Health-Related Quality of Life and Primi-Gravid: A Comparative Study of Natural Conception and Conception by Assisted Reproduction Technologies (ARTs).

BACKGROUND: Childbearing for the first time is a unique experience. Quality of life is an important indicator in health studies. This study aimed to assess the quality of life of women who were conceived by ARTs and had successful childbirth for the first time and to compare it with quality of life in women who become pregnant naturally and similarly had successful childbirth for the first time. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a cross sectional comparative study. The accessible sam- ple was recruited from patients attending an infertility clinic and two obstetric and gynecology clinics in Tehran, Iran, during March 2010 to March 2011. In all 276 patients were approached. Of these, 162 women (76 women in natural conception group and 86 women in assisted reproduction technologies group) who met the inclusion criteria were entered into the study. Quality of life was assessed using the 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36). Women completed the questionnaire at two time points: i. last trimester and ii. first month after delivery. Comparison was made between two groups using Mann-Whitney U test and paired samples t test. RESULTS: Comparing the SF-36 scores between women in natural conception group and ARTs group before childbirth, it was found that natural group had better condition on physical functioning, role limitation due to physical problems, bodily pain and social functioning, while the ARTs group reported better status on general health, vitality, role limitation due to emotional problems, and mental health. However, after childbirth, the ARTs group reported a better condition almost on all measures, except for physical functioning. Comparing differences in obtained scores between two groups before and after childbirth, the results showed that improvements in health related quality of life measures for the ARTs group were greater in all measures, expect for general health. CONCLUSION: The findings from this study suggest that health-related quality of life was improved in women who became a mother for the first time by either method. Comparing to women who became mother by natural conception, women who received ARTs showed better quality of life from this first successful experience.

Assessment of pelvic floor muscle function in women with and without low back pain using transabdominal ultrasound.

Pelvic floor muscle (PFM) dysfunction has been recently associated with the development of low back pain (LBP). Transabdominal ultrasound imaging has been established as an appropriate method for visualizing and measuring PFM function. No study has directly evaluated PFM function in individuals with and without LBP. The purpose of this study was to investigate the PFM function in women with and without LBP using transabdominal ultrasound. Convenience sample of 40 non-pregnant female participated in the study. Subjects were categorized into two groups: with LBP (n = 20) and without LBP (n = 20). The amount of bladder base movement on ultrasound (normalized to body mass index) was measured in all subjects and considered as an indicator of PFM function. Statistical analysis (Independent t-test) revealed significant difference in transabdominal ultrasound measurements for PFM function between the two groups (P = 0.04, 95% CI of difference: 0.002-0.27). The results of this study indicate PFM dysfunction in individuals with LBP compared to those without LBP. The results could be beneficial to clinicians when assessing and prescribing therapeutic exercises for patients with LBP.

Effects of 780-nm low-level laser therapy with a pulsed gallium aluminum arsenide laser on the healing of a surgically induced open skin wound of rat.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present investigation is to evaluate the effects of a 780-nm low-level laser on open skin wound healing. BACKGROUND DATA: Optimal parameters of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) for wound healing are discussed. METHODS: One full-thickness skin wound was surgically induced in the dorsum skin of 30 rats. The rats were divided into two groups. Rats in the experimental group were daily treated with a gallium aluminum arsenide (GaAlAs) laser (2 J/cm(2), lambda = 780 nm, pulse frequency of 2336 Hz). Rats in the sham-exposed group received LLLT with switched off equipment. After 4, 7, and 15 days, wounds were checked by histological and biomechanical methods. Data were analyzed by the Mann-Whitney U-test. RESULTS: Fibroblasts, endothelium of blood vessels, blood vessel sections, and maximum stress were significantly increased, whereas macrophages were significantly decreased, compared with those of the sham-exposed group. CONCLUSION: Pulsed LLLT with a 780-nm GaAlAs laser significantly accelerates the process of healing of surgically induced, full-thickness skin wounds in rat.

Correlation of digital palpation and transabdominal ultrasound for assessment of pelvic floor muscle contraction.

Pelvic floor muscle (PFM) dysfunction has been commonly associated with urinary disorders and lumbo-pelvic pain. Transabdominal (TA) ultrasound is currently used by physical therapists to assess PFM function. Controversy exists regarding the correlation between TA ultrasound measurement and vaginal palpation for assessment of PFM contraction, and this relationship has not yet been examined concurrently during the same contraction. The purpose of this study was to determine the correlation of digital palpation and TA ultrasound to assess PFM contraction when recorded 1) simultaneous to digital palpation during one contraction and 2) following digital palpation testing in another contraction. A descriptive correlational design was used to describe the relationship between variables. A total of 19 women (both asymptomatic women and those with incontinence or lumbo-pelvic pain) participated in the study. The modified Oxford scale was used to grade PFM contraction in digital palpation testing. The amount of bladder base movement on ultrasound was measured and considered as an indicator of PFM activity. Two trials were performed for TA ultrasound measurement: 1) simultaneous to digital palpation during one contraction, and 2) following digital palpation testing in another contraction. Spearman's correlation coefficient was used for analysis. There was a significant correlation between digital palpation and TA ultrasound for PFM assessment when measured simultaneously in one contraction (rho=0.62, p=0.01) and separately in a different contraction (rho=0.52, p=0.02), with a stronger correlation found in simultaneous testing. In conclusion, digital palpation and TA ultrasound measurement are significantly correlated and measure comparable parameters in evaluation of PFM contraction.