PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Julie Lelièvre
AU  - Titia Hompes
AU  - Birgitte Schoenmakers
TI  - Postnatal depression: Identification of risk factors in the short-stay maternity program in Belgium
AID  - 10.3399/BJGPO.2021.0127
DP  - 2021 Aug 27
TA  - BJGP Open
PG  - BJGPO.2021.0127
4099  - http://bjgpopen.org/content/early/2021/08/27/BJGPO.2021.0127.short
4100  - http://bjgpopen.org/content/early/2021/08/27/BJGPO.2021.0127.full
AB  - Background Postnatal depression (PND) is one of the most frequent complications in women of childbearing age in the developed world. The onset of PND is influenced by several risk factors. In an attempt to avoid unnecessary long maternity stays, a ‘Short Stay in Maternity Programme’ was installed, shifting care from the hospital environment to the outpatient setting.Aims In order to develop an efficient program to trace vulnerable women after childbirth and to provide support within primary care, we aimed to inventory the risk factors for PND within the population of women participating in the short stay program.Design and setting This study is a cross sectional study without follow-up and women, included in the ‘Short Stay in Maternity Program’, were invited by e-mail to participate within three months after delivery.Method The questionnaire addressed background features and feelings during the maternity period supplemented with the validated Dutch version of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EDPS). The primary outcome measure of the questionnaire was the score on the EDPS.Results 138 (27.3%) of the invited women participated. 16 participants (12.4%) presented with a positive score on the EPDS. The odds ratio for a positive score on the EDPS when experiencing negative feelings was 13.5 (95% CI 4.14-44.01). If the only provided material support, the odds ratio for a positive EPDS-score was 11.2 (95%CI 2.72-55.5).Conclusions In this study, we identified two risk factors for PND: negative feelings during pregnancy and the provision of only material support by the partner.