PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - I Akman
AU  - K Kuşçu
AU  - N Özdemir
AU  - Z Yurdakul
AU  - M Solakoglu
AU  - L Orhan
AU  - A Karabekiroglu
AU  - E Özek
TI  - Mothers’ postpartum psychological adjustment and infantile colic
AID  - 10.1136/adc.2005.083790
DP  - 2006 May 01
TA  - Archives of Disease in Childhood
PG  - 417--419
VI  - 91
IP  - 5
4099  - http://adc.bmj.com/content/91/5/417.short
4100  - http://adc.bmj.com/content/91/5/417.full
SO  - Arch Dis Child2006 May 01; 91
AB  - Background: Infantile colic is a common problem of early infancy. There is limited data on the relation between postpartum maternal psychological problems and colic.Aim:: To investigate whether infantile colic is associated with postpartum mood disorders or insecure adult attachment style of the mother.Methods: Seventy eight mothers and newborns were enrolled in this prospective, longitudinal study. Maternal depressive symptoms were screened with Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Score (EPDS) and maternal anxiety was assessed with State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). The Adult Attachment Scale was used to determine the attachment style of the mother. Infantile colic was defined according to Wessel criteria.Results: Infantile colic was present in 17 infants (21.7%); 12.9% of the mothers had an EPDS ⩾13. The mean EPDS of the mothers whose infants had infantile colic (10.2±6.0) was significantly higher than that of the mothers of infants without colic (6.3±4.0). Among infants with infantile colic, 62.5% had mothers who had insecure attachment style, whereas only 31.1% of mothers had insecure attachment when the infant did not have infantile colic.Conclusion: Postpartum maternal depressive symptoms and insecure attachment style are associated with infantile colic. Screening and early intervention of postpartum depression might promote the health of both the mother and infant.