Abstract | BACKGROUND:
Postnatal depression can have long term adverse consequences for the mother-infant relationship and the infant's development. Improving a mother's depression per se has been found to have little impact on mother-infant interaction. The aims of this study were to determine whether attending regular massage classes could reduce maternal depression and also improve the quality of mother-infant interaction. METHOD: Thirty-four primiparous depressed mothers, median 9 weeks postpartum, identified as being depressed following completion of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) at 4 weeks postpartum, were randomly allocated either to an infant massage class and a support group ( massage group) or to a support group (control group). Each group attended for five weekly sessions. Changes in maternal depression and mother-infant interaction were assessed at the beginning and the end of the study by comparing EPDS scores and ratings of videotaped mother-infant interaction. RESULTS: The EPDS scores fell in both groups. Significant improvement of mother-infant interaction was seen only in the massage group. LIMITATION: The sample size was small and had relatively high dropout. It was not possible to distinguish which aspects of the infant massage class contributed to the benefit. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that learning the practice of infant massage by mothers is an effective treatment for facilitating mother-infant interaction in mothers with postnatal depression.
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Authors | K Onozawa, V Glover, D Adams, N Modi, R C Kumar |
Journal | Journal of affective disorders
(J Affect Disord)
Vol. 63
Issue 1-3
Pg. 201-7
(Mar 2001)
ISSN: 0165-0327 [Print] Netherlands |
PMID | 11246096
(Publication Type: Clinical Trial, Journal Article, Randomized Controlled Trial)
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Topics |
- Adolescent
- Adult
- Depression, Postpartum
(psychology, therapy)
- Female
- Humans
- Infant
- Infant, Newborn
- Massage
- Middle Aged
- Mother-Child Relations
- Patient Education as Topic
- Self-Help Groups
- Treatment Outcome
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