The study aims to detect the prevalence of depression during pregnancy and post partum
period and to study the biological changes that may accompany this period such as estrogen,
progesterone. The risk factors as maternal age, parity, interpregnancy interval, and
personality, past psychiatric history, social support and recent life events. The study was done
in one year in Benha University hospitals. 1800 women were consented to participate. 227
were depressed according to psychiatric assessment and Beck Depression Inventory, 149
during pregnancy and 78 postpartum. The prevalence of depression in this study was be
12.41% during pregnancy and 13.5% during postpartum which is similar to the expected
prevalence rate of 10-15 % reported in most studies. Social factors as: younger age, low social
class, premorbid introverted personality, subjective feeling of stress and marital conflict were
common. Perinatal depression was found to be infrequently associated with history of
premenstrual syndrome. Serum Level of estradiol and progesterone were found to be
markedly decreased in postpartum depressed patients as compared with depressed patients
during pregnancy. Past history of depression was found to be infrequently associated with
antenatal depressed patients, while, mostly associated with postpartum depressed patients.
Some obstetric risk factors were CS delivery, stoppage of lactation before 3 months, female
sex baby, and negative attitude towards sex of baby, unplanned pregnancy and history of
depression during pregnancy |
