Pregnancy Intention and Its Effect on Antenatal Care Service Utilization, Postpartum Infant Bonding, and Postpartum Depression

Abstract

Background: Unplanned conception resulting in a live delivery can have serious health, psychosocial, and economic consequences; and increases the likelihood of bonding failure and postpartum depression. Aim: This study aimed to assess the effect of pregnancy intention on antenatal care service utilization, postpartum infant bonding, and postpartum depression. Design: A crosssectional, analytical study design was utilized on 213 women who were attending breast feeding clinic, and outpatient clinic in Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital - It is affiliated to Ain Shams University Hospitals. Tools of data collection: The data was collected using 1) Mother’s interviewing questionnaire that included a) Mother’s demographic characteristics, and b) obstetric history; 2) London Measure of Unplanned Pregnancy; 3) Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire; and 4) Edinburg postnatal depression scale. Results: data analysis revealed that, (72.8%) of the studied women had unintended pregnancy as (32.4%) of them had unplanned pregnancy, and (40.4%) of them had ambivalent pregnancy, while (27.2%) of them had planned pregnancy. Also (59.2%) of the studied women had postpartum depressive symptoms (EPD Score ≥13). Also, (61.9%) of the studied women had postpartum infant bonding disorder. There was a highly statistically significant relation between pregnancy intention and antenatal care service utilization, also there were statistically significant moderate negative correlations between pregnancy intention, and postpartum depression and two domains of postpartum infant bonding which are infant focused anxiety domain and rejection and pathologic anger domain. Conclusion: This study concluded that, women with unintended pregnancy experienced lack of antenatal care service utilization, postpartum depression, infant focused anxiety, and pathologic anger compared to women with intended pregnancy. Recommendation: 1. Prevention of unintended pregnancy through increasing women awareness regarding family planning camps affiliated to ministry of health and population. 2. Establishing psychosocial counseling clinic to offer psychologicalsupportservicesforcoupleswhoareatriskforpsychological problems.