Page 193 - EJMO-9-2

Eurasian Journal of
Medicine and Oncology Prevalence of PPD in Baghdad

Table 2. The correlation between specific obstetric variables and the incidence of PPD
Variable PPD p-value
Yes (50.5%) No (49.5%) Total (100%)
(n = 202) (%) (n = 198) (%) (n = 400) (%)
Maternal illnesses during pregnancy
Hypertension 36 (54.5) 30 (45.5) 66 (16.5) 0.5
Diabetes mellitus 18 (56) 14 (44) 32 (8)
Other 87 (46) 81 (54) 168 (42)
No illnesses 61 (45.5) 73 (55.5) 134 (33.5)
Complications after or during delivery
Pyrexia 31 (62) 19 (38) 50 (12.5) < 0.0001
Hemorrhage 22 (85) 4 (15) 26 (6.5)
Other 22 (67) 11 (33) 33 (8.25)
No complications 127 (44) 164 (56) 291 (72.75)
Neonatal illness
Yes 34 (58) 25 (42) 59 (15) 0.23
No 168 (49) 173 (51) 341 (85)
Planning of pregnancy
Yes 102 (47) 115 (53) 217 (54.25) 0.128
No 100 (55) 83 (45) 183 (45.75)
Sex of the last baby
Male 104 (50.4) 102 (49.6) 206 (51.5) 0.5
Female 98 (50.5) 96 (49.5) 194 (48.5)
Sex of the last baby preferred
Yes 159 (48) 174 (52) 333 (82.25) 0.014
No 43 (64) 24 (36) 67 (16.75)
Pregnancy period
Full term (more than 37 weeks) 174 (50.4) 171 (49.6) 345 (86.25) 0.64
Early (before 37 weeks of pregnancy) 28 (51) 27 (49) 55 (13.75)
Mode of delivery
Vaginal 80 (49) 82 (51) 162 (40.5) 0.94
Cesarean section 122 (51) 116 (49) 238 (59.5)
Modality of feeding
Breastfeeding 44 (45) 53 (55) 97 (24.25) 0.116
Bottle feeding 64 (59) 45 (41) 109 (27.25)
Mixed modalities 94 (48) 100 (52) 194 (48.5)
Abbreviation: PPD: Postpartum depression.
In various studies, the absence of family assistance healthy marriage – enables women to manage household
and poor marital relationships demonstrate a strong duties and take care of their newborn child, particularly
correlation with the occurrence of PPD in women. In this during the postpartum phase (p = 0.006). 30-32
study, women lacking family support are five times at risk PPD has been linked to enduring pain during delivery;
to PPD, while those who have poor marital relationships however, more than half of the participants had Cesarean
are at nearly four-fold risk to PPD. This is because women section during delivery, where the pain is minimized
who lack social support are more susceptible to stress, through the use of anesthesia. Thus, the mode of delivery
loneliness, and despair. In addition, as demonstrated by a does not significantly contribute to PPD, and this finding
study in India, a partner’s support – which is a sign of a aligns with the previous studies in Iran and Türkiye. 33,34

Volume 9 Issue 2 (2025) 185 doi: 10.36922/ejmo.8528