The menopause related symptoms differed based on the stage of menopause. Such studies are useful for creating awareness among women so that they can identify common menopausal symptoms and consequently may improve their quality of life.
Dysmenorrhea is one of the well-established problems among women of reproductive age and can have adverse effects on the quality of life of the individual. Some studies suggest a relationship between vitamin D (Vit D) and calcium deficiency and the emergence of early dysmenorrhea. Accordingly, a systematic study was performed to investigate the role of calcium and Vit D in the relief of primary dysmenorrhea. A systematic literature search was performed in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Science Direct, and Google Scholar for papers published between 2010 and 2020. The Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials and Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology checklists were used to assess the quality of the studies. The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane risk-of-bias assessment tool. Low calcium levels lead to an increase in uterine muscle contraction and can cause pain after decreased uterine blood flow. Furthermore, low levels of Vit D can increase primary dysmenorrhea by increasing prostaglandin production or reducing intestinal calcium absorption. That being the case, Vit D and calcium intake can be effective in reducing the severity of primary dysmenorrhea and in reducing the rate of analgesic use. Low levels of Vit D and calcium are inversely related to the severity of primary dysmenorrhea, and Vit D and calcium intake can reduce the severity of primary dysmenorrhea and its associated systemic symptoms. Therefore, the use of calcium and Vit D supplements can be recommended to relieve dysmenorrhea.
Background
Coronavirus currently cause a lot of pressure on the health system. Accordingly, many changes occurred in the way of providing health care, including pregnancy and childbirth care. To our knowledge, no studies on experiences of maternity care Providers during the COVID-19 Pandemic have been published in Iran. We aimed to discover their experiences on pregnancy and childbirth care during the current COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods
This study was a qualitative research performed with a descriptive phenomenological approach. The used sampling method was purposive sampling by taking the maximum variation possible into account, which continued until data saturation. Accordingly, in-depth and semi-structured interviews were conducted by including 12 participants, as 4 gynecologists, 6 midwives working in the hospitals and private offices, and 2 midwives working in the health centers.
Data were analyzed using Colaizzi’s seven stage method with MAXQDA10 software.
Results
Data analysis led to the extraction of 3 themes, 9 categories, and 25 subcategories. The themes were as follows: “Fear of Disease”, “Burnout”, and “Lessons Learned from the COVID-19 Pandemic”, respectively.
Conclusions
Maternal health care providers experience emotional and psychological stress and work challenges during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, comprehensive support should be provided for the protection of their physical and mental health statuses. By working as a team, utilizing the capacity of telemedicine to care and follow up mothers, and providing maternity care at home, some emerged challenges to maternal care services can be overcome.
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