Original Articles
Relationship between the degree of satisfaction with delivery and postpartum stress responses
2005 Volume 19 Issue 2 Pages 2_19-2_27
Details
2005 Volume 19 Issue 2 Pages 2_19-2_27
Purpose
The early detection of postpartum depression tendency is important in preventing psychological health disorders. Postpartum depression tendency is generally considered to develop due to puerperal acute endocrine changes, but this tendency has been suggested to be more marked when females were less satisfied with delivery. Based on the Lazarus stress theory, we regarded postpartum depression tendency as postpartum stress responses, and evaluated the relationship between the degree of satisfaction with delivery and postpartum stress responses. In addition, from the aspect of psychoneuroendocrinoimmunology, stress-associated factors were measured, and their relationship with postpartum depression tendency was evaluated.
Methods
Between April and October 2004, a questionnaire survey and measurement of stress-associated factors were simultaneously performed twice (terminal pregnancy and early puerperal periods) in 54 females.
The contents of the questionnaire were : “basic attributes”, “delivery course”, “anxiety scale at delivery”, “self-rating scale for delivery experience” as the degree of satisfaction with delivery, and “postpartum depression scale” as a subjective parameter of stress responses. In addition, as objective parameters of stress responses, a stress-associated factor: secretory immunoglobulin A (s-IgA) was measured.
Results
The postpartum depression score was significantly higher (p<0.05) in the low satisfaction score group (35.1 ± 7.9) than in the high group (32.8 ± 4.6). The s-IgA level was significantly lower (p<0.01) in the low satisfaction score group (23.8 ± 13.4μg/ml) than in the high group (29.7 ± 12.1μg/ml). But there was no relationship between s-IgA and postpartum depression tendency.
Conclusion
In the low satisfaction score group, the postpartum depression score was higher and immune function was lower, indicating that postpartum stress responses were highly marked. These results show the importance of checking the degree of satisfaction with delivery for the care of puerperae.
