POST PARTUM EMOTIONAL DISTRESS IN MOTHERS OF PRETERM INFANTS: A CONTROLLED STUDY

ABSTRACTObjectives: To investigate whether mothers of preterm infants experience morepsychological distress than mothers of normal full term infants in the immediatepostpartum period.Design: Cross sectional prospective study of postpartal women using the Beck DepressionInventory(BDI) and the GHQ-30.Setting: Neonatal intensive care units and the obstetric units of Wesley Guild Hospital,Ilesa or Multipurpose Health Centre, Ilesa(These are component Units of ObafemiAwolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Osun State Nigeria).Results: Of the 60 postnatal women recruited into the study, 33 mothers of pretermneonates formed the index group and 27 mothers of full term normal infants constitutedthe control group. More mothers of preterm neonates(27.3%) had GHQ-30 scores whichcategorised them as having significant emotional distress than mothers of full termnormal infants(3.7%). Similarly more mothers of preterm neonates(15.1%) were moredepressed than mothers of full term normal infants(3.7%). These differences were foundto be statistically significant when the mean scores of the two groups on the instrumentswere compared.Conclusion: These problems are not usually detected nor appropriately referred by thepaediatrician/obstetrician to the psychiatrist. This has a number of implications forpreventive psychiatry. A multidisciplinary approach is therefore essential in the detectionand management of these problems

Post partum emotional distress in mothers of preterm infants: a controlled study

Objectives: To investigate whether mothers of preterm infants experience more psychological distress than mothers of normal full term infants in the immediate postpartum period. Design: Cross sectional prospective study of postpartal women using the Beck Depression Inventory(BDI) and the GHQ-30. Setting: Neonatal intensive care units and the obstetric units of Wesley Guild Hospital, Ilesa or Multipurpose Health Centre, Ilesa(These are component Units of Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Osun State Nigeria). Results: Of the 60 postnatal women recruited into the study, 33 mothers of preterm neonates formed the index group and 27 mothers of full term normal infants constituted the control group. More mothers of preterm neonates(27.3%) had GHQ-30 scores which categorised them as having significant emotional distress than mothers of full term normal infants(3.7%). Similarly more mothers of preterm neonates(15.1%) were more depressed than mothers of full term normal infants(3.7%). These differences were found to be statistically significant when the mean scores of the two groups on the instruments were compared. Conclusion: These problems are not usually detected nor appropriately referred by the paediatrician/obstetrician to the psychiatrist. This has a number of implications for preventive psychiatry. A multidisciplinary approach is therefore essential in the detection and management of these problems. (East African Medical Journal: 2003 80(6): 289-292

Medication adherence and blood pressure control: A preliminary assessment of the role of health insurance in Nigeria and Ghana

Objectives: This study sought to assess the current impact of health insurance coverage on medication adherence and blood pressure control of patients being managed for hypertension in Ghana and Nigeria. Methods: The study was a prospective study among 109 patients with hypertension in two health facilities with similar population dynamics in Ghana and Nigeria. Patients were systematically selected, categorized as having health insurance coverage or not, and followed up monthly for 6 months. The outcome variables (medication adherence and blood pressure control) were then measured and compared at 6 months. Analysis was done using Stata with level of significance set at p ⩽ 0.05. Results: There was a 90% insurance coverage among participants from Ghana compared to 15% from Nigeria. National Health Insurance Authority enrolees in both countries had better blood pressure control and medication adherence compared to non-enrolees (adjusted odds ratio = 2.6 and 4.5, respectively). Conclusion: National Health Insurance Authority enrolment was found to be poor among respondents in Nigeria compared to Ghana. Enrolment into the National health financing schemes in both countries led to better blood pressure control and medication adherence among patients with hypertension at primary health facilities. There is therefore the need for system strengthening to improve their sustainability. © The Author(s) 2023.Open access journalThis item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]