The relationship of maternal anxiety, positive and negative affect schedule, and fatigue with neonatal psychological health upon childbirth

Sara Dokuhaki,Fateme Dokuhaki,Marzieh Akbarzadeh

doi:10.1186/s40834-021-00155-8

Abstract

BackgroundExposure of mothers to negative moods and stress before childbirth leads to negative consequences for the infants. Given the importance of psychological health, this study aimed to examine the effect of these factors on the infants’ psychological health.MethodThis cross-sectional study was conducted in Shiraz hospitals on 110 pregnant women selected with multistage random sampling. Research tools included The McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ) to measure fatigue with three criteria; The Positive and Negative Emotion Schedule (PANAS); and The Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) were used to measure maternal mood and anxiety level. Also, neonatal psychological health was assessed by a checklist. Neonatal psychological health’s correlation with maternal anxiety, fatigue, and mental state was assessed. Data were analyzed by SPSS-19 software using Pearson correlation coefficient and statistical regression at the significance level of 0.05.ResultAlthough there was no significant relationship between maternal anxiety score and neonatal psychological health after birth (p = 0.231; r=-0.343), the relationship was significant immediately after birth with positive (P < 0.001; r = 0.343) and negative affect scores (P < 0.001; r=-0.357).ConclusionsThere was a statistically significant relationship between the neonatal psychological health and maternal fatigue (p ≤ 0.001; r = -0.357) and PANAS (p ≤ 0.001) of the mother; however, it had no significant relationship with maternal anxiety (p = 0.231; r=- 0.343). Therefore, nurses and midwives can reduce maternal anxiety and improve neonatal mental health by supporting mothers.

Highlights

Anxiety, depression, stress and excitement of pregnancy period, especially upon childbirth, are usually overlooked in women [1]
There was a statistically significant relationship between the neonatal psychological health and maternal fatigue (p ≤ 0.001; r = -0.357) and Positive and Negative Emotion Schedule (PANAS) (p ≤ 0.001) of the mother; it had no significant relationship with maternal anxiety (p = 0.231; r=- 0.343)
The Pearson correlation coefficient was used for obtaining the linear relationship, which showed no statistical relationship between maternal anxiety score and neonatal psychological health after birth

Summary

Introduction

Depression, stress and excitement of pregnancy period, especially upon childbirth, are usually overlooked in women [1]. Anxiety and stress have deleterious effects on the mother and infant [2]. Studies show that exposure of the mother to negative excitement and stress before childbirth increases the risk of behavioral and psychological problems in the infant’s life after birth. Maternal psychological stress is basically known as a teratogen, a factor that can entail deleterious prenatal consequences [3, 4]. Anxiety gives rise to lower Apgar scores of infants upon birth and at minute 5; in this regard, Stuart et al reported that low Apgar scores at minute 5 after birth were associated with a slight cognitive disorder in didactic performance [6]. Exposure of mothers to negative moods and stress before childbirth leads to negative consequences for the infants. Given the importance of psychological health, this study aimed to examine the effect of these factors on the infants’ psychological health

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Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion