Date of Presentation
5-2-2024 12:00 AM
College
Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine
Poster Abstract
Background: 13-15% of mothers experience postpartum depression (PPD), a depressive episode during pregnancy or in the weeks after delivery.1 Postpartum depression can have detrimental effects on both the mother and the infant. Mothers with PPD are more withdrawn towards their children, are increasingly irritable, and are more likely to engage in risky behaviors than mothers without PPD. Children born to these mothers have decreased physiological stability and impaired emotional, social, and cognitive development.19,22,28,29 An emerging treatment model for postpartum depression is skin-to-skin contact (SSC) also known as the Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) model, in which a mother has prolonged, direct contact with her newborn child. Purpose: To review the current literature on the use of skin-to-skin contact/Kangaroo Mother Care model in mothers at high risk for developing postpartum depression (PPD) and their scores on postpartum depression screening scales after the intervention. Methods: A comprehensive literature review was conducted using articles from databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, and SCOPUS. All databases were accessed through the Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine library. Articles were selected based on specific inclusion criteria that prioritized skin-to-skin contact/kangaroo care and postpartum depression. Results: The skin-to-skin contact (SSC) model has been shown to improve self-reported scores of postpartum depression, primarily by two mechanisms. First, SSC alters hormonal levels in the mother to increase oxytocin (facilitates bonding and attachment between mothers and their newborns) and decrease cortisol levels (a physiological marker of stress). 2,3,9 Second, SSC promotes maternal feelings of attachment to their infant, promoting increased relaxation and reduced levels of postpartum anxiety and depression in mothers.7 Conclusion: The use of the skin-to-skin contact model is beneficial to mothers, particularly those from low socioeconomic status. The reason is that SSC can be easily implemented in a wide variety of clinical settings because it requires very few outside resources.6,12 However, many studies have shown that the effectiveness of SSC wanes with time and has had minimal protective effects against postpartum depression by three months postpartum. Therefore, it is imperative that not only more studies are conducted evaluating the effectiveness of SSC on rates of postpartum depression but also encourage continuing SSC well past the initial hospital discharge for maximal benefit to both the mother and her infant.
Keywords
Postpartum depression, Skin-to-Skin contact, Kangaroo Mother Care, Postpartum blues, Maternal mental health, Postpartum anxiety, Postpartum health
Document Type
Poster
Effects of Skin-to-Skin Contact Between High-Risk Mothers and Their Newborns on Levels of Postpartum Depression
Background: 13-15% of mothers experience postpartum depression (PPD), a depressive episode during pregnancy or in the weeks after delivery.1 Postpartum depression can have detrimental effects on both the mother and the infant. Mothers with PPD are more withdrawn towards their children, are increasingly irritable, and are more likely to engage in risky behaviors than mothers without PPD. Children born to these mothers have decreased physiological stability and impaired emotional, social, and cognitive development.19,22,28,29 An emerging treatment model for postpartum depression is skin-to-skin contact (SSC) also known as the Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) model, in which a mother has prolonged, direct contact with her newborn child. Purpose: To review the current literature on the use of skin-to-skin contact/Kangaroo Mother Care model in mothers at high risk for developing postpartum depression (PPD) and their scores on postpartum depression screening scales after the intervention. Methods: A comprehensive literature review was conducted using articles from databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, and SCOPUS. All databases were accessed through the Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine library. Articles were selected based on specific inclusion criteria that prioritized skin-to-skin contact/kangaroo care and postpartum depression. Results: The skin-to-skin contact (SSC) model has been shown to improve self-reported scores of postpartum depression, primarily by two mechanisms. First, SSC alters hormonal levels in the mother to increase oxytocin (facilitates bonding and attachment between mothers and their newborns) and decrease cortisol levels (a physiological marker of stress). 2,3,9 Second, SSC promotes maternal feelings of attachment to their infant, promoting increased relaxation and reduced levels of postpartum anxiety and depression in mothers.7 Conclusion: The use of the skin-to-skin contact model is beneficial to mothers, particularly those from low socioeconomic status. The reason is that SSC can be easily implemented in a wide variety of clinical settings because it requires very few outside resources.6,12 However, many studies have shown that the effectiveness of SSC wanes with time and has had minimal protective effects against postpartum depression by three months postpartum. Therefore, it is imperative that not only more studies are conducted evaluating the effectiveness of SSC on rates of postpartum depression but also encourage continuing SSC well past the initial hospital discharge for maximal benefit to both the mother and her infant.