Identifying Mothers of Very Preterm Infants At-risk for Postpartum Depression and Anxiety Prior to Discharge

OBJECTIVE: We investigated whether particular demographic, maternal psychosocial, and infant factors identified mothers of very preterm infants at risk for postpartum depression or anxiety at the time of discharge from a level III urban Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). STUDY DESIGN: A racially diverse cohort of mothers (N=73) of preterm infants (gestational age <30 weeks) completed a comprehensive questionnaire at discharge from the NICU assessing postpartum depression, anxiety, and psychosocial and demographic factors. Additionally, infants underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging prior to discharge. RESULT: Twenty percent of mothers had clinically significant levels of depression while 43% had moderate-severe anxiety. Being married (p<.01), parental role alteration (p<.01) and prolonged ventilation (p<.05) were associated with increased depressive symptoms. No psychosocial, demographic, or infant factors, including severity of brain injury, were associated with state anxiety levels. CONCLUSION: Maternal factors, such as marital status, stress from parental role alteration, and infant factors, such as prolonged ventilation, are associated with increased depression. However, clinically significant levels of anxiety are common in mothers of very preterm infants with few identifiable risk factors. These findings support the need for universal screening within the NICU.