Relationship between psychiatric symptoms in expectant parents and postpartum depression and infantile colic: A multicenter follow-up study

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate the relationship between postpartum depression (PPD), infantile colic (IC) and different psychosocial variables, psychiatric symptoms, attachment style and perceived social support in expectant parents. Method: Two hundred forty-five expectant mothers and 150 expectant fathers were first interviewed between 22 and 34 weeks of pregnancy. Each expectant parent filled out a sociodemographic data form, Adult Attachment Style Scale (AASS), State Anxiety Inventory (SAI), Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) and Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI. A second interview was conducted between 4 and 24 weeks postpartum. The mothers filled out a data form consisting of health, nutrition, sleep, and crying problems of the infant, as well as EPDS and SAI, while fathers filled out SAI. Results: One in every four mothers had PPD symptoms above the threshold on EPDS. Maternal and paternal insecure attachment style, maternal psychiatric symptoms, and postpartum anxiety level were found to be the predictors of PPD. One of every five infants had IC, and maternal education level, hostility score, and PPD symptoms, along with paternal insecure attachment style and psychiatric symptoms, were the main predictors of IC. Conclusion: Results about PPD and IC regarding maternal variables are consistent with the literature. In addition, paternal insecure attachment style was found to be an important risk factor for both PPD and IC. Fathers should also be included in further studies exploring PPD or IC.