Breastmilk Pumping for the Mental Health of the NICU Mother

Abstract

ObjectiveWhile much is known about breastfeeding and postpartum depression, little is known about breast milk pumping's impact on postpartum depression among mothers with infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).MethodsThirty-two mothers of infants admitted to a Level III NICU between February and July 2017 were screened for postpartum depression using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). They were also surveyed for current breastmilk pumping activities and demographic factors. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the associations between postpartum depression and breast milk pumping, adjusting for confounding variables.ResultsAfter controlling for confounding variables, mothers who did not pump breast milk (relative to mothers who did) were 11 times more likely to have lower EPDS depression scores indicative of probable postpartum depression (OR = 11.7, p-value .05).ConclusionsOur results suggest a significant reduction in probable postpartum depression among NICU mothers who express breastmilk.