Who is the main caregiver of the mother during the doing-the-month: is there an association with postpartum depression?

Abstract

Background To examine the relationship between the main caregiver during the “doing-the-month” (a traditional Chinese practice which a mother is confined at home for 1 month after giving birth) and the risk of postpartum depression (PPD) in postnatal women. Methods Participants were postnatal women stayed in hospital and women who attended the hospital for postpartum examination, at 14–60 days after delivery from November 1, 2013 to December 30, 2013. Postpartum depression status was assessed using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. Univariate and multivariable logistic regressions were used to identify the associations between the main caregiver during “doing-the-month” and the risk of PPD in postnatal women. Results One thousand three hundred twenty-five postnatal women with a mean (SD) age of 28 (4.58) years were included in the analyses. The median score (IQR) of PPD was 6.0 (2, 10) and the prevalence of PPD was 27%. Of these postnatal women, 44.5% were cared by their mother-in-law in the first month after delivery, 36.3% cared by own mother, 11.1% by “yuesao” or “maternity matron” and 8.1% by other relatives. No association was found between the main caregivers and the risk of PPD after multiple adjustments. Conclusions Although no association between the main caregivers and the risk of PPD during doing-the-month was identified, considering the increasing prevalence of PPD in Chinese women, and the contradictions between traditional culture and latest scientific evidence for some of the doing-the-month practices, public health interventions aim to increase the awareness of PPD among caregivers and family members are warranted.

The relationship between social capital and postpartum depression symptoms of lactating women in minority areas—A cross-sectional study from Guangxi, China

“…Among the factors during the breastfeeding period, the duration of breastfeeding, primary caregiver, and length of maternity leave were important predictors of PPD symptoms. Our research results showed that with an increase in breastfeeding time, the severity of PPD symptoms increased if lactating women did not receive care support from other family members but only takes care of the baby by themselves, consistent with a previous study ( Dol et al, 2021 ; Peng et al, 2021 ). However, it is worth noting that longer maternity leave for lactating women helps relieve the pressure of postpartum depression, similar to the results of studies in the United States ( Dagher et al, 2014 ; Kornfeind and Sipsma, 2018 ).…”

Maternal postnatal confinement practices and postpartum depression in Chinese populations: A systematic review

“…Peng et al . did not find a significant association between different care takers during DTM for Chinese mothers and the development of PPD [ 78 ].…”

Breastfeeding-oriented education for parturients separated from their hospitalized infants: a qualitative study of nurses’ perspectives in Shanghai, China

“…So, nurses can inform them that if their breast condition needs professional aid, they shouldn’t be confined in the room alone. Many of these common practices of zuòyuèzi come from a yuesao and older generations, like one’s mother, mother-in-law, and other relatives (e.g., one’s grandmother), who share similar perspectives and experiences [ 42 , 43 ]. Because they play an important role in highly praising the tradition, nurses are suggested to add them to their education subject list.…”