Comparing the Efficacy of Breast Milk and Coconut Oil on Nipple Fissure and Breast Pain Intensity in Primiparous Mothers: A Single-Blind Clinical Trial.

Background: Nipple fissure is a prevalent problem for breastfeeding mothers. Virgin coconut oil (VCO) is an herbal medicine that can heal microbial infections and wounds. Objective: This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of VCO and breast milk on nipple fissures in primiparous mothers. Design, Setting, Participants, and Intervention: A single-blind clinical trial was conducted with 106 breastfeeding primiparous mothers suffering from nipple fissures in health centers of Zarand, Kerman, from August 2020 to November 2020. The participants were selected randomly and allocated to two 60-member groups using block randomization. Mothers in the first group were asked to apply 0.5 mL of coconut oil on their nipples three times a day. Mothers in the second group were trained to apply three to four drops of their milk on their nipples after every breastfeeding session. The level of nipple fissures and pain intensity were examined using Storr's scale and visual analog scale, respectively. The results were analyzed using the chi-square test, repeated measures analysis of variance, and the independent samples t-test in SPSS 22. In this study, the significance level was set at p < 0.05. Results: Within-group comparisons revealed a significant difference between baseline scores and the scores on the 7th and 14th days (p < 0.001). Between-group comparison indicated no significant difference in nipple fissure (p = 0.419) and pain intensity (p = 0.405) at baseline. Nonetheless, there was a significant difference on the 7th day (pfissure = 0.002, ppain <0.001) and on the 14th day (pfissure <0.001, ppain = 0.036). Conclusion: Given its effect on nipple fissures, VCO may be used as a complementary substance to treat nipple fissures. Trial Registration: This trial is registered with the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials with the identifier: IRCT20190724044318N1.

Effect of emotional freedom technique on the fear of childbirth in Iranian primiparous women: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Fear of childbirth is one of the main causes of women's emotional difficulty experienced in the perinatal period, especially those having their first child. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of emotional freedom technique (EFT) on the fear of childbirth among primiparous women in Ahvaz, Iran. Materials and methods: This randomized clinical trial was conducted on 116 primiparous women. The participants were randomly divided into intervention (n = 58) or control (n = 58) groups. The intervention group received daily stimulation of certain points in their body for 12 weeks using EFT. The fear of childbirth was measured at the beginning of the study and 12 weeks after the intervention using the Wijma Delivery Expectancy/Experience Questionnaire (WDEQ-A) and at the first postpartum visit with WDEQ-B. Data were analyzed using independent t-test, paired t-test, Chi-square or Fisher's exact test, and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). Results: After intervention, the mean score of fear of childbirth in the intervention group decreased from 49.39 ± 8.21 to 40.42 ± 13.43 (p < 0.0001), while the same rate in the control group increased from 49.47 ± 9.06 to 52.09 ± 7.73 (p = 0.002). The mean score of fear of childbirth after delivery in the control group (45.88 ± 7.10) was higher than that in the intervention group (27.13 ± 5.08) (p < 0.0001). Conclusion: Based on the findings of this study, EFT can be considered as an effective method to reduce the fear of childbirth score in primiparous women.

Effect of vitamin D supplementation on the severity of stress urinary incontinence in premenopausal women with vitamin D insufficiency: a randomized controlled clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Urinary incontinence, especially stress urinary incontinence (SUI), is one of the problems experienced by premenopausal women. Given the role of vitamin D in enhancing muscle strength and function, this study explored the effect of vitamin D3 supplementation on SUI in premenopausal women. METHODS: A randomized controlled trial was performed with 60 premenopausal women referring to Kerman gynecological clinic in 2020 and 2021. Eligible women received a 5000-unit vitamin D supplement or placebo weekly for 3 months. The International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Urinary Incontinence Short Form (ICIQ-SF) was utilized to assess SUI severity before and after the intervention. The t-test, Chi-square test, and repeated measures ANOVA were carried out in SPSS software (version 22) to analyze the data. P-values smaller than 0.05 were considered significant. RESULTS: Before the intervention, there was no significant difference between the intervention and control groups in SUI severity (P = 0.652) and the impact of SUI severity on premenopausal women's lives (P = 0.804). In contrast, after 8-12 weeks of vitamin D supplementation, these scores decreased significantly in the intervention group relative to the control group (P <  0.001). In addition, after vitamin D supplementation, the number of SUI and urinary leakage symptoms decreased in the intervention group (P <  0.001). CONCLUSION: Vitamin D supplementation improves SUI in premenopausal women. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This trial was registered with the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials; https://fa.irct.ir/trial/53474 (IRCT20190724044318N2) on 11/02/2021.