BACKGROUND Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) is considered well accepted screening tool for postpartum depression (PPD). The objective of the study was to validate the EPDS as a screening tool for postpartum depression in Kathmandu, Nepal. METHODS A hospital based cross sectional study using EPDS was conducted among 346 mothers between 4 and 14 weeks of postpartum period. All the pa...

The incidence of substance abuse in pregnancy is substantial and affects pregnancy health and outcomes. Multiple challenges exist in the identification of women with substance abuse disorders in pregnancy and the provision of care. A multidisciplinary approach has been shown to be most successful in providing comprehensive and effective care. This article outlines key aspects of prenatal and po...

BACKGROUND Maternal medical care (prenatal and postpartum) involves a set of clinical interventions addressing risk factors associated with important maternal and infant outcomes. Programs to increase the rate of delivery of these interventions in clinical practice have not been widely implemented. METHODS A practice-based research network focused on developing continuous quality improvement ...

The postpartum period (typically the first six weeks after delivery) may underscore physical and emotional health issues in new mothers. A structured approach to the postpartum office visit ensures that relevant conditions and concerns are discussed and appropriately addressed. Common medical complications during this period include persistent postpartum bleeding, endometritis, urinary incontin...

Preeclampsia is associated with a 4-fold higher risk for developing remote chronic hypertension. Preeclampsia is accompanied by left ventricular hypertrophy and decreased diastolic function, which may or may not resolve postpartum. We tested the hypothesis that increased measures of cardiac geometry and decreased cardiac function persisting for ≥ 6 months postpartum in normotensive women with a...

OBJECTIVE The utility of several self-report symptom inventories were examined for detecting postpartum depression (MDD) and anxiety disorders (AD). METHOD Fifty women (3 or 6 months postpartum), at heightened risk for MDD, completed several depression and anxiety symptom checklists. Psychiatric diagnoses were obtained via SCID interview. RESULTS Rates of MDD (n=9) and AD (n=9) were equival...

BACKGROUND Anxiety and related disorders (AD) disproportionately affect women, and are the most prevalent of all mental health conditions. The current research represents the first study of maternal postpartum AD prevalence in which all of the AD are assessed, and one of few studies of this type in which maternal prenatal AD incidence is assessed. METHODS A Canadian sample of pregnant women (...

BACKGROUND Mood and anxiety and related disorders (AD) account for a significant proportion of mental health conditions, with close to 30 % of the population (28.8 %) suffering from an AD at some time in their life, and over fifteen percent (16.2 %) suffering from a mood disorder. The existing empirical literature leaves a number of important gaps with respect to our understanding of mood, anxi...

background: postpartum care at home is a post delivery care method that can be provided by public health nurses, trained health workers, or midwifery nurses. a study conducted to compare effect of two midwife visits at home to usual postpartum care on the healthy behaviors of low-risk iranian mothers. methods: a randomized controlled trial conducted on 200 mothers at a reference center for scre...

BACKGROUND Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is increasing, along with obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2DM), with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Aboriginal(a)) women in Australia particularly affected. GDM causes serious complications in pregnancy, birth, and the longer term, for women and their infants. Women with GDM have an eightfold risk of developing T2DM after pregnancy, compared ...