Association between anogenital distance as a noninvasive index in the diagnosis and prognosis of reproductive disorder: A systematic review.

Background: There are 2 measures of anogenital distance (AGD) in men and women. AGD has been used as an indicator of fetal androgen dysfunction and an adverse outcome in adulthood. Some studies have shown the association of AGD as a predictor in the diagnosis and prognosis of diseases and disorders. Objective: To systematically summarize the latest evidence for presenting AGD as a new approach for prognosis and early diagnosis of diseases. Materials and Methods: A systematic review of the available literature was performed using Medline via PubMed, Scopus, and ISI Web of Knowledge up to July 2021, using search terms "anogenital distance" OR "anogenital index" OR "ano genital distance" OR "ano genital index". Language restrictions were not imposed. Results: After reviewing the retrieved articles, 47 unique studies were included in this systematic review. Different outcomes, including endometriosis, prostate cancer, polycystic ovary syndrome, pelvic organ prolapse, hypospadias, cryptorchidism, fertility and semen parameters, maternal and birth development, and ovarian and gynecological-related disorders, have been studied in the included evidence. A negative association was observed between AGD and endometriosis and hypospadias and a positive association between AGD and prostate cancer, polycystic ovary syndrome, male fetal gender, and fertility parameters. Conclusion: Using quantitative indicators such as AGD may be a useful clinical tool for the diagnosis of diseases. Although many studies have shown an association between AGD and diseases, some factors, including different measurement methods, different measurement tools, age, and different definitions of AGD, can be involved in the variation of AGD.

Effect of acupressure at the BL67 spot on the spontaneous rotation of fetus with breech presentation: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Breech is a common fetal presentation in preterm pregnancies. This study aimed to investigate the effect of acupressure at the BL67 point on the spontaneous rotation of fetus with breech presentation. METHODS: An unblind, two-armed randomized controlled trial was carried out from September 2017 to April 2020. Research participants were 138 pregnant women at 32 to 35 weeks of gestational age that had fetal breech presentation confirmed by ultrasound. They were randomly assigned into intervention and control groups (n=69 in each group). The intervention group received acupressure at the BL67 point on both feet for 10 minutes daily and for two consecutive weeks. The control group received routine care. Demographic and midwifery data questionnaires were used for data collection. RESULTS: The spontaneous rotation of fetus with breech presentation into cephalic was observed in the majority of participants in the intervention group (82.6%) compared to the control group (17.4%) (p<0.001). Statistically significant differences in the fetal presentation at delivery was observed between the groups (84.1% cephalic vs. 18.8% breech, p<0.001). Regarding the type of delivery, cesarean section was reported mostly (85.5%) in the control group compared to the intervention group (21.7%) (p<0.001). However, the first- and fifth-minute Apgar scores of newborns had no statistically significant differences between the groups (p=0.773). CONCLUSION: It is suggested to incorporate acupressure at the BL67 point into the care process for pregnant women to help with the reduction of the rate of cesarean section and avoid its related complications.

Development and psychometric properties of Iranian women childbirth experience questionnaire.

AIM: This study aimed to develop and psychometrics a questionnaire for assessing childbirth experience in Iranian women. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was done in women who experienced childbirth within the last 12 hr to 2 months from May to December 2018. Questionnaire items were extracted from a comprehensive review of the available studies and questionnaires on childbirth experiences and definitions implied by qualitative interviews. The designed questionnaire was validated in three stages: face, content and construct. Cronbach's alpha was used to determine the reliability of the instrument. RESULT: Iranian women childbirth experience questionnaire contained seven factors with 52 items which were called professional support, husband's and other important support, baby, preparation, fear, positive perception and control were extracted. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient after factor analysis was 0.62-0.92 and for the whole instrument was 0.91. The findings showed that Iranian women childbirth experience questionnaire was valid and reliable.

Positive childbirth experience: A qualitative study.

Aim: This study aimed to explore the meaning of a positive childbirth experience expressed by women who had given birth in Iran. Design: Qualitative exploratory study. Methods: This is a qualitative study conducted on 10 women aged 20-38 years with positive childbirth experience. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews from 72 hr-2 months after childbirth. Results: Data analysis led to into two themes and five subthemes. The themes include control and empowerment. Control theme consisted of three subthemes of preparation, coping and support; and empowerment theme consisted of two subthemes of self-efficacy and self-esteem. Women's sense of empowerment to childbirth can be the result of a positive childbirth experience. Therefore, it seems that providing positive experience factors of childbirth plays an important role in women's self-efficacy and self-esteem, which requires cooperation and effort at the level of the individual, family, education system and healthcare system.

Prevalence and factors affecting the negative childbirth experiences: a systematic review.

Background: Childbirth and its related experiences have the potential physical and psychological effects on women's lives in the short and long term. Many factors play an effective role in the positive and negative childbirth experiences of the mother. This study aimed to examine the prevalence and factors affecting negative labor experiences.Methods: The current research reviewed articles related to "childbirth experiences" in international databases (Pub Med - Scopus - Web of Science - Ovid - clinical key - ProQuest - ScienceDirect - the Cochrane Library), and national databases (SID, Magiran, Iranmedex, and Irandoc). A total number of 3654 articles were found after the elimination of repetitive and unrelated articles, 18 articles were evaluated.Result: In this study, 18 studies entered this systematic review, 8 studies examined the prevalence of childbirth experience. The prevalence of negative childbirth experience was 6.8-44%. The factors related to the childbirth experience includes: individual, such as age, parity, fear, self-efficacy, participation, control, expectations, preparation, and interpersonal, such as husband support, care provider support, unexpected medical problems, such as prolonged labor, stimulation and induction, forceps delivery, emergency cesarean section, and the use of analgesics in the mother, low Apgar score and transfer to the NICU in the child.Conclusions: This review showed the varies factors related to childbirth experience, these findings suggest future research through qualitative studies that why they influence the birth experience.