Correlation between prenatal depression with delivery type and neonatal anthropometric indicators

Depression is one of the most common health problems in women، that it has the effects on the fetus growth beside on mother complications. The aim of this study was to determine the correlation between prenatal depression and delivery type and neonatal anthropometric indicators in women referring to Dezful (Iran) health centers in 2012. A prospective cohort study was carried out on pregnant women. Sampling using quato sampling was performed. In this study، 180 pregnant women with gestational age 34-36 weeks were divided into two groups، non depression (the control group) and depression (the case group). The research data were collected using demographical questionnaire، The Beck depression inventor، The Edinburgh postnatal pepression scale. The questionnaire was provided by content validity. That reliability was confirmed by test re-test. The results indicated that prenatal depression increase likelihood of cesarean delivery 2. 3 time more and there was significant difference between the two groups (p<0. 001). This study showed likelihood of low birth weight in the case group was 3. 1 times more compared to mothers with the control group. Furthermore، the control group showed a significant increase in mean of birth weight، head circumference، apgar score in one minute (> 6) at neonatal compared with the case group (p<0. 001). Due to negative effects of depression on maternal and neonatal outcomes، gestational period is an opportunity for screening، counseling and training to reduce depression in pregnancy.