Randomized controlled trial to prevent postpartum depressive symptomatology: An infant carrier intervention

Abstract

Background: There is a need for effective interventions to reduce symptomatology of postpartum depression. The objective of this study was to test whether providing an ergonomic infant carrier would reduce postpartum depression symptomatology.

Methods: A randomized two-arm, parallel-group trial with 100 participants was conducted between February 2018 and June 2019 in a low-income community. At 30-weeks' gestation, 50 participants were randomly assigned to receive an ergonomic infant carrier and instructions on proper use (intervention group), and 50 participants were assigned to a waitlist (control group). Participants tracked the extent of their infant carrier use and completed the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS) to assess postpartum depression symptomatology at 6-weeks postpartum.

Results: Participants in the intervention group reported using an infant carrier significantly more often than the control group (β = 2.69, SE = 0.347, p < .001, 95 % CI = 2.08-3.41). The intervention group reported fewer depressive symptoms at 6-weeks postpartum than the control group (β = -0.541, p = .042).

Limitations: The sample size was relatively small and thus our results may not be generalizable to the general population.

Conclusion: Infant carrying may be a cost-effective intervention to reduce postpartum depression symptomatology. Large-scale studies are warranted to further examine the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of providing carriers as an intervention to reduce postpartum depression symptomatology.

Clinical trial registration: Clinicaltrials.gov id: NCT04376021. Data Sharing Statement: Deidentified individual participant data will not be made available because we did not obtain permission to share individual data.

Clinical trial registration number: NCT0437602; https://beta.

Clinicaltrials: gov/study/NCT04376021.

Keywords: Infant carriers; Perinatal; Postpartum depression.

Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of competing interest ErgoBaby donated all infant carriers used in this study but did not participate in any part of the research. The authors have no other financial, personal, political, intellectual, or religious relationships relevant to this article to disclose.

Published by Elsevier B.V.