Postpartum Adaptation Research Articles

Perinatal stimulation and adaptation of the neonate.

The present report describes psychobiological studies of behavior around the time of birth. An adaptive, ecological perspective is presented in which stimulation of the fetus and newborn is purported to instigate adaptive postpartum behavior. Studies describing the perinatal sensory environment are reviewed, with a consideration of emergent sensory function of the fetus. It is asserted that afferent input associated with parturition perturbs the fetus and neonate, producing a general arousal state that facilitates breathing, suckling, and early learning. The view developed herein is that perinatal sensory input induces and canalizes the newborn's behavior, thereby regulating adaptive postpartum function. Deviations in afferent input may alter ontogenetic trajectories and compromise developmental outcome by reducing availability of conditions necessary for adequate postpartum adaptation.

Postpartum depression and postpartum adaptation: overlapping constructs?

In order to examine the course of normal postpartum adjustment compared to the symptomatology of postpartum depression, 25 postpartum women who met Research Diagnostic Criteria for either major or minor depression were compared to 24 non-depressed postpartum women. The Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (SADS) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were administered to all subjects. Results suggest that sleep disturbances and loss of sexual interest are common concomitants of normal postpartum adjustment. A discriminant function analysis indicated that the cognitive-affective symptoms of loss of energy, guilt, difficulties in concentration, and loss of interest in usual activities discriminated between depressed and non-depressed women most efficiently. Finally, there was a lack of concordance between the BDI and the SADS interviews, which suggests that the BDI may not be an appropriate instrument for diagnosing depression in a postpartum sample.

Commentary: Assessment of Maternal Postpartum Adaptation

Commentary: Assessment of Maternal Postpartum Adaptation

Assessment of maternal postpartum adaptation.

Assessment of maternal postpartum adaptation.

Dimensions of post-partum adaptation: Comparisons of multiparas 3 days and 6 weeks after delivery

Assessment of the response of multiparas on 7 scales measuring dimensions of maternal adaptation 3 days and 6 weeks post partum was obtained from interview ratings (n = 65) and the Post-partum Self-Evaluation Questionnaire (n = 54). The 7 parallel interview and questionnaire scales were on maternal perceptions of: (1) relationship with husband, (2) father's participation in infant care, (3) support from family, friends, and others, (4) gratification from labor and delivery, (5) satisfaction with life circumstances, (6) confidence in motherhood role/tasks, and (7) satisfaction with infant/infant care. Additional assessments obtained through interviews on: (8) responsiveness to infant cues, (9) discrepancy between anticipated and actual maternal responsibilities, (10) difficulty with daily routines, and (11) physical discomfort, aided in the prediction and interpretation of factors impacting on post-partum adaptation. The subjects were normal, married multiparas, 20-38 years old; all but one delivered vagin...

Disturbances in Post-Partum Adaptation and Depressive Symptomatology

An exploratory study was conducted to identify disturbances in women's postpartum adaptation and the relationship between such disturbances and self-report of depressive symptomatology. Eighty women completed 3 questionnaires (Inventory of Post-partum Adaptation, Beck Depression Inventory, and Pitt Questionnaire) during the third and eighth post-partum weeks. Five areas of post-partum adaptation were assessed: changes in daily activities, impact of childbirth events, interactions with the new baby, social activities and supports, judgments about one's self and future. Results indicated that disturbances in adaptation occurred mainly in the areas of changes in daily activities, social activities and supports, and judgments about the self. Correlational analyses indicated that selected areas of women's post-partum adaptation had positive relationships with depressive symptomatology: mood changes, decreased energy level, inability to maintain eating schedule, negative affect while with baby, lack of comfort ...

Fetal pH and postnatal adaptation in preterm vaginal deliveries.

The postpartum adaptation to extrauterine life was studied in 39 preterm (less than 37 weeks of gestation) and 13 term vaginally born infants. Fetal scalp pH during delivery was measured in every baby. Acid-base balance was followed with repeated measurements during the first 30 minutes and at 1 and 12 hours post partum. Heart rate and respiration was monitored with a cardiorespirograph (CRG) during the first 30 minutes and at 24 hours of age. The results showed a more extended delay in acid-base regularisation in the group of preterm infants less than 34 weeks of gestation with low fetal scalp pH (less than 7.20). There was no group difference in postnatal acid-base balance and cardiorespiratory adaptation for infants born after 33 weeks of gestation in comparison to term infants. It is suggested that as regards the capacity for postnatal adaptation 34 rather than 37 gestational weeks should be considered the limit of prematurity.

A preliminary report: Severe respitatory distress in transitional newborn lambs with recovery following nonnutrivite sucking

Summary This article reports experiences with three transitional newborn lambs in severe respiratory distress. Two of these lambs demonstrated almost immediate reversal of their symptoms when they were given nonnutritive sucking opportunities. Three and five hours later they were symptom free. Experimental research is planned with lamb and human newborns to test for cause and effect relationships. Sucking and gentle sensory stimulation are inherent in selfregulatory mother-young interaction following birth. Such interaction may facilitate the transitional newborn's adaptation to extrauterine life and the mother's postpartum adaptation. The absence of ongoing mother-young interaction, a common phenomenon in western culture, is implicated as a possible contributory factor in the development of, or failure to alleviate, the respiratory distress syndrome in human transitional newborns. Recommendations are offered which may facilitate successful mother-transitional newborn interaction.

Sparing effect of neurological deficit and trauma on the course of adjuvant arthritis in the rat.

<h3>Abstract</h3> The maternal brain displays considerable plasticity, and motherhood is associated with changes in affective and cognitive function. Motherhood can alter the trajectory of brain ageing, including modifications to neuroplasticity and cognition. Here, we investigated the short- and long-term effects of motherhood on hippocampal neurogenesis, microglial density and morphology, and circulating cytokines, domains known to be altered with age and implicated in cognition and mood. Female rats were bred then euthanized during gestation or at various postpartum timepoints, culminating in middle age, and nulliparous rats served as age-matched controls. Hippocampal neurogenesis was significantly suppressed during gestation and the postpartum period. Interestingly, neurogenesis declined significantly in middle-aged nulliparous rats, but increased in primiparous rats across the same period. Transient postpartum adaptations to the neuroimmune environment of the hippocampus were evidenced, as Iba-1-immunoreactive microglia assumed a de-ramified morphology followed by increased density. Intriguingly, ageing-related changes in circulating cytokines were dependent on parity. These adaptations in neurogenic and immune processes may have ramifications for maternal mood and cognition across the peripartum period and beyond.