Indexes of postpartum depression, maternal anxiety and maternal stress: influences at mother and baby interaction

Author(s)

Verônica Rodrigues Mangili

• Document type: Master's Dissertation
• Press: Bauru. 2017-08-23.
• Institution: Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp). Faculdade de Ciências. Bauru
• Defense date: 2017-07-14
• Advisor: Olga Maria Piazentin Rolim Rodrigues

Abstract

The literature has been studying the maternal emotional health as a variable that may influence the child development and the interactions between mother and baby. High indexes of postpartum depression, anxiety and stress in mothers may change their behaviors, establishing inadequate interaction with their infants. This research has the goal of investigate maternal and baby`s behaviors at the experimental paradigm Face-to-Face Still Face, that is a filming of nine minutes, shared in three episodes. 47 mothers and babies composed the sample; these babies were 3, 4, or 5 months old. They participated of extension project “Accompaniment of babies’ development: evaluation and guidance for parents”. At the first episodes, the mother interacted usually with her child. At the second episode, the mother didn´t interact with the baby, keeping expressionless. It was organized in two studies. The first one compared the maternal interactive behaviors from mothers without clinical emotional indexes (G1) and from mothers with clinical emotional indexes (G2), besides the comparison between the maternal´s behaviors at the episodes. The results showed that mothers of G1 issued more positive and negative behaviors. Mothers of G2 had some difficult to resume the interaction after the second episode, it may be the Still Face effect. All the mothers interacted more at the first episode than the third episode. The second study compared infant´s behaviors from babies of mothers without clinical emotional indexes (G1) and from babies of mothers with clinical emotional indicators (G2). The results presented that during the first and second episodes, babies of G1 issued more positive behaviors and babies of G2 issued more negative and self-comfort behaviors. The comparison of the behaviors at the three episodes showed that all babies suffered the Still Face effect, since a frequency increase of negative and self-comfort behaviors and a frequency decrease of the positive behaviors were observed at the Still Face episode. These results contribute to theoretical baggage about the subject and could base interventions on mothers and baby interactions. However, studies with larger sample and different evaluation instruments are necessary to confirm all data get at this research. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 15/11674-8 - Indicators of postpartum depression, maternal anxiety and maternal stress: influence under the interaction between mother and baby
• Grantee: Verônica Rodrigues Mangili
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master