Non-pharmacological labor pain relive methods: utilization and associated factors among midwives and maternity nurses in Najran, Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: Traditionally, pharmacological pain relief methods have been the most acceptable option for controlling labor pain, accompanied by numerous adverse consequences. Non-pharmacological labor pain relive methods can reduce labor pain while maintaining an effective and satisfying delivery experience and delaying the use of pharmacological methods. This study explores the utilization of non-pharmacological labor pain relive methods and its associated factors among midwives and maternity nurses. METHODS: A cross-sectional research was conducted in Maternal and Children Hospital/Najran, Saudi Arabia, from April to May 2023 and incorporated a convenience sample of 164 midwives and maternity nurses. The data was collected using a self-reported questionnaire composed of five sections; basic data, facility-related factors, non-pharmacological labor pain relive utilization and attitude scales, and knowledge quiz. A logistic regression was used to determine the associated factors with non-pharmacological labor pain relive utilization. RESULTS: The results revealed that 68.3% of participants utilized non-pharmacological labor pain relive methods. The midwives and maternity nurses helped the parturient to tolerate labor pain by applying the non-pharmacological labor pain relive methods, including; positioning (55.5%), breathing exercises (53.7%), comfortable and relaxing environment (52.4%), therapeutic communication (47%), positive reinforcement (40.9%), relaxation (40.2%), and therapeutic touch (31%). In addition, working unit, providers-patient ratio, working hours, non-pharmacological labor pain relive training, years of experience, and non-pharmacological labor pain relive attitude were significant determinants of non-pharmacological labor pain relive utilization (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: High non-pharmacological labor pain relive utilization was significantly associated with nurses' older age and higher education, working in the delivery room, lower nurse-patient ratio, lower working hours, in-services training, increased years of experience, and positive attitude. The study sheds light on the importance of handling the pre-mentioned factors to enhance non-pharmacological labor pain relive utilization.

Cervical Osmotic Dilators versus Dinoprostone for Cervical Ripening during Labor Induction: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of 14 Controlled Trials.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of all randomized and nonrandomized controlled trials (RCTs and NCTs, respectively) that explored the maternal-neonatal outcomes of cervical osmotic dilators versus dinoprostone in promoting cervical ripening during labor induction. STUDY DESIGN: Six major databases were screened until August 27, 2022. The quality of included studies was evaluated. The data were summarized as mean difference or risk ratio (RR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) in a random-effects model. RESULTS: Overall, 14 studies with 15 arms were analyzed (n = 2,380 patients). Ten and four studies were RCTs and NCTs, respectively. The overall quality for RCTs varied (low risk n = 2, unclear risk n = 7, and high risk n = 1), whereas all NCTs had good quality (n = 4). For the primary endpoints, there was no significant difference between both groups regarding the rate of normal vaginal delivery (RR = 1.04, 95% CI: 0.95-1.14, p = 0.41) and rate of cesarean delivery (RR = 1.04, 95% CI: 0.93-1.17, p = 0.51). Additionally, there was no significant difference between both groups regarding the mean change in Bishop score and mean time from intervention to delivery. The rate of uterine hyperstimulation was significantly lower in the cervical osmotic dilator group. For the neonatal outcomes, during cervical ripening, the rate of fetal distress was significantly lower in the cervical osmotic dilator group. There was no significant difference between both groups regarding the mean Apgar scores, rate of meconium-stained amniotic fluid, rate of umbilical cord metabolic acidosis, rate of neonatal infection, and rate of neonatal intensive care unit admission. CONCLUSION: During labor induction, cervical ripening with cervical osmotic dilators and dinoprostone had comparable maternal-neonatal outcomes. Cervical osmotic dilators had low risk of uterine hyperstimulation compared with dinoprostone. Overall, cervical osmotic dilators might be more preferred over dinoprostone in view of their analogous cervical ripening effects, comparable maternal-neonatal outcomes, and lack of drug-related adverse events. KEY POINTS: · This is the first analysis of cervical osmotic dilators versus PGE2 for cervical ripening during labor.. · There was no difference between both arms regarding the rates of normal vaginal/cesarean deliveries.. · There was no difference between both arms regarding the rates of neonatal adverse events.. · Cervical osmotic dilators had significant lower risk of uterine hyperstimulation compared with PGE2.. · Cervical osmotic dilators may be superior to PGE2 in view of their similar efficacy and better safety..

