Background: The effect of vitamin E supplementation on bilirubin levels in infants was previously explored, but the results were inconclusive.Purpose: To examine the effect of vitamin E supplementation on bilirubin levels in term infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Methods: This interventional double-blind randomized clinical trial was conducted in the Sanandaj Besat Hospital NICU. Enrolled newborns were between 37 and 42 weeks and 6 days of gestation and required phototherapy according to American Academy of Pediatrics clinical guidelines. A total of 138 infants were randomly assigned to vitamin E (n=68) or placebo (n=70) groups. In addition to phototherapy, the vitamin E group received 0.5 mL (5 IU) of supplemental vitamin E daily, whereas the placebo group received 0.5 mL of oral dextrose daily. STATA 17 was used for the data analysis. Results: Changes in bilirubin levels at 24 hours postintervention did not differ significantly from baseline in either group. Vitamin E supplementation did not significantly reduce total bilirubin levels at 24 hours postintervention (mean difference [MD], -0.18; P=0.204; 95% confidence interval [CI], -1.39 to 1.02). However, the vitamin E group exhibited lower total bilirubin levels than the placebo group at 48 hours postintervention (MD, 0.18; P=0.365; 95% CI, -0.89 to 1.27) and 72 hours (MD, 0.36; P=0.356; 95% CI, -2.34 to 1.61), although the differences were not statistically significant. A subgroup analysis revealed that female infants experienced a greater reduction in total bilirubin levels than male infants. Conclusion Infants administered vitamin E versus placebo demonstrated similar reductions in bilirubin levels and hospital stays. Although the average bilirubin changes did not differ significantly between groups, the vitamin E group showed a more noticeable reduction over time, indicating a positive effect of vitamin E supplementation on serum bilirubin reduction.Trial registration: IRCT20220806055625N2 (registered December 26, 2022; http://irct.ir/trial/67135).

Background: The effect of vitamin E supplementation on bilirubin levels in infants was previously explored, but the results were inconclusive.Purpose: To examine the effect of vitamin E supplementation on bilirubin levels in term infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Methods: This interventional double-blind randomized clinical trial was conducted in the Sanandaj Besat Hospital NICU. Enrolled newborns were between 37 and 42 weeks and 6 days of gestation and required phototherapy according to American Academy of Pediatrics clinical guidelines. A total of 138 infants were randomly assigned to vitamin E (n=68) or placebo (n=70) groups. In addition to phototherapy, the vitamin E group received 0.5 mL (5 IU) of supplemental vitamin E daily, whereas the placebo group received 0.5 mL of oral dextrose daily. STATA 17 was used for the data analysis. Results: Changes in bilirubin levels at 24 hours postintervention did not differ significantly from baseline in either group. Vitamin E supplementation did not significantly reduce total bilirubin levels at 24 hours postintervention (mean difference [MD], -0.18; P=0.204; 95% confidence interval [CI], -1.39 to 1.02). However, the vitamin E group exhibited lower total bilirubin levels than the placebo group at 48 hours postintervention (MD, 0.18; P=0.365; 95% CI, -0.89 to 1.27) and 72 hours (MD, 0.36; P=0.356; 95% CI, -2.34 to 1.61), although the differences were not statistically significant. A subgroup analysis revealed that female infants experienced a greater reduction in total bilirubin levels than male infants. Conclusion Infants administered vitamin E versus placebo demonstrated similar reductions in bilirubin levels and hospital stays. Although the average bilirubin changes did not differ significantly between groups, the vitamin E group showed a more noticeable reduction over time, indicating a positive effect of vitamin E supplementation on serum bilirubin reduction.Trial registration: IRCT20220806055625N2 (registered December 26, 2022; http://irct.ir/trial/67135).

Background: The effect of vitamin E supplementation on bilirubin levels in infants was previously explored, but the results were inconclusive.Purpose: To examine the effect of vitamin E supplementation on bilirubin levels in term infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Methods: This interventional double-blind randomized clinical trial was conducted in the Sanandaj Besat Hospital NICU. Enrolled newborns were between 37 and 42 weeks and 6 days of gestation and required phototherapy according to American Academy of Pediatrics clinical guidelines. A total of 138 infants were randomly assigned to vitamin E (n=68) or placebo (n=70) groups. In addition to phototherapy, the vitamin E group received 0.5 mL (5 IU) of supplemental vitamin E daily, whereas the placebo group received 0.5 mL of oral dextrose daily. STATA 17 was used for the data analysis. Results: Changes in bilirubin levels at 24 hours postintervention did not differ significantly from baseline in either group. Vitamin E supplementation did not significantly reduce total bilirubin levels at 24 hours postintervention (mean difference [MD], -0.18; P=0.204; 95% confidence interval [CI], -1.39 to 1.02). However, the vitamin E group exhibited lower total bilirubin levels than the placebo group at 48 hours postintervention (MD, 0.18; P=0.365; 95% CI, -0.89 to 1.27) and 72 hours (MD, 0.36; P=0.356; 95% CI, -2.34 to 1.61), although the differences were not statistically significant. A subgroup analysis revealed that female infants experienced a greater reduction in total bilirubin levels than male infants. Conclusion Infants administered vitamin E versus placebo demonstrated similar reductions in bilirubin levels and hospital stays. Although the average bilirubin changes did not differ significantly between groups, the vitamin E group showed a more noticeable reduction over time, indicating a positive effect of vitamin E supplementation on serum bilirubin reduction.Trial registration: IRCT20220806055625N2 (registered December 26, 2022; http://irct.ir/trial/67135).

