Mother's Problems Experienced During the First Year of Postpartum and Their Association with the Kind of Childbirth in Mahabad, Iran, 2011

Childbirth causes many long lasting changes in women’s life، relations، work، social activities، and household responsibilities. These changes not only affect their mental and physical performance، but also their biological functions. Due to limited studies on postpartum maternal health problems in Iran and even in the whole world، the present study was held to determine the problems experienced by women during the first year after childbirth and its association with the kind of delivery. This descriptive study was carried out on 311 women who attended at Mahabad public health centers for prenatal care for 36 to 38 weeks of their pregnancy in Mahabad in year 2011. Three of the subjects were excluded from research and the initial questionnaire was completed by 308 women. They were interviewed at 7th day، 8th week، and 12th month postpartum about problems experienced during the past week. Collected data were analyzed by using SPSS statistical software version 18. Fisher test and ratio risk (95%CI) were used in order to determine the difference between women with vaginal delivery and cesarean. P value less than 0. 05 was considered statistically significant. During the 7 days after delivery، 91. 6% (n=289) in the first week، 90. 3% (n=277) at 8th week and 82. 5% (n=245) at 12th month experienced at least one problem. Problem reported by more than one third of the mothers during the first and eighth week were: backache (64% and 60%، respectively)، tiredness (63%، 60%)، headache (47%، 34%) and sleep disorders (32%، 46%)، and during last week of the twelfth month were: tiredness (43%)، sleep disorders (36%) and backache (35%). Frequency of problems such as backache، urinary incontinence، urinary tract infection and sorrow during the first week postpartum were more commonly reported by the women with normal vaginal delivery than women with cesarean section. while sleep disorders at all three stages; constipation، fatigue، complications of anesthesia or anesthesia at both the eighth week and twelfth month; breastfeeding problems at the twelfth month were more common among women with cesarean section (p<0. 05). Frequency of health problems increases in the postpartum period. Therefore، it is essential to pay more attention to mothers’ problems during this period.