Midwifery

The World Health Organization and UNICEF define the protection and support of breastfeeding as one of the key determinants of maternal and newborn health. Nipple cracks are common in the postpartum period and cause breastfeeding problems. If not addressed early, they can lead to interrupted or complete cessation of breastfeeding. It is important to develop methods for effective, safe, and mother-friendly care of nipple cracks. Various care approaches, such as lanolin, natural products, and hydrogels, have been described in the literature. However, evidence for non-invasive agents that support wound healing at the cellular level is limited. Evidence for LED light application is limited, and there is no evidence regarding the effect of topical oxygen application on nipple cracks. This project is designed as a randomized controlled trial to investigate the effect of topical oxygen and LED light therapy applied to nipple cracks on wound healing, pain, and breastfeeding success. The study will be conducted at the Lactation Unit of Istanbul Haseki Training and Research Hospital, Ministry of Health, between March and December 2026. The sample size was calculated using the G\*Power program; with an effect size of 0.20, a significance level of 5%, and a power of 80%, a total of 51 mothers will be included in the study. Participants will be divided into three groups using the block randomization method: Topical Oxygen (n=17), LED Light Therapy (n=17), and Control (n=17). Standard breastfeeding counseling will be provided to all groups. In addition to the intervention groups, topical oxygen will be applied at a flow rate of 10 liters per minute for 20 minutes; LED light therapy will be applied at 630 nm red and 850 nm infrared wavelengths, at an energy dose of 15.3 J/cm², for 5 minutes. Interventions will be performed on days 0, 3, and 7. Data will be collected using a personal information form, wound size measurement, Nipple Trauma Score, Visual Analog Scale, and LATCH score. The validity and reliability of the Nipple Trauma Score in Turkish will be assessed within the scope of the project. To reduce measurement and analysis bias, support will be obtained from an independent observer and a statistician.

This quasi-experimental pretest-posttest study aimed to evaluate the effect of artificial intelligence-assisted climate change education on pregnant women's climate change concerns and awareness. The study will be conducted with pregnant women attending a pregnancy school, and participants will be assigned to intervention and control groups. The intervention group will receive AI-supported climate change education in addition to routine training, while the control group will receive only routine education. Data will be collected using the Climate Change Anxiety Scale and the Maternal-Fetal Health Awareness of Climate Change Scale. The findings are expected to contribute to improving pregnant women's awareness and reducing concerns related to climate change through innovative educational approaches.

This study aims to evaluate the effect of a video-supported flipped learning model on anxiety and skill levels of midwifery students in episiotomy education. Episiotomy is an important clinical skill in midwifery education, and the method used to teach this skill may influence students' anxiety and performance. This randomized controlled educational study will be conducted with midwifery students who are enrolled in the episiotomy course. Participants will be randomly assigned to either an intervention group or a control group. Students in the intervention group will receive episiotomy education using a video-supported flipped learning model, in which theoretical content is provided through instructional videos prior to in-class activities. The control group will receive traditional classroom-based education. Students' anxiety levels and episiotomy skill performance will be assessed using validated measurement tools before and after the educational intervention. The findings of this study are expected to contribute to evidence-based teaching strategies in midwifery education and support the use of innovative learning models to improve student outcomes.

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn about the effects of three different interventions-breastfeeding, using a stress ball, or wearing virtual reality (VR) goggles-on pain, anxiety, and stress during episiotomy repair (stitching) after childbirth. It also aims to examine how these methods affect a mother's comfort after the procedure. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does breastfeeding, using a stress ball, or using VR goggles lower the mother's pain and anxiety during the repair? Do these interventions reduce the mother's biological stress levels, measured by saliva cortisol tests? Do these methods lead to higher postpartum comfort levels for the mother in the first 24 hours after birth? Researcher will compare these three intervention groups to a "control group" (mothers receiving standard hospital care) to see which approach is most effective. Participants will: Be randomly assigned to one of four groups: Breastfeeding, VR Goggles, Stress Ball, or Standard Care. Use their assigned intervention throughout the entire episiotomy repair process. Provide saliva samples before and after the procedure to measure stress hormones (cortisol). Rate their pain and anxiety levels using clinical scales twice: once before the procedure begins and once immediately after it is finished. Complete a survey about their comfort levels between 6 and 24 hours after the delivery.

