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. 2020 Jan;50(1):161-169.
doi: 10.1017/S0033291719002101. Epub 2019 Sep 2.

Understanding the relationship between postpartum depression one month and six months after delivery and mother-infant bonding failure one-year after birth: results from the Japan Environment and Children's study (JECS)

Haruka Kasamatsu  1 , Akiko Tsuchida  1   2 , Kenta Matsumura  1 , Moeko Shimao  1 , Kei Hamazaki  1   2 , Hidekuni Inadera  1   2 ; Japan Environment and Children's Study Group
Affiliations

Understanding the relationship between postpartum depression one month and six months after delivery and mother-infant bonding failure one-year after birth: results from the Japan Environment and Children's study (JECS)

Haruka Kasamatsu et al. Psychol Med. 2020 Jan.

Abstract

Background: Postpartum depression is a major mental health issue. It not only adversely affects the mother's quality of life, but also mother-infant bonding. However, the relationship between postpartum depression (at multiple points after childbirth) and mother-infant bonding failure one year after birth is not well understood. This study investigates the relationship between postpartum depression at 1-month and 6-month after birth and mother-infant bonding failure at 1 year after birth with a large cohort.

Methods: Data from 83 109 mothers from the Japan Environment and Children's Study were analyzed. Mother-infant bonding 1-year after delivery was assessed using the Mother-to-Infant Bonding Scale Japanese version (MIBS-J). Postpartum depression was measured using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) at 1-month and 6-month after delivery. Twenty covariates during pregnancy and one month after delivery were controlled for deriving the odds ratios (ORs) describing postpartum depression to mother-infant bonding.

Results: EPDS Total Score crude ORs and adjusted ORs against the MIBS-J Total Score at 1-month and 6-month after delivery were calculated. Crude ORs were 1.111 (95% CI 1.110-1.112) and 1.122 (95% CI 1.121-1.124) respectively. In the fully adjusted model, ORs were 1.088 (95% CI 1.086-1.089) and 1.085 (95% CI 1.083-1.087), respectively.

Conclusions: This study demonstrated prospectively, in a large-scale cohort, that depression at multiple postpartum points, including associations with each EPDS and MIBS-J factors, may be a robust predictor of mother-infant bonding failure 1-year after birth.

Keywords: JECS; mother-infant bonding; mother-infant bonding failure; postpartum depression.

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Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Participant flow diagram. See text for details.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2.
Comparing MIBS-J scores each group. X-axis represents group based on the scores after 1 month and 6 months after delivery. Y-axis represents the Mother-to-Infant Bonding Scale Japanese version (MIBS-J) total score. Bar represents means of MIBS-J total score. Error bar represents 95% confidence intervals.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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