Objective
To explore whether quarantine measures and hospital containment policies among women giving birth in a COVID‐19 “hotspot” area in northeastern Italy enhanced psycho‐emotional distress in the immediate postpartum period.
Methods
We designed a non‐concurrent case–control study of mothers who gave birth during a COVID‐19 quarantine period between March 8 and May 3, 2020 (COVID‐19 study group), with an antecedent group of matched postpartum women (control group) who delivered in the same period in 2019. Participants completed the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) on the second day postpartum.
Results
The COVID‐19 study group (n=91) had significantly higher mean EPDS scores compared with the control group (n=101) (8.5 ± 4.6 vs 6.34 ± 4.1; P<0.001). Furthermore, 28.6% of women in the COVID‐19 group had a global EPDS score above 12. Analysis of three EPDS subscales revealed significantly higher scores among the COVID‐19 group compared with the control group for anhedonia (0.60 ± 0.61 vs 0.19 ± 0.36; P<0.001) and depression (0.58 ± 0.54 vs 0.35 ± 0.45; P=0.001).
Conclusions
Concerns about risk of exposure to COVID‐19, combined with quarantine measures adopted during the COVID‐19 pandemic, adversely affected the thoughts and emotions of new mothers, worsening depressive symptoms.
Postpartum depressive symptomatology of women who have had a cesarean delivery was characterized by higher levels of anxiety after ElCD and by higher levels of anhedonia after EmCD.
Objective
To examine the association of gestational weight gain (GWG), categorized according to 2009 IOM guidelines as adequate, inadequate, and excessive, with symptoms of mental disorders perceived by mothers after childbearing as anhedonia, anxiety, and depression, defined by the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). Previous studies indicated that disorders related to GWG are associated with an increased risk of postpartum psychological distress.
Methods
A prospective cohort study took place at the Policlinico Abano Terme, Italy, from May 2016 to November 2018.
Results
The sample included 1268 healthy at term puerperae, 557 (43.9%) with adequate, 388 (30.6%) with inadequate, and 323 (25.5%) with excessive GWG. Mean EPDS scores were comparable among inadequate, adequate, and excessive GWG groups. However, mean factor scores for anhedonia and anxiety were significantly higher (P = 0.041 and P = 0.001, ANOVA) in mothers with excessive GWG. Conversely, factor scores for depression were significantly higher (P = 0.008, ANOVA) in mothers with inadequate GWG.
Conclusion
It was found that excessive GWG across an uncomplicated pregnancy is a warning sign of symptoms of anhedonia and anxiety, whereas inadequate GWG is a significant indicator of symptoms of depression. These relationships highlight the potential for interventions directed toward psychosocial support to have beneficial effects upon GWG.
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