Quality birth companionship may help prevent postpartum depression. 出産中の付き添い支援により産後うつを予防できるかもしれません

What is it about?

As well as or more than depression during pregnancy, complications of pregnancy and childbirth and postnatal care, companionship support during childbirth, including cesarean births, too, may impact (prevent from) postpartum depression. It is not enough that the birth support was "just okay, overall", but there is a need for companionship support during labor and birth to fulfill or exceed women's expectations, like the mother can say "it was perfect☆"! 「妊娠中のうつ症状」、「難産や妊娠・出産の合併症」、「産後ケア」と同様かそれ以上に、「出産中の付き添い支援」（経腟分娩だけでなく帝王切開も含みます）は、産後うつの発症に影響を与える（産後うつを予防する）可能性があります。しかし、「概して良かった」というのでは不十分であり、妊産婦の期待を満たし、越えるようなケア、つまり「完璧だった☆」と振り返ってもらえるような出産中の付き添い支援が求められているようなのです。

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Photo by Jimmy Conover on Unsplash

Photo by Jimmy Conover on Unsplash

Why is it important?

The importance of respectful maternity care and a human rights-based approach has been emphasized globally. Prioritizing the time-consuming support of non-medical care during childbirth in healthcare facilities can be particularly difficult in busy settings, such as when there is a shortage of staff. When you wonder "Is this pregnant woman being selfish?" or "We are busy too and don't need to listen to them this much," we would like them to know that 'whether or not they leave a little bit of dissatisfaction' may greatly influence the onset of postnatal depression for your clients. Also, this study would like to reiterate to the medical professionals in clinical settings that the majority of mothers are satisfied with and grateful for maternity care they received during labor and childbirth. It is a point that needs more research to determine whether the tendency to express even a small amount of dissatisfaction or unfulfillment might actually be a very serious situation, and whether this is only the case in Japan.　 妊産婦を尊重したケアや、人権に基づくアプローチの大切さが近年強調されています。医療施設での出産において医療ケア以外の手間のかかる支援を優先するのは人手不足など多忙な現場では特に難しいことですが、「この妊産婦さんはワガママなのか？」「私たちも忙しいし、ここまで叶えてあげる必要はないだろう」と思う時、「少しでも不満を残してしまうかどうか」が産後うつ発症に影響する可能性があるとしたらどうでしょうか。日本のデータで、大半の母親は出産ケアにとても満足していたこと、感謝していたということも改めてわかりました。同時に、妊産婦が不満や未充足感を少しでも表明する場合は、実はよほど酷い状態であるかもしれないという傾向は日本だけなのか、もっと研究が必要な点だと思います。

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