ABSTRACT

This study determined the association between postpartum depression, infant feeding practices, and infant nutritional status of lactating mothers attending health centers in Umuahia North Local Government Area, Abia State. A cross-sectional design was adopted which included lactating mothers with infants aged 6-11 months in the study area. A multistage sampling technique was used to recruit 150 lactating mothers with infants aged 6-11 months who consented to participate in the study. A semi-structured and validated questionnaire was used to collect information on the background and socio-economic characteristics of the lactating mothers, as well as the infant feeding practices. The Edinburgh postpartum depression scale was used to collect data on postpartum depression among the lactating mothers. The lactating mothers weight and height were collected with the infants weight and length. Descriptive statistics (frequency and percentage) was used to analyse data collected on the background and socio-economic characteristics as well as the anthropometric measurements of the lactating mothers while the anthropometric status of the infants were compared using the WHO-ANTHRO for child growth standard and then analyzed using frequency and percentage. Descriptive statistics was used to assess the infant minimum dietary diversity and postpartum depression among lactating mothers and Pearson correlation analysis was used to determine the association between postpartum depression, infant minimum dietary diversity and the anthropometric status. Some lactating mothers were aged 20-24 years (8.7%), and 25-49 years of age. (91.3%). About 58.0% of the lactating mothers had tertiary education, 28.7% had secondary education while 13.3% had primary education. About 26.0% of the infants met the minimum dietary diversity while 74.0% did not achieve the minimum dietary diversity. More than half (52.0%) of the mothers had low level of depressive symptoms while 48.0% had high level of depressive symptoms. Most (69.3%, 68.7%, and 66.0% respectively) of the infants had normal length-for-age, weight-for-age and weight-for-length. Also, 26.0% of the mothers had normal body mass index, while 52.0% and 22.0% of the lactating mothers were overweight and obese, respectively. Based on the findings of this study, there was a notable prevalence of postpartum depression among lactating mothers, with almost half exhibiting high levels of depressive symptoms. Infant minimum dietary diversity was achieved by only a quarter of the infants, indicating potential gaps in feeding practices. Anthropometric measurements of infants mostly indicated normal growth parameters. Maternal body mass index showed a significant positive association with postpartum depression, highlighting a potential area for further investigation. However, the study did not find any significant association between postpartum depression, infant minimum dietary diversity, and infant anthropometric status. This suggests that while maternal depression and nutritional practices are important factors to consider in lactating populations, they may not directly correlate with infant growth outcomes in this context. To support maternal mental health and optimize infant nutrition, the study recommended routine screening for antenatal and postpartum depression to address potential challenges in breastfeeding and maternal well-being. These findings underscore the complex interplay of maternal mental health and infant feeding practices in promoting optimal child health outcomes.