Child Health Nurs Res.  2014 Apr;20(2):87-95.

Predictors of Early Postpartum Depression in Mothers of Preterm Infants in Neonatal Intensive Care Units

• Lee JY
• Ju HO

Abstract

PURPOSE
This study was done to investigate the point prevalence of postpartum depression and its predictors during early postpartum in mother of preterm infants.
METHODS
Participants were 101 women, 2-3 weeks after delivery whose preterm babies were hospitalized in a neonatal intensive care unit. Data were collected from June 2010 to January 2011. The instruments included 'Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale', 'Prenatal depression', 'Subjective health status of infant', 'Medical staff support', and 'Husband support'. Collected data were analyzed using t-test, chi2-test, and multiple logistic regression with SPSS/WIN version 18.0.
RESULTS
The point prevalence was 86.1% that postpartum depression occurred during the early postpartum period in mothers of preterm infants. Three significant predictors of postpartum depression in mothers of preterm infants were identified; 'Type of delivery (OR, 5.57; 95% CI, 1.25-24.77)', 'Subjective health status of infant (OR, 0.34; 95% CI, 0.16-0.70)', and 'Medical staff support (OR, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.28-0.97)'.
CONCLUSION
The results indicate that postpartum mothers should be screened for postpartum depression early in the postpartum period and that, medical personnel should pay particular attention to mothers with a caesarean section and should help mothers of preterm babies to develop positive perceptions of their babies.

Keyword

Postpartum depression; Premature infant; Postpartum period

MeSH Terms

Cesarean Section
Depression, Postpartum*
Female
Humans
Infant
Infant, Newborn
Infant, Premature*
Intensive Care Units, Neonatal*
Intensive Care, Neonatal
Logistic Models
Mothers*
Postpartum Period
Pregnancy
Prevalence