Warm saline effectiveness for pain relief in office hysteroscopy: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

AIM: To evaluate the impact of warm distension medium versus room temperature distension medium on pain control among patients undergoing office hysteroscopy. METHODS: A systematic search was done in PubMed, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and ISI web of science from inception to October 2021. We selected randomized clinical trials (RCTs) compared warmed saline distension medium in the intervention group versus room temperature distension medium in the control group among women undergoing diagnostic and/or operative office hysteroscopy. Revman software was utilized for performing our meta-analysis. Our primary outcomes were pain scores evaluated by the visual analog scale (VAS) during and after the procedure. Our secondary outcome was the patient satisfaction between both groups. RESULTS: Five RCTs met our inclusion criteria with a total number of 441 patients. We found warm saline was linked to a significant reduction in the VAS pain score during the procedure compared to the control group (mean difference [MD] = -1.12, 95% confidence interval [CI] [-1.80, -0.45], p = 0.001). Moreover, the VAS pain score after the procedure was significantly declined among the warm saline group (MD = -0.62, 95% CI [-0.97, -0.27], p = 0.005). Interestingly, more patients were significantly satisfied with warm saline distension medium application compared to room temperature group (odds ratio [OR] = 3.71, 95% CI [2.01, 6.86], p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Warm saline application in office hysteroscopy is effective in reducing pain during and after the procedure as well as improvement in patient satisfaction.

Vaginal dinoprostone versus placebo for pain relief during intrauterine device insertion: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

OBJECTIVE: To systematically and meta-analytically investigate the efficacy and safety of vaginal dinoprostone versus placebo in pain relief during intrauterine device (IUD) insertion. METHODS: PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library were screened till 1 October 2020. Only randomised placebo-controlled studies were included and assessed for risk of bias. Main outcomes included IUD insertion related pain, patient satisfaction, provider ease of IUD insertion, and side effects. Pooled outcomes were summarised as standardised mean difference (SMD), weighted mean difference (WMD), or risk ratio (RR) with 95% confidence interval (95% CI). RESULTS: Five studies were included, comprising 862 patients; equally 431 patients received vaginal dinoprostone and placebo. All studies showed an overall low risk of bias. When compared to placebo, dinoprostone significantly correlated with decreased pain at tenaculum placement (SMD = -0.79, 95% CI [-1.43, -0.16], p = 0.01), decreased pain at uterine sounding (SMD = -0.88, 95% CI [-1.54, -0.22], p = 0.009), decreased pain at IUD insertion (SMD = -1.18, 95% CI [-1.74, -0.61], p < 0.001), decreased need for additional analgesia (RR = 0.34, 95% CI [0.22, 0.53], p < 0.001), increased patient satisfaction (SMD = 1.41, 95% CI [0.62, 2.20], p < 0.001), and increased provider ease of IUD insertion (SMD = -1.17, 95% CI [-1.62, -0.73], p < 0.001). Fever was statistically significantly higher in dinoprostone versus placebo group (RR = 3.73, 95% CI [1.47, 9.44], p = 0.006). All other side effects-including nausea, vomiting, shivering, diarrhoea, abdominal cramps, vasovagal attack, uterine perforation, and postprocedural bleeding-did not substantially differ between both groups. CONCLUSIONS: This first ever meta-analysis advocates that dinoprostone compared with placebo is safe, effective, and yields favourable analgesic outcomes during IUD insertion.

Mediterranean Diet Adherence beyond Boundaries: Sociodemographic and Pregnancy-Related Determinants among Saudi Women.

Although the expected benefits of the Mediterranean diet (MD) are comprehensive, its implementation is hampered by poor adherence. Several factors can affect adherence to MD guidelines. The current study aimed to explore sociodemographic and pregnancy-related determinants of MD adherence among Saudi women. A correlational cross-sectional research design was conducted on a snowball sample of 774 pregnant women from the Najran region, Saudi Arabia, using an online survey between February and May 2024. A self-administered questionnaire consisting of sociodemographic data, pregnancy-related characteristics, and the MD scale was used for data collection. The current study showed that only 32.2% of participants had high adherence to the MD, and 57.6% had moderate adherence. Regarding sociodemographic determinants of MD adherence, highly educated, older women with lower pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and higher monthly income increased the probability of high adherence to the MD (p < 0.05). In addition, being physically active before or during pregnancy significantly increased the woman's probability of having higher adherence to the MD (p < 0.05). Concerning pregnancy-related determinants, having a planned pregnancy and regular antenatal care (ANC) increased the woman's probability of high adherence to the MD by nearly 1.3 times (p < 0.05). In addition, low adherence to the MD increases the risk of gestational diabetes. In conclusion, numerous sociodemographic and pregnancy-related determinacies can significantly affect a woman's adherence to the MD. Healthcare providers should address these determinants during the planning and implementation of pregnant women's nutritional counseling to make the counseling process woman-centered and more effective.

Insights on obstetric outcomes in pregnant individuals with Marfan Syndrome: evidence from the National Inpatient Sample.