Background: The effect of vitamin E supplementation on bilirubin levels in infants was previously explored, but the results were inconclusive.Purpose: To examine the effect of vitamin E supplementation on bilirubin levels in term infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Methods: This interventional double-blind randomized clinical trial was conducted in the Sanandaj Besat Hospital NICU. Enrolled newborns were between 37 and 42 weeks and 6 days of gestation and required phototherapy according to American Academy of Pediatrics clinical guidelines. A total of 138 infants were randomly assigned to vitamin E (n=68) or placebo (n=70) groups. In addition to phototherapy, the vitamin E group received 0.5 mL (5 IU) of supplemental vitamin E daily, whereas the placebo group received 0.5 mL of oral dextrose daily. STATA 17 was used for the data analysis. Results: Changes in bilirubin levels at 24 hours postintervention did not differ significantly from baseline in either group. Vitamin E supplementation did not significantly reduce total bilirubin levels at 24 hours postintervention (mean difference [MD], -0.18; P=0.204; 95% confidence interval [CI], -1.39 to 1.02). However, the vitamin E group exhibited lower total bilirubin levels than the placebo group at 48 hours postintervention (MD, 0.18; P=0.365; 95% CI, -0.89 to 1.27) and 72 hours (MD, 0.36; P=0.356; 95% CI, -2.34 to 1.61), although the differences were not statistically significant. A subgroup analysis revealed that female infants experienced a greater reduction in total bilirubin levels than male infants. Conclusion Infants administered vitamin E versus placebo demonstrated similar reductions in bilirubin levels and hospital stays. Although the average bilirubin changes did not differ significantly between groups, the vitamin E group showed a more noticeable reduction over time, indicating a positive effect of vitamin E supplementation on serum bilirubin reduction.Trial registration: IRCT20220806055625N2 (registered December 26, 2022; http://irct.ir/trial/67135).

Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare the hepatitis B surface antibody (HBs Ab) titer 1 month after the 4th dose of hepatitis B vaccine administration on the large and appropriate for gestational age infants. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 7-month-old cases (n=132) divided into two groups of 2–4 kg (group 1: appropriate for gestational age, 63 cases) and >4 kg (group 2: large for gestational age, 69 cases), whom were vaccinated with a fourdose schedule of hepatitis B vaccine in 2016, Tehran, Iran. Results: Mean birth weight of the groups was 2.98±0.528 and 4.19±0.190 kg, respectively.Hepatitis B surface antigen and hepatitis B core antibody were negative in all cases. HBs Ab level in group 1 and 2 was 13,701.00±11,744.439 and 8,997.15±2,827.191, respectively (95% confidence interval of difference, -7,607.44 to -1,800.25). There was a significant difference between the two groups in antibody titration and antibody logarithm level (p=0.002, p=0.0001). Conclusion Birth weight may affect the response to the hepatitis B virus vaccine administration.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the maternal risk factors associated with preterm delivery in Iran.METHODS: A population-based case-control study was conducted including 48 women having preterm delivery (case group) and 100 women having term delivery (control group) between March 2007 and March 2012 in the maternity hospitals of the Selseleh County, Lorestan province, Iran. Information regarding maternal risk factors was collected by structured interview and reviewing the medical records. The maternal risk factors associated with preterm delivery were identified using univariate and multivariable logistic regression analysis after adjusting the sparse data bias. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves was estimated to evaluate the discrimination power of the statistical models.RESULTS: Multivariable analysis demonstrated that multiparty (odds ratio [OR], 14.23; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.60–127.05), history of gestational diabetes (OR, 0.10; 95% CI, 0.01–0.99), thyroid dysfunction (OR, 97.32; 95% CI, 5.78–1,637.80), urinary tract infection (OR, 16.60; 95% CI, 3.20–85.92), and taking care during pregnancy (OR, 0.12; 95% CI, 0.03–0.50) had significant impact on preterm delivery after adjusting the potential confounders. The area under the ROC curve for the aforementioned maternal risk factors was 0.86 (95% CI, 0.80–0.92).CONCLUSION: Our study provides evidence for the associations between multiparty, history of gestational diabetes, thyroid dysfunction, urinary tract infection, as well as taking care during pregnancy, and preterm delivery.

