MATERNAL MENTAL HEALTH AND CHILD CARE IN THE FIRST 1000 DAYS OF LIFE: THE IMPACT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

• Grant number: 23/13534-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: February 01, 2024
• End date: December 31, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Nursing - Public Health Nursing
• Principal Investigator: Anna Paula Ferrari
• Grantee: Larissa Yasmin da Silva Marques
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina (FMB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Introduction: since the end of 2019, the world has been facing the Covid-19 pandemic. Among the impacts on health, the increase in the number of cases of common mental disorders among pregnant and postpartum women stands out, which can have consequences for the newborn and the child. In the first 1000 days of a child's life, a period that corresponds to pregnancy plus the first two years of life, intense brain activity, development and growth of the child occurs, therefore timely monitoring is required so that possible changes are identified and managed early. Considering the impact of the pandemic on maternal and child health, the Pre-Natal and Birth Humanization Program which provides, among other principles, comprehensive care with a view to reducing maternal morbidity and mortality, the National Policy for Comprehensive Health Care Child that aims to protect and promote children's health and the Health and Wellbeing Sustainable Development Goal that aims to ensure a healthy life and promote well-being for everyone at all ages, this research project is proposed . Objective: to verify the effect of the pandemic caused by SARS-COV-2 on maternal mental health and the repercussions on the child's health in the first 1000 days of life. Methods: this is a retrospective cohort. Data will be collected from 300 mother-baby pairs whose prenatal and childcare care in the first 2 years of the child's life took place in primary health care in a medium-sized city in the interior of São Paulo. Children pregnant from March 2020 onwards, born between December 2020 and August 2021, will be monitored. Data will be collected in three moments: in the first moment, the identification of the binomial will be carried out at Clínica do Bebê, the municipality's neonatal screening service; secondly, a telephone interview will be carried out with the mother, the purpose of which will be to collect data relating to family composition, prenatal and postpartum mental health (self-reported symptoms of common mental disorder - anxiety/depression), and baby care; thirdly, the data sources will be the child's medical records, with the aim of collecting information about child's routine monitoring in the first two years of life. The data will be organized in a database in the Excel ® Spreadsheet. Statistical analysis will include descriptive presentation of cohort data, in the form of absolute and relative frequencies and measures of central tendency for quantitative variables. Univariate analyzes of the variables of interest will also be carried out, and odds ratio values will be estimated with a 95% confidence interval using Fisher's Exact Test or Chi-square. A univariate and multivariate logistic regression model will be used, which allows the numerical outcomes to be adequately modeled, considering the effects of potential confounders. The analyzes will be carried out using SPSS 21.0 software. This project was approved by the local Research Ethics Committee - CAAE 60463822.6.0000.5411.