Effect of Mother and Newborn Skin to Skin Contact on Postpartum Blues

Postpartum blues is a complication that threatens mother health and her binding with newborn and her physical and psychological health. Skin to skin contact is a simple, effective and available method that its advantages were approved. There is some evidence that it can decrease postpartum blues. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of skin to skin contact on postpartum blues. This clinical trial study was performed on 80 patients (40 cases and 40 controls) with postpartum blues who were hospitalized in postpartum ward of Amol Imam Ali hospital in 2009. Case group received skin to skin contact with newborn 20-30 minutes daily for 10 days and no intervention was done for control groups. Severity of postpartum blues was evaluated by Zung Self Rating Depression Scale on the 3rd, 4th and 10th days after birth in case and control groups and then compared. There was not statistically significant difference between two groups with regard to demographic and obstetric variables. Mean of postpartum blues on the 1st day was 57.2±4.3 in case group and 56.2±3.8 in control group that showed no significant difference. Mean of postpartum blues score was 58±4.4 in case group and 60.9±3.7 in control group on the 4th day and it was 49.2±5.6 in case group and 60.4±3.6 in control group on the 10th day that showed significant difference (p=0.002 and p<0.0001, respectively). Mean of postpartum blues severity in these days in case groups was lower than control group. The results of this study showed that mother and newborn skin to skin contact was effective for decreasing postpartum blues severity. Therefore it is a simple, useful and cost free method to improve postpartum blues and its application is recommended for improving maternal psychological health.