Effect of Baby Massage on Postnatal Maternal Attachment and Depression

Effect of Baby Massage on Postnatal Maternal Attachment and Depression: Randomized Controlled Study

This study aims to examine the effects of providing infant massage training to mothers in the early postpartum period with the goal of preventing postpartum depression and enhancing maternal bonding.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Postpartum Period
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Infant Massage Program

Detailed Description

Postpartum depression is a common and serious mood disorder influenced by various factors. The global prevalence of postpartum depression has been identified as 17.22%. Depressive symptoms experienced by the mother can affect her daily activities and have a negative impact on infant care. Postpartum depression can also affect mother-infant bonding. A healthy bond between the mother and the baby supports the baby in feeling secure, emotionally satisfied, and adapting to the world. Infant massage has been encouraged in recent years for mothers as it can create positive effects on both depression and maternal attachment. This study provided infant massage training to mothers in the early postpartum period with the aim of preventing postpartum depression and enhancing maternal attachment. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) was administered to participants on the 14th day postpartum, and those with a score of 12 or below were included in the study. A total of 70 participants were randomly assigned to either the experimental group (35 participants) or the control group (35 participants). The experimental group received a 5-week International Association of Infant Massage (IAIM) Infant Massage Program starting from the 14th day postpartum. The control group did not receive any training or intervention. At the end of the 5 weeks, participants were assessed using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and the Maternal Attachment Inventory. The study examined whether there were differences in the mean scores of the scales between the groups.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 70
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Turkey
  • Ankara, Turkey, 06510
    • Koru Hospital

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child; Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Primiparous
• Singleton pregnancy
• Delivery at term (37-42 weeks of gestation)
• Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale score ≤ 12
• No physical health issues preventing massage
• No history of psychiatric illness (self-reported)
• At least basic literacy
• Residing in Ankara
• No previous training in infant massage
• Speaking the same language as the researcher
• Absence of any anomaly, malformation, or health issue preventing massage (for infants)

Exclusion Criteria:

• Not having completed the infant massage training
• Wanting to withdraw from the study for any reason

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Group Receiving Infant Massage Training; The experimental group received a 5-week International Association of Infant Massage (IAIM) Infant Massage Program starting from the 14th day postpartum.	Other: Infant Massage Program; The experimental group received the International Association of Infant Massage (IAIM) Infant Massage Program starting from day 14 postpartum for a duration of 5 weeks.
No Intervention: Infant massage training not provided group; The control group received no training or intervention.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale	The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) is a 10-item measure used as a screening tool to identify the risk of depression, but it is not intended for diagnostic purposes. Each question on the scale is scored from 0 to 3, with the maximum possible score being 30. The 1st, 2nd, and 4th questions are scored 0-1-2-3, while the 3rd, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th questions are scored 3-2-1-0. The cut-off point for the scale is 13, with scores of 13 and above indicating the presence of depression. In this study, the scale was administered to participants on the 14th and 45th days postpartum. The difference between the mean scores of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale in the experimental group and the mean scores in the control group was examined to determine if it is statistically significant (p<0.05 indicates significance).	One month
Maternal Attachment Scale	The Maternal Attachment Inventory (MAI) is a unidimensional scale designed to measure the attachment between a mother and her baby. It consists of 26 items, each rated on a 4-point Likert scale ranging from "always" to "never." The scale is scored as follows: "Always = 4 points," "Frequently = 3 points," "Sometimes = 2 points," and "Never = 1 point." Higher total scores indicate higher levels of maternal attachment. The minimum possible score on the scale is 26, and the maximum possible score is 104. In this study, the scale was administered to participants on the 45th day postpartum. The difference between the mean scores of the Maternal Attachment Inventory in the experimental group and the mean scores in the control group was examined to determine if it is statistically significant (p<0.05 indicates significance).	one day
he relationship between the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and Maternal Attachment Scale.	The relationship between the mean scores of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and the mean scores of the Maternal Attachment Scale administered to participants on the 45th day postpartum was examined to determine if it is statistically significant (p<0.05 indicates significance).	one day

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Gazi University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Ceyda Sarper-Erkılıç, Gazi University; Principal Investigator: Ayten Şentürk-Erenel, Lokman Hekim Üniversitesi

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): December 25, 2022
• Primary Completion (Actual): June 18, 2023
• Study Completion (Actual): June 18, 2023

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: June 13, 2024
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 19, 2024
• First Posted (Actual): June 26, 2024

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): June 26, 2024
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 19, 2024
• Last Verified: June 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Infant; Nursing; Massage; Attachment; Depression, Postpartum
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Behavioral Symptoms; Depression
• Other Study ID Numbers: GaziU-CSE-01

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No