Early adverse emotional response to childbirth in Turkey: the impact of maternal attachment styles and family support.

Early adverse emotional response which is often detected in the form of depressive symptoms is a predictor of postpartum depression following the birth. The aim of our study is to highlight contextual and individual factors that have an impact on mothers' depressive symptoms during the early postpartum period. One hundred mothers participated in the study. Maternal depressive symptoms were screened by Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS), and maternal anxiety level was assessed by State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) at early postpartum period (7-10 days). The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) was used for the assessment of maternal social support. The Adult Attachment Scale (AAS) was used to determine the attachment style of the mother. The mean EPDS score of mothers who live in extended families is found to be significantly lower than others who live in nuclear families (extended families 7.13+/-7.39, nuclear families 11.77+/-5.96, p=0.006). Significant positive correlations were found between EPDS total scores and ambivalent attachment style group (r=.0436, p=.000), and avoidant attachment style group (r=.328, p=.001). The level of perceived family support also showed a negative correlation with EPDS total score (r=-.363, p=.000). The regression of EPDS total score with ambivalent attachment style and state anxiety level are positively predicted and the level of perceived family support and existence of wider social network negatively predict the EPDS total score in the first postpartum week. Maternal attachment patterns, living with the extended family and existence of family support have an important impact on early postpartum emotional adaptation. Early intervention strategies should count towards these individual and contextual factors when designing screening and preventive interventions for postpartum depression.

Mothers' postpartum psychological adjustment and infantile colic.

BACKGROUND: Infantile colic is a common problem of early infancy. There is limited data on the relation between postpartum maternal psychological problems and colic. AIM: : To investigate whether infantile colic is associated with postpartum mood disorders or insecure adult attachment style of the mother. METHODS: Seventy eight mothers and newborns were enrolled in this prospective, longitudinal study. Maternal depressive symptoms were screened with Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Score (EPDS) and maternal anxiety was assessed with State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). The Adult Attachment Scale was used to determine the attachment style of the mother. Infantile colic was defined according to Wessel criteria. RESULTS: Infantile colic was present in 17 infants (21.7%); 12.9% of the mothers had an EPDS > or =13. The mean EPDS of the mothers whose infants had infantile colic (10.2+/-6.0) was significantly higher than that of the mothers of infants without colic (6.3+/-4.0). Among infants with infantile colic, 62.5% had mothers who had insecure attachment style, whereas only 31.1% of mothers had insecure attachment when the infant did not have infantile colic. CONCLUSION: Postpartum maternal depressive symptoms and insecure attachment style are associated with infantile colic. Screening and early intervention of postpartum depression might promote the health of both the mother and infant.

Prevalence of childhood allergic diseases in Adana, Southern Turkey.

A study to determine the prevalence of childhood asthma and other allergic diseases was done in Adana, during the period between January 1993 and January 1994. The study has been carried out on 2334 children (48.5% boys). Asthma and the other allergic diseases were recognized in 23.6% of the children. The prevalence of asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis, wheezing, and atopic dermatitis were found to be 12.9, 8.8, 8.4, and 5.0%, respectively. The symptoms of respiratory allergic diseases (asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis, wheezing) seemed to be significantly associated with the environmental factors. In conclusion, asthma and other allergic diseases constituted a major health problem for school children in Adana.

Treatment of hyperkalemia in children with intravenous salbutamol.

The aim of this study is to investigate the efficacy and safety of intravenous salbutamol in hyperkalemia. Fourteen children with chronic renal failure, three with acute renal failure and hyperkalemia were treated by intravenous infusions of 4 micrograms/kg salbutamol. Reductions in the mean plasma potassium (K+) concentrations obtained at 40 to 120 min after therapy were statistically significant when compared with the mean plasma K+ concentration at the beginning of therapy (P < 0.01).