ASSESSMENT OF POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION WITHIN THE FIRST TWO WEEKS OF DELIVERY IN A TERTIARY CARE CENTER USING THE MARATHI VERSION OF EDINBURGH POSTNATAL DEPRESSION SCALE

Abstract

Background: Postpartum depression (PPD) is a serious health issue with several risk factors. It can have significant worse effects on both the mother and the infant. Early detection and intervention are essential for improving outcomes. Therefore, the present study aims to assess PPD within the first two weeks of delivery in a tertiary care center using the Marathi version of the EPDS.

Methodology: This cross-sectional study was conducted at MGM Hospital, Aurangabad. Ethics committee approval was obtained before the initiation of the study. In this study; we included 141 participants within 2 weeks of their deliveries. They were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire and were screened using EPDS.

Results: The results of this study show that among the 141 participants, 82 were male newborns and 56 were female newborns. Age, days post-delivery, term classification (pre-term vs. full-term), mode of delivery (LSCS vs. ND), and gender did not show statistically significant differences between groups with EPDS scores <13 and >13 (p > 0.05 for all comparisons).

Conclusion: Our study highlighted the risk factors for postpartum depression, which can affect the emotional well-being and overall quality of life of patients. EPDS is a useful tool for the diagnosis of PPD among mothers. This study shed light on EPDS scores analysis and revealed no significant differences in gender, age, delivery timing, mode, or post-delivery duration between groups with EPDS scores <13 and >13, suggesting these factors may not predict postpartum depression in our population. Further research is needed to confirm their role as risk factors.