Objective: The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis study was to determine the pooled estimate of the effect of antenatal magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) on intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) in premature infants. Methods: Two review authors independently searched all randomized clinical trials from international databases, including Medline (PubMed), Web of Sciences, Scopus, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), and Research Registers of ongoing trials (ClinicalTrials.gov), from January 1989 to August 2017. Two independent review authors were responsible for data collection. After extracting the necessary information from the evaluated articles, metaanalysis of the data was performed using Stata version 14. Also, sources of heterogeneity among studies were determined by Meta regression. Results: In this study, among 126 articles that were extracted from primary studies, 7 papers that evaluated the effect of MgSO4 on IVH were eligible for inclusion in the meta-analysis. The results of the meta-analysis showed that pooled relative risk (95% confidence interval [CI]) was 0.80 (95% CI, 0.63 to 1.03) for the effect of MgSO4 on IVH. Conclusion Results of this study showed that although MgSO4 had a protective effect on IVH in premature infants, this effect was not statistically significant. Further studies are needed to determine the best dosage, timing, and gestational age to achieve the optimum effect of MgSO4 on IVH.Systematic Review Registration International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) Identifier: CRD42019119610

Objective: The aim of the present study was to compare the efficacy of vaginal isoniazid (isonicotinic acid hydrazide [INH]) and vaginal misoprostol in cervical ripening before hysteroscopic surgery. Methods: This randomized controlled trial included patients scheduled for hysteroscopic surgery during April 2016 and June 2017. The inclusion criteria were as follows: postmenopausal women or those at premenopausal age who had not had a vaginal delivery and candidate for diagnostic or operative hysteroscopy with closed cervix before intervention. The INH group (intervention group) received 900 mg of vaginal isoniazid (three 300-mg pills) 6–8 hours before hysteroscopic surgery. The misoprostol group (control group) received 400 micrograms of vaginal misoprostol 6–8 hours before hysteroscopic surgery. Finally, the efficacy of the 2 agents was comparatively analyzed. Results: Baseline characteristics were comparable between the groups. In 67 cases in the INH group (95%) and 45 in the misoprostol group (50%), hysteroscopic entry was successful without additional mechanical dilation, and this difference was statistically significant (P=0.001). The odds ratio (OR) obtained in this study was 0.57 for both INH and misoprostol groups (OR, 0.57; 95% confidence interval, 0.43–0.75). Further, 19 cases in the INH group vs. 45 cases in the misoprostol group did not respond to the intervention, indicating statistically significance (P=0.001). Conclusion Vaginal INH is more effective than misoprostol in cervical ripening before hysteroscopic surgery and can be a good alternative to misoprostol.Trial RegistrationIranian Registry Clinical Trial (IRCT) Identifier: IRCT2015112821506N4

Objective: The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis study was to determine the pooled estimate of the effect of antenatal magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) on intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) in premature infants. Methods: Two review authors independently searched all randomized clinical trials from international databases, including Medline (PubMed), Web of Sciences, Scopus, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), and Research Registers of ongoing trials (ClinicalTrials.gov), from January 1989 to August 2017. Two independent review authors were responsible for data collection. After extracting the necessary information from the evaluated articles, metaanalysis of the data was performed using Stata version 14. Also, sources of heterogeneity among studies were determined by Meta regression. Results: In this study, among 126 articles that were extracted from primary studies, 7 papers that evaluated the effect of MgSO4 on IVH were eligible for inclusion in the meta-analysis. The results of the meta-analysis showed that pooled relative risk (95% confidence interval [CI]) was 0.80 (95% CI, 0.63 to 1.03) for the effect of MgSO4 on IVH. Conclusion Results of this study showed that although MgSO4 had a protective effect on IVH in premature infants, this effect was not statistically significant. Further studies are needed to determine the best dosage, timing, and gestational age to achieve the optimum effect of MgSO4 on IVH.Systematic Review Registration International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) Identifier: CRD42019119610

Objective: The aim of the present study was to compare the efficacy of vaginal isoniazid (isonicotinic acid hydrazide [INH]) and vaginal misoprostol in cervical ripening before hysteroscopic surgery. Methods: This randomized controlled trial included patients scheduled for hysteroscopic surgery during April 2016 and June 2017. The inclusion criteria were as follows: postmenopausal women or those at premenopausal age who had not had a vaginal delivery and candidate for diagnostic or operative hysteroscopy with closed cervix before intervention. The INH group (intervention group) received 900 mg of vaginal isoniazid (three 300-mg pills) 6–8 hours before hysteroscopic surgery. The misoprostol group (control group) received 400 micrograms of vaginal misoprostol 6–8 hours before hysteroscopic surgery. Finally, the efficacy of the 2 agents was comparatively analyzed. Results: Baseline characteristics were comparable between the groups. In 67 cases in the INH group (95%) and 45 in the misoprostol group (50%), hysteroscopic entry was successful without additional mechanical dilation, and this difference was statistically significant (P=0.001). The odds ratio (OR) obtained in this study was 0.57 for both INH and misoprostol groups (OR, 0.57; 95% confidence interval, 0.43–0.75). Further, 19 cases in the INH group vs. 45 cases in the misoprostol group did not respond to the intervention, indicating statistically significance (P=0.001). Conclusion Vaginal INH is more effective than misoprostol in cervical ripening before hysteroscopic surgery and can be a good alternative to misoprostol.Trial RegistrationIranian Registry Clinical Trial (IRCT) Identifier: IRCT2015112821506N4