BACKGROUND: We investigated the potential association between Marfan Syndrome (MFS) and adverse obstetric outcomes using the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database. METHODS: We utilized the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) system to identify relevant codes and extracted data from the NIS database covering the period 2016-2019. Descriptive statistics and χ2 tests were employed to summarize and compare baseline characteristics. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses (adjusted for age, race, hospital region, smoking status, and alcohol misuse) were conducted to evaluate association between MFS and adverse obstetric outcomes. The regression analyses were summarized as Odds Ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS: Among the 2,854,149 pregnant individuals, 179 had MFS. Baseline characteristics revealed significant associations between MFS and age, race, and hospital location. Univariate analysis showed MFS individuals had significantly increased risks of amniotic fluid/membrane abnormalities (AFAs, OR=1.64, 95% CI: 1.01-2.68, P=0.045) and postpartum hemorrhage (PPH, OR=3.73, 95% CI: 2.41-5.78, P<0.001). Several obstetric outcomes showed some trends towards increased (multiple gestation, placenta previa, and preterm labor) and decreased (premature rupture of membrane, gestational diabetes, and preeclampsia) obstetric risks with MFS; however, they were not statistically significant. Multivariate analysis showed MFS was significantly associated with increased risks of AFAs (adjusted OR=1.68, 95% CI: 1.03-2.74, P=0.037) and PPH (adjusted OR=3.62, 95% CI: 2.31-5.68, P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: MFS is associated with increased risks of adverse obstetric outcomes, specifically AFAs and PPH. These results highlight the importance of monitoring these specific pregnancy outcomes in MFS individuals to ensure optimal maternal-fetal health.

Effect of vasopressin injection technique on ovarian reserve during laparoscopic cystectomy of ovarian endometriomas: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

INTRODUCTION: To evaluate the effect of injecting vasopressin during laparoscopic excision of ovarian endometriomas on ovarian reserve. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: Four different databases (PubMed, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and ISI Web of Science) were searched to identify relevant studies in March 2023. We selected randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared vasopressin injection in the intervention group versus no injection of vasopressin in the control group among women undergoing laparoscopic cystectomy of ovarian endometriomas. The main outcomes were the amount of bleeding, number of coagulation events, and levels of serum anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). The available data were extracted and analyzed in a meta-analysis model using RevMan software. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: Seven RCTs, involving a total number of 478 patients, were included in our study. The vasopressin group had significantly reduced blood loss amount and number of coagulation events compared to the control group (P=0.004 and P=0.005). There was a significant improvement in the AMH levels within 6 months after surgery in the vasopressin group (MD=0.52, 95% CI: 0.11, 0.93, P=0.01). In addition, the FSH levels within 6 months after laparoscopic cystectomy were significantly reduced with vasopressin injection. CONCLUSIONS: Vasopressin injection during laparoscopic cystectomy of ovarian endometriomas is effective in reducing blood loss amount and frequency of coagulation, as well as protecting the ovarian reserve. More trials are encouraged to confirm our findings.

Knowledge and Prevalence of Vaginismus Among Women in Najran, Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: Vaginismus is a distressing sexual dysfunction that can profoundly impact women's physical and psychological well-being. Understanding its prevalence and associated factors is crucial for effective healthcare provision. This study aims to investigate the prevalence of vaginismus and assess knowledge about the condition among women in Najran, Saudi Arabia. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in May 2023. Data were collected via an online survey, with 500 adult women in Najran participating. The survey assessed demographics, vaginismus complaints, and knowledge about vaginismus. Statistical analysis included chi-square tests, logistic regression, and correlations. RESULTS: The prevalence of vaginismus complaints among participants was 4.6%. Age, particularly being over 45 years old, was a significant predictor of vaginismus complaints. Marital status also showed a significant association, with married women reporting a higher prevalence. BMI, health status, and various menstrual characteristics were not significant predictors. Knowledge about vaginismus was moderate, with 60% of participants lacking a source of information. CONCLUSION: Vaginismus is a relatively rare but significant concern among women in Najran, Saudi Arabia, with age and marital status being notable factors. The study highlights the need for improved sexual health education and awareness, particularly among older women, to address this sensitive issue effectively. Further research should delve into the psychological and cultural factors influencing vaginismus in this population.

