• Yolanda Giménez, Francesc Fatjó, Aida Mallorquí, Alba Sanvicente, Francesc Figueras, and Angela Arranz.
• Departamento de Medicina Materno-Fetal, BCNatal, Centro de Medicina Materno-Fetal y Neonatal de Barcelona, Hospital Clínic, Universidad de Barcelona, Barcelona, España. Electronic address: ygimenez@clinic.cat.
• Aten Primaria. 2024 Sep 25; 57 (3): 103085103085.

ObjectiveThe postpartum period represents a vulnerable time for women's mental health, especially for those with complications and prematurity. This study aims to explore the evolution of depression and anxiety levels during the 12 weeks postpartum in mothers of premature babies.DesignProspective study of two parallel cohorts.SettingHospital Clínic of Barcelona.ParticipantsWomen with obstetric complications [premature rupture of membranes or preeclampsia] requiring hospitalization and preterm delivery (< 37 weeks of gestation); 2) Women without complications with term delivery.Main MeasuresValidated questionnaires were administered to measure anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, STAI) and depression (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, EPDS) during the first week, and at 6 and 12 weeks postpartum.Results182 women were analyzed: 90 with uncomplicated pregnancies and term deliveries, and 92 with complications requiring preterm delivery. During the follow-up, women with premature newborns showed a significantly unfavorable progression in depression (p <0.001) and anxiety (p <0.001) scores, as well as a higher proportion of abnormal scores on both scales (p <0.001 and p=0.004, respectively) CONCLUSIONS: Women with preterm delivery show higher anxiety and depression levels than those with term delivery during the 12 weeks postpartum. It is essential to ensure a seamless transition between care levels to effectively address postpartum mental health.Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Publicado por Elsevier España S.L.U. All rights reserved.

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