4185.0 Association between prenatal mental health and receipt of recommended maternal and infant care postpartum

Session: Implications of Social and Structural Factors on Maternal Health Outcomes

Program: Women's Caucus

Time: 12:30 - 1:30 PM

Presenters:

Claire Masters

Ashley Hagaman

Jeannette Ickovics

Abstract

Background: Maternal mental health can impact adherence to health care recommendations. We examined the association between prenatal depressive symptoms and perceived stress and receipt of the maternal 6-week postpartum visit and infant vaccinations in their first year.

Methods: Postpartum individuals (N=672) who attended Expect With Me group prenatal care in Nashville, Tennessee and Detroit, Michigan completed surveys during third trimester of pregnancy and 6- and 12-weeks postpartum. We conducted multiple logistic regression to examine associations between prenatal depressive symptoms and perceived stress and maternal receipt of six-week postpartum check-up and infant receipt of all recommended vaccinations by 12 months of age, controlling for potential confounders.

Results: Sixty-eight percent of participants had high perceived stress and 31% had high depressive symptoms during pregnancy. Individuals with high depressive symptoms were less likely to receive their six-week postpartum check-up compared to those with low depressive symptoms (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR] 0.54; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.32, 0.90). Babies born to individuals with high perceived stress were less likely to receive all recommended vaccines by 12 months old (AOR 0.37; 95% CI 0.15, 0.96).

Conclusions: High perceived stress and depressive symptoms were highly prevalent during pregnancy. High prenatal depressive symptoms was associated with not receiving the recommended six-week postpartum check, which is essential to detect postpartum complications and address family planning. High perceived stress during pregnancy was associated with lower adherence to recommended infant vaccinations, reducing protections against communicable diseases. Maternal mental health intervention is warranted to optimize equity in care and health.