Evaluation of cognitive functions, anxiety and postpartum depression on peripartum women and effects on breastfeeding

Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate women in the peripartum period in terms of intellectual functions (cognitive function, learning, memory), sociodemographic characteristics, anxiety and postpartum depression and to investigate their effects on breastfeeding success. Material and Methods: 158 pregnant women who applied to AYBÜ Yenimahalle Training and Research Hospital Gynecology Clinic between February 2018 - August 2018 were included in the study. A total of 96 healthy women who were in reproductive age but had no children under 2 years were included in the study. Sociodemographic data questionnaire, mini-mental test, state-trait anxiety scale (STAI 1,2) were performed to the pregnant women in the last trimester. In the first 24 - 48 hours postpartum, mini mental test, STAI 1 and STAI 2 were repeated and breastfeeding self-efficacy test was applied. On the 10-15th days of postpartum, mothers were screened for depression with the Edinburgh postpartum depression scale and their breastfeeding was evaluated with the Latch scoring system. On the 10th postpartum day, the mothers of the babies who were fed exclusively breast-feeding were accepted as successful and the mothers who fed by formula were considered as unsuccessful. In the control group, mini mental test, STAI 1 and STAI 2 were applied. Data were analyzed with SPSS 15. Results: Postpartum MMSE scores were significantly increased and STAI 2 test scores were significantly decreased compared to prenatal scores in the study group (p <0.05). There was no statistically significant difference between STAI 1,2 and mini-mental test scores evaluated before and after delivery between the successful and unsuccessful groups (p> 0.05).There was no difference between the two groups in terms of the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Screening Scores (P> 0.05). LATCH scores were significantly higher in the successful group compared to the unsuccessful group (p <0.05). Conclusions: MMSE, STAI 1 and 2 had no effect on the success of breastfeeding although there was an increase in cognitive functions and a decrease in STAI 2 scores after birth. Our study show that the general judgment in the health care workers and the society regarding the decrease in the cognitive functions of the mother after birth is wrong. In order to achieve the desired success rates in terms of starting and sustaining breastfeeding, more studies are needed including long-term follow-up and evaluating many related factors.