Perinatal Health and Wellbeing extra reading

Question 1

problems with measuring perinatal anxiety

Answer 1

• Krystyna et al., 2022: study emphasizes the need for culturally appropriate, psychometrically robust measures and calls for improved validation practices using clinical interviews and comprehensive evaluation of tool effectiveness

Question 2

PND and new fatherhood

Answer 2

• Pederson et al., 2021: new fathers experiencing postnatal depression often feel overwhelmed, isolated, and unable to fulfil their paternal role, yet struggle to seek help due to stigma and societal expectations of masculinity. It emphasizes the urgent need for greater recognition of paternal mental health and the development of support services specifically designed for fathers

Question 3

overlap between PND and PTSD

Answer 3

• Liu et al., 2021: This study found that 23.5% of postpartum women exhibited symptoms of depression, while 6.1% showed symptoms of PTSD. Notably, the presence of PTSD was identified as the strongest risk factor for PPD symptoms, and vice versa, indicating a significant bidirectional relationship between the two conditions

Question 4

kangaroo care in NICU

Answer 4

• New England Journal of Medicine, 2021: early initiation of KMC significantly reduced neonatal mortality by 25% compared to conventional care, which typically involves delayed skin-to-skin contact. These findings underscore the critical role of immediate KMC in improving survival rates among low birth weight infants in NICUs

Question 5

perinatal loss and grief

Answer 5

• Zhang et al., 2024: perinatal loss can lead to acute grief that may evolve into complicated grief—a chronic, debilitating condition characterized by persistent sorrow, guilt, and emotional numbness
  emphasizes the necessity for early identification and tailored psychological support to mitigate long-term mental health consequences for bereaved mothers