The Influence of Maternal Psychological Manifestations on the Mother–Child Couple during the Early COVID-19 Pandemic in Two Hospitals in Timisoara, Romania
Cristina Dragomir,
Roxana Popescu,
Elena Silvia Bernad,
Marioara Boia,
Daniela Iacob,
Mirabela Adina Dima,
Ruxandra Laza,
Nicoleta Soldan,
Brenda-Cristiana Bernad,
Alin Eugen Semenescu,
Ion Dragomir,
Claudiu Elian Angelescu-Coptil,
Razvan Nitu,
Marius Craina,
Constantin Balaceanu-Stolnici,
Cristina Adriana Dehelean
Affiliations
Cristina Dragomir
Doctoral School, ‘Victor Babes’ University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Square, No. 2, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
Roxana Popescu
Department II—Microscopic Morphology, Discipline of Cellular and Molecular Biology, ‘Victor Babes’ University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Square, No. 2, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
Elena Silvia Bernad
Department XII—Obstetrics-Gynecology, Discipline of Obstetrics-Gynecology III, ‘Victor Babes’ University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Square, No. 2, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
Marioara Boia
Department XII—Obstetrics-Gynecology, Discipline of Neonatology and Childcare, ‘Victor Babes’ University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Square, No. 2, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
Daniela Iacob
Department XII—Obstetrics-Gynecology, Discipline of Neonatology and Childcare, ‘Victor Babes’ University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Square, No. 2, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
Mirabela Adina Dima
Department XII—Obstetrics-Gynecology, Discipline of Neonatology and Childcare, ‘Victor Babes’ University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Square, No. 2, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
Ruxandra Laza
Department XIII, Discipline of Infectious Disease, ‘Victor Babes’ University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Square, No. 2, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
Nicoleta Soldan
‘Francisc I. Rainer’ Anthropological Research Center, Romanian Academy, Eroii Sanitari Bd., No. 8, 050474 Bucharest, Romania
Brenda-Cristiana Bernad
Department VIII—Neurosciences, ‘Victor Babes’ University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Square, No. 2, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
Alin Eugen Semenescu
Department of Psychology, West University of Timisoara, Vasile Parvan Bd., No. 4, 300223 Timisoara, Romania
Ion Dragomir
Individual Family Medical Office, 207440 Ostroveni, Romania
Claudiu Elian Angelescu-Coptil
‘Pius Brinzeu’ County Emergency Clinical Hospital, Liviu Rebreanu Bd., No. 156, 300723 Timisoara, Romania
Razvan Nitu
Department XII—Obstetrics-Gynecology, Discipline of Obstetrics-Gynecology III, ‘Victor Babes’ University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Square, No. 2, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
Marius Craina
Department XII—Obstetrics-Gynecology, Discipline of Obstetrics-Gynecology III, ‘Victor Babes’ University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Square, No. 2, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
Department of Toxicology and Drug Industry, Faculty of Pharmacy, ‘Victor Babes’ University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Square, No. 2, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
Background and objectives: The postpartum maternal physical and psychological state played a fundamental role in the mother–child relationship at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of the study is to analyze the influence of maternal psychological manifestations on the mother–child couple through three objectives (briefly expressed): (I) Determination of the main acute and chronic conditions of newborns/infants. (II) Verification of the hypothesis of the existence of a link between the following neonatal variables: gestational age, birth weight, number of days of hospitalization, and specific neonatal therapies (oxygen, surfactant, and blood products’ transfusion). (III) Verification of the influence of postpartum maternal psychological status on the mother–child couple through three hypotheses. Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in two hospitals in Timișoara, Romania, between 1 March and 1 September 2020, and included 165 mothers and their 175 newborns. Mothers answered the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, Spielberger’s Inventory of State-Trait Anxiety, and the Collins and Read Revised Adult Attachment Scale. Results: (I) The acute and chronic pathology of the infants in the study group was polymorphic. (II) Large correlations were identified between the following infant variables: gestational age with birth weight, and number of hospitalization days with birth weight, gestational age, and use of blood product transfusion (all p p = 0.037), number of acute disorders (p = 0.028), and number of infant chronic diseases (p = 0.037). (2) Maternal depressive symptoms were the only predictor of postpartum maternal attachment (p = 0.018). (3) Depressive symptoms, state, and trait anxiety were non-significant in all models studied (all p > 0.05). Conclusions: Postpartum maternal physical and psychological state plays a fundamental role on the mother–child relationship in the new social and complex family conditions.