This randomized, single-blind controlled trial aims to evaluate the effect of using a hand exercise ring combined with breathing exercises on labor pain, anxiety, and childbirth satisfaction in primiparous women during the active phase of labor. Labor pain is a complex, multidimensional experience that intensifies as labor progresses and may lead to adverse physiological, psychological, and emotional consequences for both the mother and the fetus if not effectively managed. While pharmacological pain relief methods are effective, they may be associated with maternal and neonatal side effects and are not always accessible. Therefore, safe, low-cost, and non-pharmacological pain management strategies are of growing interest in maternity care. The study will be conducted in a hospital labor ward and will include low-risk primiparous women aged 18-35 years who are admitted for vaginal birth. A total of 86 participants will be randomly assigned to either an intervention group or a control group. Women in the intervention group will receive a soft hand exercise ring and will be instructed to use it in conjunction with guided breathing exercises during uterine contractions, starting at 4-5 cm cervical dilation and continuing throughout the active phase of labor. During each contraction, participants will squeeze the hand exercise ring while exhaling and release it during relaxation periods between contractions. This intervention is designed to reduce pain perception through distraction, activation of the gate control mechanism, increased endorphin release, and regulation of the autonomic nervous system via controlled breathing. The control group will receive routine intrapartum care without any additional pain management intervention. Outcome measures include labor pain intensity assessed using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), anxiety levels measured with the State Anxiety Inventory (STAI Form TX-1), and childbirth satisfaction evaluated using the Maternal Satisfaction with Childbirth Scale. Pain and anxiety will be assessed at three stages of cervical dilation (4-5 cm, 6-7 cm, and 8-9 cm), while childbirth satisfaction will be assessed six hours postpartum. The findings of this study are expected to contribute evidence regarding the effectiveness of a simple, non-invasive, and easily applicable intervention for labor pain management, potentially supporting its integration into routine midwifery care to improve women's childbirth experiences.

This project is a pioneering study in determining the impact of midwife-led safe infant care training for pregnant women on awareness of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and home accidents. Raising awareness and improving women's knowledge about SIDS and home accidents is expected to help reduce preventable infant deaths. If the effectiveness of this training is proven, integrating it into prenatal care programs would be a significant step towards improving maternal and child health.

In this context, this study aims to increase midwifery students' awareness of good and green health practices and to develop a measurement tool to evaluate their awareness of good health practices. This research is in two stages, the first stage is methodological type, and the second stage will be carried out as a pre-test post-test randomized controlled experimental research between September 2024-2025. In the first stage, the Good Health Practices Awareness Scale will be developed. In the second stage of the study, the Green Culture Scale (pre-test-post-test) will be filled in by the students. The population of this study, which will be carried out in the Midwifery Department of Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Faculty of Health Sciences, will consist of 300 students studying in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th grades of the Midwifery Department of this university. Data of the research; It will be collected with the "Introductory Information Form, Green Culture Scale and Good Health Practices Awareness Scale". Before starting to collect data, an item pool of the Good Health Practices Awareness Scale will be created in line with the literature, the measurement method will be determined and sent to at least ten faculty members who are interested in the subject and experts in the field, their opinions will be taken and scale items will be created in line with their opinions. Then, the purpose of the research will be explained to the students by the researchers and the groups the students belong to will be determined. Before the training, students in all groups will be asked to take the Pretest. Students included in the training group will be trained in good and green health practices in the faculty's conference hall by expert researchers with Conscious Awareness training certificates and the university's green transformation coordinator. Three weeks after the training, all students will take the Green Culture Scale Post-Test. Students in the control group will also receive training at an appropriate time. IBM SPSS Statistics 29 package program will be used for statistical analysis. In evaluating the data obtained as a result of the research, percentage rates, arithmetic mean and standard deviation, t test in dependent and independent groups and Bonferroni analysis will be used to determine where the significance comes from. Results will be evaluated at the 95% confidence interval and significance level of p \< .05.