effects of health education through face to face teaching and educational movies, on suburban women in childbearing age

The aim of the study was to compare the effects of 'face-to-face education' and 'educational movies' on 'knowledge' and 'practice' of women of child-bearing-age, in terms of health-care during pregnancy and during infancy in a suburban region near Tehran City, Iran. In this quasi-experimental study, the sample included 873 married women. Questionnaires for knowledge and practice assessment were designed. The women were assigned to three groups: control [group I], face-to-face education [group II], and educational movie [group III]. Knowledge questionnaires were completed before and immediately after intervention. Practice questionnaires were completed before and three months after intervention. Both questionnaires consisted of two types of questions: type A [concerning infant care issues] and type B [concerning prenatal health care]. There was a significant difference in post-test knowledge between groups I and II and between groups I and III, but not between groups II and III. In terms of post-test practice, the changes were determined for every individual question, and significantly, better results were seen in group II, especially concerning type B questions. Face to face education lead to better practice than educational movies. In addition, significantly better practice occurred regarding child health care issues rather than prenatal issues in both groups. Realistic and tangible issues, those easy to practice, and with little or no economical burden imposed on the family, progressed from the knowledge state to the practice state more successfully in both groups

Muscle tonicity of children with spastic cerebral palsy: how effective is Swedish massage?

Massage therapy is one of the most widely used complementary and alternative medicine therapies for children. This study was conducted to determine the effect of Swedish massage on the muscle tonicity of children with spastic cerebral palsy [CP]. This study was a single blind clinical trial conducted on forty children with spastic CP, recruited from clinics of the University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences. They were randomly assigned to intervention and control groups. Routine occupational therapy techniques were performed during a 3 monthperiod in both groups, while the intervention group also received Swedish massage for 30 minutes before every rehabilitation session. Muscle tonicity was evaluated at the beginning of the study and 3 months later using the Modified Ashworth Scale. The average ages of children in the intervention [n=13] and control [n=14] groups were 49.5 and 42.1 months respectively. Although after intervention, tonicity of upper and lower limbs, trunk and neck in the intervention group in comparison with controls had no significant differences, there were statistically significant differences in reduction rate of tonicity in upper limbs and trunk between the two groups [P <0.05]. Massage therapy is not a panacea for improvement of spasticity in children with CP but the encouraging results of other studies on children with CP indicate that further studies are needed for more definite results

Motor developmental delay in 7500 Iranian infants: prevalence and risk factors

The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and the most common risk factors of motor developmental delay in infants. Following ethical approval, a study was carried out on the prevalence and risk factors of infants with motor developmental delay. The first stage was conducted through a cross-sectional study to determine the prevalence of motor developmental delay on 7500 infants and the second stage was an analytic case - control survey to identify the most common risk factors on 140 infants, aged one month to three years with motor developmental delay. Data was collected using a demographic questionnaire, the Parents Evaluation of Developmental Status questionnaire, the Denver Developmental Screening Test II, a neurological assessment form, and the movement and tone assessment form. The prevalence of motor developmental delay in 7500 infants was 18.7/1000. The most common risk factors in infants with motor developmental delay were prematurity [25.6%], low birth weight [19.2%], neonatal seizures [7.5%], hyaline membrane disease [6.7%], systemic infections of mothers during pregnancy [5.9%], severe neonatal hyperbilirubinemia [5%] in sequence. Motor developmental delay was significantly correlated with consanguinity of parents [p=0.001], prematurity [p=0.046], abnormal head circumference at birth [p=0.038], and low birth weight [p=0.026]. The prevalence of motor developmental delay appears to be high and further studies should focus on different preventive strategies, controlling the most common risk factors and emphasizing on early detection and treatment of high risk infants

[ impact of the mothers' nutritional education on 12-30 months toddlers food pattern]

Considering the importance of nutrition in early years and mothers' prominent role, the objective of the present study was to evaluate the impact of nutritional education to mothers on 12-30 months toddlers food pattern. In this quasi-experimental study subjects were consisted of 242 mothers with their 12-30 months toddlers who were referring to health-care centers in Tehran, Iran, in 2006. After defining the number of the samples, allocation of each health-care center was done by PPS method and then sequentially distributed into two groups, intervention and control. Data collection was done in two stages: at the beginning of the study and one month after intervention by three tools 1] questionnaire 2] scale 3] tape meter. During three months, mothers who participated in nutrition education program completed the FFQ. The researcher gave adequate comments to intervention group by face to face teaching. Data analyzing was done by chi-square, paired t.test and analysis of variance of repeated measures. Before intervention, condition of food score was 6.850 and Z score was 2.789. After intervention, the condition of food score was 7.893 and Z score was found to be 1.722. Before the intervention, in both groups, meat, fat, and sugar consumption was higher than normal ranges. After the intervention, fruit and vegetable consumption was increased. Before intervention, the condition of food questionnaire score was in middle range in two groups while the condition in intervention group was increased after intervention. Z score before intervention in two groups shows overweight, but after the intervention losing of weight was seen

homeopathy used simultaneously with rehabiliation be effective in the treatment of children with cerebral palsy?

Different medical and rehabilitation interventions have been used for treatment of cerebral palsy [CP]. In addition to conventional methods, complementary medicine such as homeopathy has been used in treatment of neurodevelopmental disorders. This study has been done to determine what effect homeopathic treatment would have on motor development [MD] of children with spastic CP, when added to rehabilitation normally used for such children. This 2004 study was a double blind clinical trial, conducted on twenty-four subjects recruited from a developmental disorders clinic in Tehran. Using the minimization technique, subjects were divided to the case and control groups. Routine rehabilitation techniques were carried out for 4 months on both groups. In addition the cases were given homeopathy drugs, while the controls received placebos. Levels of gross and fine motor development were assessed with the Denver Developmental Screening Test II [DDST II]. Data was collected by assessment forms, direct observations and examinations. Dependant variables in the two groups were compared at the beginning and at the end of the study. The average ages of the case and control groups were 28 and 28.4 months respectively. Gross and fine motor development and motor developmental quotient in the case group, compared to the controls showed no statistically significant differences. Based on the results of this study adding homeopathy to rehabilitation had no significant effect on motor development of CP children. Considering the documented effects of homeopathy on the physical status of children with CP it would be better not to reject the possibility of effects of homeopathy on motor development of children with CP. As homeopathy is young in Iran, it is recommended to conduct further more extensive research on the effects of homeopathy on neurodevelopmental diseases