Relação entre introdução precoce de alimentos complementares e depressão pós-parto em mulheres com histórico de depressão na gravidez

Abstract

Introduction: Appropriate infant feeding practices to promote optimal growth and development include exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) for the first 6 months of life and introduction complementary foods at 6 months, with continued BF up to 2 years of age or older. Mothers experiencing postpartum depression (PPD) may show difficulties feeding their children. Aims: the aims of this analysis were 2-fold: to examine the association between PPD and early introduction of complementary foods (EICF) before 4 months of age and to describe the frequency of EICF among women with a history of depression during pregnancy. Methods: We used cross-sectional data from women enrolled in a community trial, collected between 6 to 9 months after childbirth. The presence of PPD was evaluated using the “Patient Health Questionnaire-9”. Poisson regression models with robust variance were used to examine the association between PPD and EICF. Covariates included demographics, socioeconomic, maternal, and child factors. A total of 326 mother-infant dyads were included. Results: The overall prevalence of EICF was 75.8%. There were no differences in EICF regarding maternal depression status. Lower prevalence of EICF was associated with continuity of BF at 6 months, working outside of the home, and lower family income. The food items that were introduced more commonly before 4 months included: water, tea, milk, and cookies, with no differences regarding maternal depression status. Conclusions: Interventions to prevent EICF should not prioritize maternal emotional status during the postpartum period, but breastfeeding and social aspects such as family income and the women's external work.

Keywords

• nutrição da criança. depressão pós-parto. cuidado pós-natal. amamentação. saúde pública.