Introduction: The aim of this study is to determine some of the Maternal risk factors that lead to preterm delivery. Recognizing these risk factors makes it possible to prevent preterm labors as the most frequent cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality. Materials and Methods: This is a descriptive-analytical research study. The data were collected from the recorded information in the files of mothers and preterm neonates that had been born in Bahman 22nd and Shahrivar 17th Hospitals in Mashhad during 2007-2009. The case group consists of 360 preterm deliveries (before week 37th of gestation). The control group consists of 360 term deliveries (after week 37th of gestation). In this study, some of the Maternal risk factors leading to preterm labor were taken into consideration. The criteria selected were: maternity age, previous abortions, number of previous pregnancies, preeclampsia, the number and gender of fetuses, diabetes and bacterial vaginitis. Also, UTI, the premature rupture of membrane (PROM) was extracted from the registration records. Using SPSS, the two groups were compared and the data were analyzed with the method of chi- square test.Results: In this study, the prevalence rate of preterm labor was estimated as 6.1%. The findings suggest that Maternal risk factors, such as diabetes, UTI, maternity age, the number of previous pregnancies and the gender of fetus did not cause any significant difference between the groups of the study, but we found significant p-value for the risk factors, such as bacterial vaginitis, PROM, preeclampsia, previous abortions, and the number of fetuses. Conclusion: We can reduce the incidence of preterm labor as a result of which the rate of morbidity and mortality of preterm neonates would decrease. This can be materialize  through early diagnosis and treatment of Maternal genitourinary infections, prevention of premature rupture (PROM) and preeclampsia as well as preventing repeated abortions and iatrogenic multiple gestation with induction of ovulation.

Background and Objectives: Appropriate culture media and environment for embryonic cell growth considered to be major factors for generation of an embryo in vitro. In this study two embryonic growth condition of GIIII and Ham's F- 10+ Maternal Serum (MS) %10 were compared.Materials and Methods: This investigation was prospectively performed on 100 infertile couples that were treated by IVF-ICSL the participants were divided into two equal groups. Ovules obtained from first group were treated with Ham's F10+ Maternal Serum %10 culture media and the second group with GIIII. The variables affecting ovule and embryonic growth were measured, and collected data were analyzed by SPSS.Results: The mean of age for tested ladies was 28.01 and the mean for duration of infertility was 6.87 years. The number of pronucleous with moderate quality were 2.14 in-group 1 and 3.22 in-group II (P=0.023). The number of embryo with three cells were 1.26 and 0.54 and for grade B embryonic cell were 1.18 and 1.78 and grade C embryonic cell were 1.08 and 0.56 in group 1and II respectively (p=0.29). The mean of grade B blastomer in GIIII media was more than Ham's F10+ Maternal Serum 10%. Comparing the means; the mean of grade B blastomers in GlIII media was shown to be more than Ham's F10+ Maternal Serum 10%. Conclusion: All of the findings showed that GIIII cultural condition is more effective than Ham's F10 and the Maternal serum as a supplement has no considerable impact.

Background: The increased Maternal age is associated with many prenatal and perinatal complications including stillbirth, preterm birth and cesarean delivery.Objectives: This study was carried out to investigate the prenatal and Maternal outcomes among mothers older and younger than 35 in Fars province, Iran.Patients and Methods: This study included 1962 singleton deliveries. The prenatal and neonatal outcomes were recorded retrospectively and compared between mothers aged older and younger than 35 years. A designed questionnaire was used for data collection of parity, gravida (gravidity and parity are two terms that refer to the number of times a female has been pregnant and carried the pregnancies to a viable gestational age), outcomes of the pregnancy, labor, and neonatal outcome. Data were analyzed using SPSS, version 15, and the P<0.05 was considered significant.Results: The mean age of 978 mothers<35 years-old and 984 of those aged ³ 35 years was 31.6 ± 6.8 years. Mothers aged ³ 35 years experienced higher risk of preeclampsia (P<0.001), gestational diabetes mellitus (P<0.001), placental abruption (P=0.003), cesarean delivery (P<0.001), low Apgar at 1 minute (P=0.001) and low Apgar at 5 minutes (P=0.001) compared to those aged less than 35 years.Conclusions: Women should be alerted by the higher risks for prenatal and Maternal morbidity associated with delayed pregnancy. Health care providers should be aware of the impact of delayed childbearing on the health care resources