Determinants of Prenatal Childbirth Fear during the Third Trimester among Low-Risk Expectant Mothers: A Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Fear of Childbirth (FOC) can significantly impact women's physical and psychological health; therefore, healthcare providers must provide proactive care, which means they have to intervene before FOC becomes tokophobia. This study's purpose is to evaluate the determinants of prenatal childbirth fear during the third trimester among low-risk expectant mothers. METHODS: A cross-sectional comparative study was conducted at the Maternal and Children Hospital's outpatient clinics in Najran City, Saudi Arabia, from April to July 2023. The study involved 377 nulliparous and multiparous women, using a systemic random sampling technique. The data were collected using an interview schedule composed of questions related to demographic and obstetrics characteristics, the FOC questionnaire, and a multidimensional scale of perceived social support. Significant FOC predictors were examined using a binary logistic regression model. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant difference between nulliparous and multiparous participants concerning FOC; 80.0% of nulliparous participants had significant FOC compared to 67.8% of multiparous participants (p = 0.011). A binary logistic regression clarified that regular antenatal care and family and spousal support were significantly negatively correlated with significant FOC among multiparous and nulliparous women (p < 0.05). For multiparas, FOC was associated with pregnancy planning and previous labor-related complications. In addition, friends' support was an important predictor of significantly lower FOC among nulliparous women (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Significant FOC was higher in nulliparous women when compared to multiparous women. Numerous obstetric variables and different types of social support play important roles in significant FOC. Special attention and support should be provided to high-risk women for proper FOC management during prenatal classes to improve their childbirth experiences.

A Glimpse into Milestones of Insulin Resistance and an Updated Review of Its Management.

Insulin is the main metabolic regulator of fuel molecules in the diet, such as carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins. It does so by facilitating glucose influx from the circulation into the liver, adipose tissue, and skeletal myocytes. The outcome of which is subjected to glycogenesis in skeletal muscle and lipogenesis in adipose tissue, as well as in the liver. Therefore, insulin has an anabolic action while, on the contrary, hypoinsulinemia promotes the reverse process. Protein breakdown in myocytes is also encountered during the late stages of diabetes mellitus. The balance of the blood glucose level in physiological conditions is maintained by virtue of the interactive functions of insulin and glucagon. In insulin resistance (IR), the balance is disturbed because glucose transporters (GLUTs) of cell membranes fail to respond to this peptide hormone, meaning that glucose molecules cannot be internalized into the cells, the consequence of which is hyperglycemia. To develop the full state of diabetes mellitus, IR should be associated with the impairment of insulin release from beta-cells of the pancreas. Periodic screening of individuals of high risk, such as those with obesity, hypercholesterolemia, and pregnant nulliparous women in antenatal control, is vital, as these are important checkpoints to detect cases of insulin resistance. This is pivotal as IR can be reversed, provided it is detected in its early stages, through healthy dietary habits, regular exercise, and the use of hypoglycemic agents. In this review, we discuss the pathophysiology, etiology, diagnosis, preventive methods, and management of IR in brief.

Predictors of antibiotic use in pregnant women attending Najran University Hospital, Saudi Arabia.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of antibiotic use by pregnant women in Najran, Saudi Arabia. METHODS: A total of 125 women aged 18 to 45 with a full-term pregnancy participated from October to December 2019. Age, order of current pregnancy, body mass index (BMI), history of miscarriage, and comorbidity were used to estimate antibiotic use. RESULTS: The majority were Saudis (67.2%), aged 30-35 (39.2%) years, with no history of miscarriage (53.6%), second order of pregnancy (26.4%), and going through weeks 20-25 of pregnancy (21.6%). A total of 26.4% of pregnant women had antibiotic prescriptions in the study population. Pregnant women under 30 years were less likely to receive antibiotics. CONCLUSION: The results found an association between maternal age, order of pregnancy and antibiotic use during pregnancy. An association was observed between maternal BMI and the occurrence of adverse drug reactions after antibiotic use. In addition, a history of miscarriage was negatively associated with the use of antibiotics during pregnancy. These predictors of antibiotic administration have the potential to serve as general health indicators and to direct preventative strategies aimed at increasing the rational use of antibiotics.

An evaluation of the different types of labor pain relief, preferred methods of pain relief, and effects of social media on awareness and knowledge among pregnant women. A cross-sectional study in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the attitudes of pregnant women towards different forms of labor pain relief, preferred methods of pain relief, and the effects of social media on their awareness and knowledge. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study conducted between April and August 2017 in the Maternity and Children's Hospital, Najran, Saudi Arabia. A total of 416 pregnant women were interviewed and analyzed using IBM Sstatistical Package for Social Sciences version 20 (IBM Corp, Armonk, NY, USA). RESULTS: A total of 62.7% were aware of labor pain. However, 58.7% of the total sample group was unaware of labor pain relief, and 79.8% of the total sample group was unaware of the different forms of labor pain relief available. Educational level was significantly associated with awareness and knowledge of labor pain relief (p=0.001). The majority of pregnant women obtained information from friends (57.5%); and only 16.1% of women received information from their health care providers.Conlclusion: Most of the pregnant women recruited into this study had insuficient awareness of labor pain and methods of pain relief. They acquired their information from their friends and families rather than from their health care providers.