Background: Maternal touch (MT) is an essential part of the initial contact between the mother and her newborn and has developmental effects on the child. MT is known to be reduced in postpartum depression (PPD). The nature of MT in mothers experiencing maternity blues and the effect of parity are still unknown.
Study design: Seventy-five mothers were recruited from the ongoing series of deliveries.
Subjects: The participating mothers were observed during interaction with their newborns on the second-day postpartum. Touching behavior was scored on-line according to the Touch Scoring Instrument, which includes nine types of MT. Mothers were categorized as exhibiting maternal blues according to Stein's depression scale.
Outcome measure: Touch Scoring Instrument.
Results: Primiparous mothers with blues avoided all types of touch whereas multiparous mothers with blues provided firm touch and holding. All mothers with blues avoided proprioceptive touch. Multiparous mothers without maternal blues provided various types of touch including affectionate holding and matter-of-fact touch whereas primiparous mothers without blues mostly provided holding.
Conclusions: Mothers with maternity blues on day 2 exhibited a pattern of MT similar to that known to characterize postpartum depression. Mothers without blues are able to provide developmental touch in a manner known to facilitate CNS stability and newborn adjustment to the extra-uterine world. Parity modulates the effect of maternity blues on MT and buffers the withdrawal effect of depression. Maternal touch could be used as a diagnostic tool for detection of mothers at risk in a timely manner. Touch interventions, which were previously demonstrated in PPD mothers, may be utilized in an earlier stage postpartum.