Evaluation of postpartum depression status and knowledge, attitude, and behavior of mothers for baby nutrition

The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of mothers of infants aged 0-36 months, admitted to the pediatrics outpatient clinic of Başkent University Ankara Hospital for infant nutrition and postpartum depression. The study was conducted on mothers of infants aged 0-36 months who were admitted to the pediatric outpatient clinic of the pediatric clinic of Başkent University Ankara Hospital between December 2018 and March 2019. The questions about the demographic characteristics, anthropometric measurements, general characteristics, and knowledge levels of infant nutrition were questioned with a questionnaire. Infant Nutrition Attitude Scale (IOWA) was administered to mothers. In order to evaluate mothers' postpartum depression status, the questions about quality of life were also questioned with a questionnaire form. The mean age of the mothers was 30.5 ± 5.89 years and the age range was 18-45 years. According to the body mass index (BMI) grouping, 1.9% of the mothers were weak, (<18.5 kg / m2), 53.3% were normal (18.5-24.9 kg / m2), 26.6% were over weight (25.0-29.9 kg / m2) and 17.1% were obese (≥30 kg / m2). It was found that 25.7% of the mothers fed their babies only with breast milk, 42.9% with breast milk and complementary foods and 31.4% with only complementary foods. 91.4% of the mothers think that babies should only be breastfed for the first 6 months. Only 74.3% of the mothers were found who did not need to be given extra water. IOWA total score of mothers increased as education level increased.(Primary education 55.0±6.32, high school 56.1±8.74 and university 60.4±8.48) and the relationship was statistically significant. ( p<0.05). Married mothers have higher IOWA total score (married 58.4±8.62, widow/divorced 53.2±4.76) the relationship was statistically significant. (p<0.05). IOWA total score of working mothers is higher than non-working mothers (working mothers5 9.3±8.67 non-working mothers 55.7±7.63) ( p<0.05). A significant negative correlation was found between the current weight of the babies and the IOWA total score (p <0.05). The average percentage of mothers answering nutritional information questions was 53.2 ± 13.19. The percentage of married mothers answering nutritional information questions correctly was higher than unmarried mothers (Married 53.9±13.12, unmarried 47.5±12.88). There was no statistically significant relationship between them (p> 0.05). Prevalence of mothers with previous history of PPD was found to be 21.9%. When the PPD stories were examined according to their educational background, PPD history was higher in high school graduate mothers than other groups (Primary education 26.1%, high school 26.5% and university 16.7%) and the relationship between them was not statistically significant (p> 0.05). PPD history was higher in the mothers who delivered vaginally (22.5% who delivered vaginally, 21.9% who delivered abdominally) and the relationship between them was not statistically significant (p> 0.05). The mean age of the mothers with PPD history was 31.1 ± 5.94 and the mean age of the mothers without PPD history was 30.3 ± 5.90. Mothers who had restlessness during their last pregnancy were found to have higher BMIs than those who did not (living in unrest 25.3 ± 4.25, do not experience unrest 24.9 ± 4.07) and the relationship was not significant (p> 0.05). Mothers who had voluntary pregnancy had the highest frequency of breastfeeding alone (88.9% only, breast milk + complementary feeding 64.4%, and the frequency of mothers who only complementary feeding 66.7%), and this relationship was not significant (p> 0.05). It is necessary to increase awareness of the importance of breast milk, to provide the necessary professional and social support for breastfeeding, and to inform parents and their relatives about postpartum depression. Key words: Breast milk, breastfeeding, nutritional information, IOWA scale, postpartum depression, For this research, 'Ethics Committee Approval dated 29.12.2018 and numbered 18/419 was received by Başkent University Non-Interventional Clinical Research Board.