Maternal Mental Illness and Postpartum Outcome: An Analysis of California Inpatient Data

Event Center A & B

Background: Pregnancy and child-related complications are leading causes of maternal morbidity and mortality. The limited national health objectives of maternal, infant, and child health lack to address the maternal mental health need. The absence of sufficient maternal education and awareness bring a toll to the health of future generations. For this reason, it is critical to quantify the importance of maternal mental health to establish better preventable measures to ensure a healthier future for mothers and children. Methods: Data was obtained from the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD) 2008-2010 inpatient data. The primary independent variable was mental illness defined as mood disorders. The dependent variables were pregnancy birth outcomes defined as fetal distress, poor fetal growth, and postpartum hemorrhage. Descriptive statistics followed by bivariate analysis (chi-square) were utilized with alpha less than .05 denoting significance. Results: Major key findings of the study were significant correlations (p <0.05) between mood disorders and the adverse outcomes of poor fetal growth and postpartum hemorrhage. Women with mood disorders had 1.9% of poor fetal growth as compared to those without (1.4%). In regards to postpartum hemorrhage, the prevalence was highly significant in women with mood disorders opposed to those without (4.6% vs. 2.6%). Results showed no association (p > 0.05) between mood disorders and fetal distress. Conclusion: This study demonstrated the negative burden of maternal mood disorders on postpartum outcomes. Given the empirical evidence of the study, addressing the maternal mental health status is a key public health issue.