = 1.998, P = 0.012) and depressive symptoms (ß = 1.949, P = 0.020). CONCLUSION: The high prevalence of psychological distress emphasizes detecting and treating PD during pregnancy and postpartum, particularly in women with high-risk pregnancies. This study suggests that obstetricians and midwives should implement programs to identify women experiencing psychological distress during early pregnancy through postpartum visits.

The measurement of serum fibrinogen levels in patients with acute coronary syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: Serum fibrinogen level (SFL) is thought to be one of the risk factors for coronary artery disease (CAD). The purpose of this study was to measure the SFL in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). METHODS: This study was performed in patients with ACS, admitted in Shahid Beheshti Hospital, Babol, Iran, from February 2005 to June 2006. Two hundred patients with ACS were divided into 4 groups: Group I - ST elevated myocardial infarction (STEMI); Group II - non-ST elevated myocardial infarction (NSTEMI); Group III - unstable angina (U/A) with ST-T change; and Group IV - U/A without ST-T change. Each group includes 50 patients. Twenty-four hours after admission, the SFL was measured using chromatography methods. The data were collected and analyzed. RESULTS: The mean SFL per mg/dl in each group are: Group I - 377.8 +/- 28, Group II - 417.2 +/- 26.8, Group III - 335.4 +/- 19.8, and Group IV - 305.1 +/- 13.8. The SFL in Group II was significantly higher than the other groups (p=0.002). The SFL in Group II was higher than in Group III (p=0.02), and much higher than in Group IV (p=0.000). The SFL in Group III was more than in Group IV (p=0.018). CONCLUSION: The results show that SFL is an important marker in patients with ACS, with ST-T change.