Explore the vast range of titles available.

Background Breastfeeding is a critical health equalizer and predictor of significant maternal and infant health outcomes, profoundly influenced by the socioeconomic and cultural status of mothers. Previous research has suggested that migration negatively impacts the breastfeeding practices of immigrant mothers. Given that Iran hosts approximately 3 million Afghan refugees, this study aimed to compare the breastfeeding practices of immigrant Afghan mothers in Iran with those of Iranian mothers. Methods This prospective cohort study included postpartum Iranian mothers ( n  = 209) and Afghan immigrant mothers ( n  = 327) referred to Nekuei Hedayati Forqani Hospital in Qom and Imam Khomeini Hospital complex in Tehran from January 1, 2023, to May 1, 2023. Breastfeeding quality was assessed using the Bristol Breastfeeding Assessment Tool (BBAT) at baseline (after birth) and at 2-, 4-, and 6-month follow-ups. Breastfeeding continuity was qualitatively assessed based on mothers’ reports of daily frequency and duration of breastfeeding episodes over six months. Results The mean BBAT score of the Iranian cohort was significantly higher than that of Afghan mothers at baseline (7.0 ± 1.5 vs. 6.7 ± 1.7; P-value = 0.032) and at the 6-month follow-up (7.7 ± 0.5 vs. 7.1 ± 1.3; P-value < 0.001), with no significant differences at 2- and 4-month follow-ups (P-values > 0.05). Additionally, the Iranian cohort demonstrated a higher frequency of daily breastfeeding episodes (P-value = 0.001) and longer mean duration per episode compared to the Afghan cohort (P-value < 0.001). Conclusions Our findings suggested that Afghan immigrant mothers tend to have poorer breastfeeding practices than Iranian mothers, which highlights the need for Iran’s healthcare system to offer a multicultural, accessible, educational, and supportive framework to improve these outcomes. Nonetheless, our relatively small sample size, significant sociodemographic disparities between the Iranian and Afghan cohorts, and restriction to urban sampling may limit the generalizability of our results. Future research would benefit from larger, longitudinal studies with nationally representative samples that systematically examine how socioeconomic factors influence breastfeeding practices among Afghan migrant populations in Iran. Trial registration Not applicable.

Objective: Infertility is a global health challenge, affecting many couples worldwide. Male infertility contributes to 20–50% of cases. Although semen analysis parameters are widely regarded as key indicators of male fertility, their association with in vitro fertilization (IVF) success remains debated. This study evaluated the relationship between specific semen parameters and grade A embryo formation in IVF among infertile men. Materials and methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted at a referral infertility center from March 2019 to March 2021, involving 104 men diagnosed with male-factor infertility. Semen parameters, including sperm count, motility, morphology, and volume, were analyzed. The primary outcome was the formation of at least one grade A embryo, defined as a successful IVF outcome. Statistical analyses included chi-square tests and logistic regression. Results: The median age differed significantly between the successful and unsuccessful IVF groups (36 vs. 38 years, p=0.050). No significant differences were observed in semen volume, sperm count, motility, or morphology between groups. Logistic regression revealed that younger age was associated with a higher likelihood of grade A embryo formation (OR=0.935, p=0.012), whereas semen parameters showed no significant association with embryo quality. Conclusion: This study found no significant association between semen parameters and grade A embryo formation in IVF, suggesting that traditional semen analysis has limited predictive value for embryo quality. Although younger age was associated with a higher likelihood of success, the effect size was small (OR=0.935, p=0.012), and its clinical impact may be limited. These findings highlight the potential for successful embryo development despite suboptimal semen parameters and underscore the need for a broader approach to assessing male fertility beyond standard semen analysis.

Background Sexual intercourse frequency (SIF) is widely known to be associated with fertility, but little is known about what predicts SIF among infertile couples trying to conceive. In this study, we examine the demographic and lifestyle risk factors associated with less frequent coitus among infertile couples. Methods This cross-sectional study examined infertile couples actively trying to conceive, selecting them from patients seeking fertility treatment. Demographic data and lifestyle factors such as age, occupation, smoking status, and body mass index were recorded. Participants self-reported the frequency of vaginal-penile intercourse per week and month. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression analyses were used to analyze the data and identify predictors of SIF. Results Our study included a final sample size of 790 couples. In univariate binary logistic regression, women's age (OR: 0.948; 95% CI 0.928-0.969), men's age (OR: 0.957; 95% CI 0.937-0.977), duration of marriage (OR: 0.927; 95% CI 0.903-0.952), and duration of infertility (OR: 0.928; 95% CI 0.898-0.960) were found to be significant factors. Additionally, men's smoking was negatively associated with SIF, with an odds ratio of 0.732 (95% CI: 0.578-0.928, P =0.010). Conclusions We observed that younger female partner age and shorter duration of marriage independently emerged as significant predictors associated with higher SIF. Our study highlights the need for tailored counseling and education based on age and marital stage. Older couples may benefit from specialized support such as sexual therapy and stress management. The negative impact of men's smoking on sexual intercourse frequency underscores the importance of effective smoking cessation programs. Comprehensive infertility treatment should address medical, psychological, and sexual health factors.

