Early “surgical” life events and functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGID): Pyloric stenosis vs. inguinal hernia

Abstract

of the mother. Any sign/symptom was recorded weekly for the first three months of life, together with type of feeding. Statistical analysis (SPSS software): chi quadro test, Student t-test, linear regression. Results: 37 (32.7%) newborns were exclusively breast feeding. 16 (14.2%) newborns had regurgitation, 10 (9.7%) colics, 4 (3.5%) dischezia and 10 (9.7%) constipation. 60 (53.1%) mothers had postpartum depression and/or anxiety. 53.6% of infants with regurgitations had a depressed mother vs 23% of infants without regurgitations (chi quadro=10.63, p=0.003); 45.2% of infants with colics had a depressed mother vs 15.9% of infants without colics (chi quadro=10.63, p=0.001). A mother’s insecure attachment style was found in 36% of infants with persistence of regurgitations until third months of life vs 1.8% of infants with mother’s secure attachment style (p<0.001). Conclusions: Postpartum maternal depressive symptoms and anxiety are associated with infantile colic and regurgitations. Screening and early intervention in cases of postpartumdepression could be useful to avoid inappropriate nutritional and pharmacologic treatments, promoting the health of both mother and infant.