Kangaroo care and postpartum depression: The role of oxytocin.
Hanan A Badr, Jaclene A Zauszniewski
PMID 31406740WHAT IT FOUND
Kangaroo care, which includes breastfeeding, was associated with lower postpartum depression scores, but the review does not prove it prevents depression.
Key findings
01Mothers in kangaroo care groups had lower depression scores than comparison groups.
02Mothers who provided kangaroo care reported feeling calmer, stronger, more coordinated, energetic, contented, relaxed, proficient, happy, friendly, and clearheaded, and their mood differed compared with mothers whose babies were placed in incubators.
03Increased oxytocin levels led to a decrease in maternal depression and anxiety symptoms.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
This is a narrative review, not a new study of patients, and it does not describe how it selected or appraised the studies it summarizes. The authors say the knowledge base linking kangaroo care and postpartum depression is small and that reviewed findings were inconclusive. Some positive results come from case reports, which describe individual mothers and do not show that kangaroo care works. Kangaroo care is defined as including breastfeeding, so the review cannot separate the effect of skin-to-skin contact from breastfeeding. The oxytocin explanation is proposed and observed in other studies, and this review does not test it as a cause of the mood findings.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that skin-to-skin contact alone prevents or treats postpartum depression. The paper defines kangaroo care as including breastfeeding, and the review says the evidence is small and inconclusive.