Relation between Mother's Taekyo, Prenatal and Postpartum Depression, and Infant's Temperament and Colic: A Longitudinal Prospective Approach.

Iksoo Huh,Dasom Kim,Sang-Youn Jang,Insook Lee,Yunjeong Yi,Sungjae Kim,Sujin Lee,Kyung-Sook Bang

doi:10.3390/ijerph17207691

Abstract

This longitudinal cohort correlational study aimed to confirm the relation among taekyo or traditional prenatal practice, prenatal depression, postpartum depression, maternal–fetal interaction, and infant temperament and colic using a prospective design. We recruited 212 women 16–20 weeks pregnant from July 2017 to September 2018; they were followed up until six months postpartum. Data from 97 participants were used in the final analysis. We used the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, Cranley’s Maternal–Fetal Attachment Scale, and What My Baby Is Like as measurement tools. We observed a significant correlation between prenatal maternal depression in the first to third trimesters and 6–8 weeks and six months postpartum. In addition, infant temperament at six months old showed a significant negative correlation with prenatal and postpartum depression: the higher the prenatal and postpartum depression level, the more difficult the infant’s temperament. Taekyo practice was significantly related to maternal–fetal attachment (r = 0.45−0.68, p < 0.001). Difficult infants showed more colic episodes than any other type of infant (χ2 = 18.18, p < 0.001). Prenatal and postnatal maternal depression affected infants’ temperament and colic episodes. The management of mothers’ mental health before and after pregnancy is important for infants’ and mothers’ health.

Highlights

The mother, who is the closest to the baby, is the most important part of the health and development of the infant starting at pregnancy
The present study aimed to investigate the relation among taekyo practice, prenatal depression, postpartum depression, Maternal–fetal attachment (MFA), infant’s temperament, and colic from the first trimester of pregnancy to six months after childbirth
We found a correlation between taekyo practice and MFA, and that taekyo practice and postpartum depression at six months had a reverse correlation

Summary

Introduction

The mother, who is the closest to the baby, is the most important part of the health and development of the infant starting at pregnancy. Pregnancy is a time of transition in which women begin their role as mothers and is an important part of life. Pregnant women experience many psychological changes, such as anxiety and stress, owing to their new roles and responsibilities as a mother, as well as physical changes [1]. Research has reported that a pregnant woman’s physical and psychological changes cause fatigue and anxiety, and extreme fatigue and anxiety can lead to preeclampsia, preterm birth and prolonged labor [2,3,4]. It is reported that pregnant women’s stress and anxiety increase the risk of preterm birth, congenital anomaly, intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR), and low birth weight [5,6]. Pregnant women’s anxiety has been reported to significantly correlate with prenatal depression [7] and is a strong predictor of maternal depression [8]

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