141st APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

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284432
Effect of previous perinatal loss on postpartum depressive symptoms


Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Cara Bicking Kinsey, PhD, MPH, RNC, College of Nursing, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
Kesha Baptiste-Roberts, PhD, MPH, School of Nursing & College of Medicine, Department of Public Health Sciences, Penn State University, Hershey, PA
Kristen Kjerulff, MA, PhD, Public Health Sciences, Penn State University, Hershey, PA
Background. Women with a history of perinatal loss may be at increased risk of depressive symptoms after the birth of a healthy infant; however, research to date has not been conclusive.

Methods. We enrolled 2854 pregnant women ages 18-36 expecting their first live-born baby. Women with a history of perinatal loss via miscarriage were compared to women without a history of perinatal loss. Probable depression was defined as a score ≥13 on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale at 1 month postpartum. Logistic regression analysis utilized adjustment for age, use of fertility advice or treatment, and social support or stress.

Results. Overall, women with a history of perinatal loss were not at increased risk for postpartum depression compared to women without previous perinatal loss. However, stratified analysis revealed that for women with the lowest levels of social support (n=1041) previous perinatal loss was associated with increased odds of probable depression (OR=2.06, 95%CI 1.14-3.70) compared to women in the highest two thirds for social support (OR=1.05, 95%CI 0.42-2.64). Likewise, for women in the highest third for psychosocial stress (n=826), perinatal loss was associated with increased odds of probable depression (OR=2.20, 95%CI 1.26-3.85) while this relationship did not exist for those in the two lower thirds (OR=0.78, 95%CI 0.26-2.30).

Conclusions. Our results indicate that a history of perinatal loss may not be an independent risk factor for postpartum depression. However, for women experiencing low social support or high levels of psychosocial stress, a history of perinatal loss increased the risk of probable depression.

Learning Areas:

Public health or related nursing

Learning Objectives:
Describe circumstances in which women with a history of perinatal loss may be at higher risk of postpartum depression compared to women without a history of perinatal loss.

Keyword(s): Depression, Stress

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a doctoral student in nursing and a co-investigator of the First Baby Study, from which this data was collected. This analysis is part of my doctoral dissertation research which was funded by the a fellowship through the NINR.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 4271.0: Maternal and Child Health Section Student Poster Session: Research and Practice from Around the World