effect of palm date intake during prelabour period on labour outcome among high risky women

Labour and birth are a natural process, they usually progress normally with no problems for mother and baby. Palm date or phoenix dactyl feral [tamr] is the most important source of energy. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of palm date [tamr] intake during the prelabour [two weeks] period on labour outcome among high risky women. This study included two groups: First group [experimental group 60] primigravida women who received antenatal and natal care and were eating for two weeks extra meal palm dates. Second group: [control group 70] primigravida women who received only a routine antenatal and natal care. Three tools were used for collecting data [sheet of general characteristics, Bishop score and partogram chart], which started from January to June 2005 [6 months], women constituted. Finding showed that the means of Bishop Scores of the study sample [experimental and control groups] at tune of their admission for labour were 10.5 +/- 1.1 and 7.2 +/- 1.1 respectively [t = 3.9] with significant difference P<0.05 between the two groups. The means and the S.D of the rate of cervical dilatation during active phase of labour in cm/hours among two groups [experimental and control] were 1.3 +/- 0.3 and 1 +/- 0.1 [t= 3.7]. Mean duration of labour of the two groups [experimental and control] were 5.1 +/- 0.9 and 6.5 +/- 1 respectively [t= 4.1]. The largest percent of the experimental group delivered spontaneous [88.3%] compared to [58.6%] in the control group. One minute Apgar score was >7 for most of the studied women's babies in both groups [90% and 86%]. Results revealed that [51.4%] of the control group need oxytocin augmentation compared to only [8.3%] in the experimental. There were statistically significant differences between the two groups [experimental and control] to the effect of taking palm date [tamr] during the prelabour [two weeks] period on labour outcome of the experimental group, mode and duration of delivery as well as the Apgar score of the newborn. The study recommended that materials as booklets should be available and provided to pregnant women about the importance of palm date intake during a prelabour period. A national program about health nutrition for pregnant women to facilitate labour activity should be provided

Contraception knowledge and practice among women in postpartum period at maternity and child Hospital Buriadah Al Qassium KSA

Contraception is an inherent part of a good health preventive care for women. Fertility is not a disease, and therefore, contraception is not a purely medical concern but an area for collaborative care in which women ask for information and help in planning their pregnancies. Proper childbirth spacing reduces infant and child morbidity and mortality. KSA community has very special socio-economic and religious background with the general refusal of contraception and family planning. However with the increase women education and public orientation of proper childbirth spacing which has great beneficial effects on mothers and children, it has been documented that the need and use of contraceptive methods has increased. On Medline research of literature published in English, few papers [8] were found discussing the matter. The aim of the study was to assess childbirth spacing knowledge and practice by women at Maternity and Child Hospital Buriadah A1 Qassium Kingdom of Saudi Arabia [KSA]. The study was conducted at that hospital from October 2004 till April 2005; a descriptive design was used for this study, the subjects were a convenient sample, a total of [200 women] attended MCH hospital for follow up postnatal checkup. The tools used for data collection were interviewed using questionnaire related to socio-demographic characteristics of the postnatal women such as age, education, occupation and their knowledge and practice of family planning and contraceptive methods. Moreover the researcher asked the study sample about their obstetrics history. Results show that the age ranges of the postnatal women were between 20 - 45 years old. More than half of the study sample [54.5%, 51%] have 1-2 gravida and number of children respectively may be because of their high education and they are still young enough to have more children later on. The most common source of family planning information was health worker at clinics [73%] closely followed by their friends. The most common reason for not practicing family planning was their husbands rejection. It was deduced the majority of the study sample [85%] was not practicing family planning. Among the women who do, oral contraceptive pill was the most popular method [20%]. It is recommended that there should always be husband involvement in family planning programs

Prediction of preterm labor among among pregnant women at risk in Zagazig University Hospital

This study was performed on 24 pregnant women with 30-36 weeks of gestation as a study group and another 24 patients with the same age of gestation as a control group. The study revealed that a cervical length measurement is a good predictor of preterm delivery in patients with signs of premature labor with intact membranes. The predictive value of the combination of cervicovaginal fetal fibronectin and the measurements of the cervical length in the prediction of preterm delivery for patients at risk for preterm labor with intact membranes showed a sensitivity of 16.7%, a specificity of 100%, a positive predictive value of 100% and a negative predictive value of 28.6%. There was a significantly longer delivery interval among women who had negative test results compared with those with positive results. There was a significant reduction of gestational age at delivery in preterm birth women with positive fetal fibronectin test results compared with those with negative test results. There was also a significant reduction in the birth weight and Apgar scoring among women with positive fetal fibronectin test results compared with those with negative test results. There was a positive correlation between the mean cervical length and the mean cervical dilatation in patients who delivered preterm and those who delivered at term