Correlation of Serum Zinc Levels with Postpartum Depression- A Case- control Study in North Karnataka

Abstract

Introduction: Pregnancy is an important event in reproductive mother. At the same time it is associated with stress, which exaggerates the depression. Many factors leads to depression, among them nutrient deficiency like zinc, selenium, iron, calcium, folic acid and vitamin B12 plays a major role. Aim: To estimate and compare serum zinc levels in females with postpartum depression subjects and healthy controls. To find the relationship between serum zinc levels and extent of postpartum depression. Materials and Methods: The present study was a hospital- based case-control study, conducted over a period of three months. It included 40 postpartum depression cases and 40 healthy controls. All the participants were subjected to serum zinc levels estimation. Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) score was applied. The individuals who scored greater than 10 were taken as cases and those scoring less than 10 were taken as controls. Data was tabulated and results expressed as mean±SD, student’s t-test and Pearson correlation test was applied for correlation. Results: The present study found decreased serum zinc levels in postpartum depression cases compared to controls. It was found serum zinc levels in cases were 21.63±15.73 μg/dL and 54.16±19.72 μg/dL in controls. There was a negative correlation between the severity of postnatal depression and the serum zinc levels. Not only this, but certain risk factors were also identified, such as age of the mother, months of postpartum, mode of delivery, and the education of the mother. Conclusion: Decreased serum zinc levels do indeed correlate to a change in maternal mental health, and then the knowledge would not only help in diagnosis by tests, but also further patient care.