Progresión posparto de los niveles de ansiedad y depresión en madres de recién nacidos prematuros

Objective

The postpartum period represents a vulnerable time for women's mental health, especially for those with complications and prematurity. This study aims to explore the evolution of depression and anxiety levels during the 12 weeks postpartum in mothers of premature babies.

Design

Prospective study of two parallel cohorts.

Setting

Hospital Clínic of Barcelona.

Participants

Women with obstetric complications [premature rupture of membranes or preeclampsia] requiring hospitalization and preterm delivery (< 37 weeks of gestation); 2) Women without complications with term delivery.

Main measures

Validated questionnaires were administered to measure anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, STAI) and depression (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, EPDS) during the first week, and at 6 and 12 weeks postpartum.

Results

182 women were analyzed: 90 with uncomplicated pregnancies and term deliveries, and 92 with complications requiring preterm delivery. During the follow-up, women with premature newborns showed a significantly unfavorable progression in depression (p < 0.001) and anxiety (p < 0.001) scores, as well as a higher proportion of abnormal scores on both scales (p < 0.001 and p = 0.004, respectively)

Conclusions

Women with preterm delivery show higher anxiety and depression levels than those with term delivery during the 12 weeks postpartum. It is essential to ensure a seamless transition between care levels to effectively address postpartum mental health.