Stress during pregnancy affected neonatal outcomes and changed cortisol and leptin levels both in mothers and newborns.

BACKGROUND: The present study aimed to determine the effect of perceived stress during pregnancy on neonatal outcomes and cortisol and leptin levels in mothers and their newborns. METHODS: This longitudinal study was carried out on 110 pregnant women in Miandoab city, Iran. Mothers, who had singleton pregnancies and gestational age of 24 to 28 weeks, were included in the study. The participants were asked to fill out Cohen's Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). The mothers were then tracked in gestational ages of 28-32 weeks, 32-36 weeks, and the time of delivery. The maternal and umbilical cord blood samples were obtained during labor in order to measure leptin and cortisol levels. RESULTS: Umbilical cortisol level was significantly higher in newborns who had meconium stained amniotic fluid than those who did not. Maternal blood leptin levels at delivery were significantly higher in the mothers whose neonates had respiratory distress, low birth weight, low head circumference, low Apgar score, and were premature than those whose neonates did not have such problems. The level of leptin in umbilical cord blood was significantly higher in neonates who had respiratory distress than those who did not. The results also showed a significant correlation between maternal cortisol levels and PSS during weeks 24-28 and the entire pregnancy. A significant relationship was observed between umbilical leptin and maternal leptin levels. CONCLUSIONS: It can be concluded that stress during pregnancy is accompanied by fetal distress. The probable reason for newborns distress may be related to increased maternal leptin levels.

What kind of sexual dysfunction is most common among overweight and obese women in reproductive age?

The aim of this study was to investigate the association between body mass index (BMI) and sexual health and determine what kind of sexual dysfunction is most common among overweight and obese women in reproductive age from Iran. A cross-sectional descriptive design was adopted. The data of 198 women who referred to health centers during 2014-2015 in Iran were collected through convenient sampling. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire, female sexual function and sexual satisfaction indexes. Participants' heights and weights were recorded in centimeters and kilogram. Data were analyzed applying descriptive statistics, one-way analysis of variance, regression logistic analysis and χ2. P-values<0.05 were considered significant. The mean age of women was 29.89±7.01 and ages ranged from 17 to 45 years. 85.9% of the participants had sexual dysfunction, and 69.7% had dissatisfaction and low satisfaction. According to our evaluations, orgasm dysfunction had the most frequency; on the other hand, desire dysfunction and pain dysfunction had the lowest frequency among overweight and obese women, respectively. Using logistic regression analysis, we have shown that BMI affected on sexual satisfaction, but there was not significant differences between BMI and sexual function. This article concludes that all women especially women with overweight and obesity should be counseled about health outcomes related to sexual activity. This article concludes that all women especially women with overweight and obesity should be counseled about health outcomes related to sexual activity.