The Relation Between Maternity Blues and Postpartum Anxiety Among Iranian Pregnant Women

Abstract

Anxiety disorder is one of the most common psychological diseases in postpartum period. This study is designed to assess the relation between maternity blues and postpartum anxiety among Iranian pregnant women In this prospective study, 310 pregnant women (37-40 weeks of pregnancy) who fitted inclusion criteria and had informed consent were selected using convenience sampling method. Demographic and obstetric characteristics and Spiegelberger anxiety questionnaire was complete for each participant. In the first stage, 3-10 days after labor all cases were screened for maternity blues using Stein maternity blues questionnaire, then divided in to two groups with and without maternity blues. In the second stages, 4-6 weeks after labor the prevalence of postpartum anxiety was assessed using Spiegelberger questionnaire. There were significant relations between maternity blues and postpartum Trait anxiety (RR=6.8, CI= 3.6-12.5, P<0.001) and maternity blues and postpartum state anxiety (RR=7.5, CI= 4.1 -13.8, P<0.001). This study confirmed that the incidence of anxiety is more among women with maternity blues at 4-6 weeks postpartum. Given these findings, it is recommended to carefully follow mothers with maternity blues in order to identify women prone to progression of anxiety and their subsequent treatments.

Effect of auricular acupressure on postpartum blues: A randomized sham controlled trial

“…Individuals who score 8 or higher are classed as having postpartum blues [34]. The psychometric properties of the Persian version have been shown to be good [3]. Intraclass correlation coefficient of three measurements (i.e., 5, 10 and 15 days after childbirth) was 0.70 in present study, showing good internal consistency.…”

“…Symptoms include persistent crying, emotional instability, fatigue, temporary anxiety and confusion, sleep and appetite disorders, anxiety, and irritability [1]. The prevalence of postpartum blues varies from 30% to 85% in different countries [3,4]. It is usually a self-limiting condition which improves with social and family support (and without medication).…”

Effects of Husband Involvement in Prenatal Care on Couples’ Intimacy and Postpartum Blues in Primiparous Women

“…The postpartum blues Stein questionnaire (24) was con rmed by the content validity method in Kariman et al's study. The reliability of this questionnaire in Kariman's study was 0.90% (25). The postpartum blues questionnaire consists of 13 questions; the rst 8 questions are scored from 0-4, and in the last 5 questions, yes and no answers are scored 1 and 0 points, respectively.…”