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Mode of delivery and short‐term maternal mental health: A follow‐up study in the Danish National Birth Cohort
Author(s) -
Skov Stina Kruse,
Hjorth Sarah,
Kirkegaard Helene,
Olsen Jørn,
Nohr Ellen Aagaard
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
international journal of gynecology and obstetrics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.895
H-Index - 97
eISSN - 1879-3479
pISSN - 0020-7292
DOI - 10.1002/ijgo.14155
Subject(s) - medicine , obstetrics , pregnancy , anxiety , vaginal delivery , mental health , odds ratio , cohort study , cohort , mental distress , postpartum period , psychiatry , genetics , pathology , biology
Objective To estimate associations between mode of delivery and maternal mental health 6 months postpartum. Methods Follow‐up of mothers in the Danish National Birth Cohort. Symptoms of anxiety, depression or stress were self‐reported at gestational week 30 and 6 months postpartum. Mode of delivery was categorized as spontaneous vaginal birth, instrumental vaginal birth, planned cesarean section and emergency cesarean section. Multiple linear and logistic regression models were used to compute differences and odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for associations between delivery mode and mental health indicators adjusted for mental health before and during pregnancy. Results Among 54 474 mothers, mental health indicators improved from pregnancy to 6 months postpartum for all delivery modes. Improvement was smallest in mothers with emergency cesarean section. Thus, compared to women with a spontaneous vaginal birth, women with emergency cesarean section more frequently reported symptoms of anxiety (OR 1.11; 0.98–1.24), depression (OR 1.25; 1.09–1.43) and stress (OR 1.14; 1.01–1.29) 6 months postpartum, and women with planned cesarean section more frequently reported symptoms of anxiety (OR 1.15; 1.01–1.29). Conclusion Mental health improved from pregnancy to 6 months postpartum regardless of delivery mode. Mothers with emergency cesarean section experienced more symptoms of emotional distress 6 months postpartum.