Evaluation of the association between fear of COVID-19 and pregnancy distress.

Background: Mental health problems experienced during pregnancy negatively affect both maternal and fetal wellbeing. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between fear of COVID-19 and pregnancy distress in healthy pregnant women living in Turkey. Methods: A descriptive, relational/cross-sectional study was conducted by interviewing 363 pregnant women in person. Data were collected using a personal information form, the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S), and the Tilburg Pregnancy Distress Scale (TPDS). Results: The mean FCV-19S score was 19.03±5.65 and the mean TPDS score was 19.97±7.97. According to the TPDS cut-off score, 19.0% of the participants were at risk of pregnancy distress. There was a significant positive correlation between FCV-19S and TPDS scores (r = 0.263, p<0.05). According to the regression analysis, age (ß= -0.217), years of education (ß= -0.272), and number of births (ß= 0.502) were associated with fear of COVID-19, and fear of COVID-19 was associated with TPDS scores (ß= 0.369) (p<0.05). Conclusion: The pregnant women in this study had moderate fear of COVID-19. Compared to the literature data, the prevalence of pregnancy distress was slightly higher than pre-COVID-19 reports but quite low compared to other studies conducted during the pandemic.

Maternal attachment and mental health status in mothers who have babies with infantile colic.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to determine maternal attachment and mental health status in mothers of babies with infantile colic. DESIGN: Cross-sectional online survey. SETTING: The study was conducted on messaging and social media platforms, and groups related to mothers and babies. PARTICIPANTS: 380 mothers, 107 of whom had babies with infantile colic and 273 of whom had healthy babies, participated in the study. MEASUREMENT TOOLS AND FINDINGS: A Personal Information Form, the Maternal Attachment Inventory, and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale were used to collect data. No statistically significant relationship was found between infantile colic status and maternal attachment. The depression, anxiety and stress scores of the mothers who had babies with infantile colic were significantly higher compared to the mothers with healthy babies (p<0.05). Additionally, as the depression scores of the mothers increased, their maternal attachment levels decreased (p <0.05). KEY CONCLUSIONS: Maternal depression, anxiety and stress make it difficult for mothers to provide care for their babies. Therefore, health professionals should screen mothers who have babies with infantile colic in the postpartum period in terms of mental health. Besides, the mothers should be provided with support to assist them in coping with their Babies' colic. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Health professionals should be aware that infantile colic negatively affects the mental health of mothers and increases the frequency of follow-ups of these mothers in the postpartum period. More research is needed to examine the effects of infantile colic on maternal attachment.