[Association between risk of pre-eclampsia and contraceptive methods or duration of cohabitation]

Pre-eclampsia is one of major causes of maternal morbidity and mortality, IUGR [Intra uterine growth retardation], preterm birth and mortality in newborns. According to Immune mal-adaptation hypothesis, using contraceptive methods or short period of unprotected cohabitations may be risk factors of pre-eclampsia. The aim of this study was to determine the possible association between these factors and pre-eclampsia. This study was performed on 300 pregnant women who were admitted in the delivery ward of the Tamin Ejtemaee hospital in Shahrekord, Iran. They were matched for age categories and interviewed for filling the questionnaires. Data analysis was done by SPSS 14, using student t-test, odds ratio or X2, tests. Majority of the participants, both in the case and control groups, were primi-gravida and only 20% had a history of one or more abortions. A significant positive association was seen between the total duration of cohabitation [marital duration] and the risk of pre-eclampsia [P<0.001]. This correlation remained significant even after elimination of number of delivery. There was no significant relationship between using contraceptive methods and pre-eclampsia. The results of this study have challenged the immune mal-adaptation hypothesis in some aspects and it seems that there may be another explanation for the role of long cohabitation as a risk factor in pre-eclampsia, which requires further researches

[Correlation between socio-demographic characteristics and contraceptive methods]

Despite the wide use of family planning programs, they have not reached their goals -the prevention of unwanted pregnancy- and this failure was mainly due to coitus interrupts. The aim of this study was to find the correlation between socio-demographic characteristics and contraceptive methods in 15-49 years old women of Shahrekord in 2003-2004. This descriptive and analytical study was performed on 668 women selected by simple sampling from those referred to 9 urban clinics. A questionnaire with 31 questions about demographic and social factors and about the reason that they did not select another contraceptive method, was filled for each woman. For data analysis, descriptive statistics and Chi square test were used. Demographic factors such as age of husband, age of marriage, duration of marriage, age of the first pregnancy, number of pregnancies, delivery, number of children and desire to have another baby and ideal number of children had significant correlation with choosing coitus interrupts. Social factors such as wife and husband education, wife and husband occupation and the pattern of making decision had significant influence on choosing coitus interrupts. Results also indicated that the most common reason for refusing to use pills was psychological problems, for IUD was uterine bleeding, for TL was desire to have another baby, for vasectomy was husband's unsatisfaction, and for condom and coitus interrupts was fear of pregnancy. According to the results, young men, couples with lower age of marriage, low age at first pregnancy 6 lower frequency of pregnancy delivery and childern 6, short duration from marriage and also higher educational degree and occupational level, choose coitus interruptus more than the others. Therefore, in familly planning the above mentioned factors should be considered