A varieties of medications have been suggested to prevent hemodynamic instabilities following laryngoscopy and endotracheal intubation. This study was conducted to determine the beneficial effects of gabapentin on preventing hemodynamic instabilities associated with intubation in patients who were a candidate for coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG). This double blinded randomized, parallel group clinical trial was carried out on 58 normotensive patients scheduled for elective CABG under general anesthesia with endotracheal intubation in Shariati Hospital. Patients were randomly allocated to two groups of 29 patients that received 1200 mg of gabapentin in two dosages (600 mg, 8 hours before anesthesia induction and 600 mg, 2 hours before anesthesia induction) as gabapentin group or received talc powder as placebo (placebo group). Heart rate, mean arterial pressure, systolic and diastolic blood pressure were measured immediately before intubation, during intubation, immediately after intubation, 1 and 2 minutes after tracheal intubation. Inter-group comparisons significantly showed higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure, mean arterial pressure and heart rate immediately before intubation, during intubation, immediately after intubation, 1 and 2 minutes after tracheal intubation in the placebo group in comparison to gabapentin group. The median of anxiety verbal analog scale (VAS) at the pre-induction room in gabapentin and placebo groups were 2 and 4, respectively that was significantly lower in the former group (P. value =0.04 ); however, regarding median of pain score no difference was observed between them (P. value =0.07). Gabapentin (1200 mg) given preoperatively can effectively attenuate the hemodynamic response to laryngoscopy, intubation and also reduce preoperative related anxiety in patients who were a candidate for CABG.

Background: Assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) have been implemented in Iran for nearly thirty years. However, except for embryo donation, none of the other cases, including embryo and sperm donation have not yet been legalized through parliamentary resolutions. This study aims to explore the challenges of these three types of donations from the perspective of fertility experts. Methods: This qualitative exploratory research was conducted in Tehran in 2024. Participants consisted of 12 specialists with experience in infertility treatment or other fields related to embryo, sperm and egg donation, who were selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected via focus group discussions and analyzed based on conventional content analysis using MAXQDA 20. Results: Data were classified into 12 categories. Eight categories describe the challenges and problems of egg, sperm, and embryo donation and 4 categories describe the solutions recommended by experts. Conclusion: According to the study findings, sperm donation faces the most legal and medical challenges compared to egg and embryo donation. Designing a comprehensive national protocol could be the best solution proposed to Iranian health policymakers. Conducting more qualitative and mixed methods studies related to sperm, egg, and embryo donation could confirm and strengthen the findings of this study.

Background: Hyperglycemia in pregnancy is believed to be associated with negative pregnancy outcomes. However, establishing a causal connection between diabetes mellitus (DM) and adverse pregnancy results is challenging due to the limitations inherent in traditional observational studies. Methods: Our study used a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) technique to examine the possible influence of pregestational diabetes mellitus (PGDM) on adverse pregnancy outcomes. Summary-level data were obtained from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of European ancestry and FinnGen biobank. The primary analysis employed the random-effects multiplicative inverse variance weighted (IVW) technique to appraise causal relationships between PGDM and adverse outcomes. Heterogeneity and pleiotropy were assessed using Cochran’s Q statistic, Rucker’s Q statistic, and the I² statistic. Sensitivity analyses were conducted using MR-Egger and weighted median methods. Additionally, outlier detection techniques, including MR-PRESSO and RadialMR, were applied. Results: The results from the IVW method indicated no significant causal association between PGDM and stillbirth (SB) (OR (SE)=0.99 (0.001); P value=0.992), miscarriage (MIS) (OR (SE)=0.97 (0.016); P value=0.125), and preterm birth (PTB) (OR (SE)=1.072 (0.028); P value=0.014). Pleiotropy and heterogeneity tests revealed no evidence of pleiotropy for SB, MIS, and PTB (MR–Egger intercept P value=0.296, 0.525, and 0.532, respectively), with no observed heterogeneity for SB, MIS, and PTB (Q- P values of IVW were 0.929, 0.999, and 0.069, and MR–Egger were 0.931, 0.999, and 0.065, respectively). Conclusion: Our findings indicate that there is no direct causal link between PGDM and the likelihood of MIS, SB, and PTB.