Antenatal and postnatal maternal anxiety/depression: exploring the influences on early mother-infant feeding interactions

LUCARELLI, LOREDANA;DE CAMPORA, GAIA;DESSI' , ELISA;FALCO, FEDERICA;SECHI, CRISTINA;Chatoor, Irene

2015-01-01

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Abstract

Objective: The main aims of this perspective study were to investigate the co-occurrence of anxiety and depression during pregnancy, and to explore the existing link between prenatal depression and anxiety and the subsequent quality of feeding interaction shown by the dyad at three months of age of the baby. Methods: The data were collected in two evaluation sessions. 37 pregnant women underwent the following assessments: (1) The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS); (2) State and Trait Anxiety Scale (STAI). Then, mothers with their three months old babies were videotaped according to the instructions provided by the Observational Scale for Mother-Infant Interaction during Feeding. Results: Findings suggested a positive correlation between anxiety and depression during pregnancy with the following depressive symptoms shown by the mother at three months of age of the baby. Prenatal and postnatal depressive scores were correlated with the negative Affective State of the Mother during feeding. EPDS postnatal scores showed a statistically significant correlation with the Feeding Interactional Conflict and the negative Dyadic Affective State subscales. Conclusions: These findings highlighted the importance of mental and emotional health since pregnancy in order to recognize context representing a risk for the mother-baby relationship.