Background and Aim:Violence against women during pregnancy is linked to poor outcome of pregnancy, which is reported to have widespread in Iran. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of physical violence against women by an intimate partner during pregnancy, and to assess the impact of this physical violence on pregnancy outcomes.Materials and Methods:A prospective cohort study was conducted on the characteristics of pregnant women in urban areas and related violence. The modified standard World Health Organization Domestic Violence Questionnaire was used to classify pregnant women and domestic violence. A total of 1461 pregnant women were selected using cluster sampling. The association between sociodemographic with intimate partner violence (IPV) and IPV with pregnancy outcomes was determined using logistic regression.Results:Of these, 206 (14.1%) (confidence interval = 12.3-15.9) reported physical IPV during pregnancy. The adjusted odds ratio for IPV in illiterate women or those with primary level of education (0.001), secondary level education (0.003), and in low income households (0.0001) were significantly higher than in those women with university level education and in higher income households. After adjusting for suspected confounding factors, the women with a history of violence by partners had 1.9 fold risk of premature rupture of membranes, and a 2.9 fold risk of low birth weight compared to women who did not experience any violence from their partners.Conclusion:The results of this research indicated that the prevalence of IPV was high among pregnant women. Therefore, it is necessary to emphasize the screening of pregnant women at Primary Health Centers to prevent physical abuse.

Background: Postpartum depression has been shown to affect women's health in the long term but no studies have assessed this in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Aims: This study determined the prevalence of current depression and illness in women who had experienced postpartum depression four years after childbirth, and evaluated the factors associated with current depression. Methods: In a cohort study in 2009, 1801 pregnant women without depression at 32-42 weeks of pregnancy attending Mazandaran primary healthcare centres were examined for postpartum depression using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). After four years, 204 women of the original cohort with postpartum depression and 467 without postpartum depression were again evaluated using the EPDS, and other questionnaires to determine the prevalence of current depression and other health problems. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the factors associated with current depression and other health problems. Results: The mean age of the women was 30.13 (SD 5.21) years. Women with postpartum depression were two times more likely to experience depression four years after childbirth (OR = 2.16, 95% CI: 1.38-3.36). They were also significantly more likely to experience chronic diseases (OR = 2.49, 95% CI: 1.38-4.50) and score higher on the General Health Questionnaire (OR = 2.50, 95% CI: 1.38-4.50). Conclusions: Postpartum depression predisposes women to later depression and other mental and physical health problems. Women with postpartum depression need to be identified and provided with support and appropriate interventions to avoid later health problems.

The use of herbal medicines (HM) has been increasing worldwide. This cross-sectional study investigated the prevalence of and characteristics related to use of HM among 320 pregnant women. Participants were admitted to Mazandaran-based hospitals' postnatal wards from March to June 2015. Data were collected via a self-report questionnaire, including herbs used during pregnancy and demographic, socioeconomic and pregnancy-related factors. Nearly half (48.4%) of the women reported taking one or more HM during pregnancy. The most frequently used herbs were Sour orange (30.97%), Peppermint (19.81%) and Borage (19.46%). Most women (29.20%) were advised by their relatives to take these and did not disclose this use to their health care providers (50%) because they perceived their use as safe (39.7%). The use of herbs was greater among pregnant women with upper secondary level education, living in their own house and from higher socioeconomic classes. Most of the information sources for women were informal, indicating they were not knowledgeable about the herbs' safety and efficacy during pregnancy. Health care providers should be informed about HM and question pregnant women about their use of HM during pregnancy so that they can advise them about potential side effects and drug interactions.

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