MATERNAL HEALTH AFTER CHILDBIRTH - RESULTS OF AN AUSTRALIAN POPULATION-BASED SURVEY

Objective To describe the prevalence of maternal physical and emotiona l health problems six to seven months after birth. Design Statewide po stal survey, incorporating the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, d istributed to women six to seven months after childbirth. Participants All women who gave birth in a two-week period in Victoria, Australia in September 1993 except those who had a stillbirth or known neonatal death. Results The response rate was 62.5% (n = 1336). Respondents wer e representative of the total sample in terms of mode of delivery, par ity and infant birthweight; young women, single women and women of non English speaking background were under-represented. One or more health problems in the first six postnatal months were reported by 94% of th e women; a quarter had not talked to a health professional about their own health since the birth. Of women reporting health problems, 49% w ould have liked more help or advice. The most common health problems w ere tiredness (69%), backache (43.5%), sexual problems (26.3%), haemor rhoids (24.6%) and perineal pain (21%); 16.9% of women scored as depre ssed. compared with spontaneous vaginal births, women having forceps o r ventouse extraction had increased odds for perineal pain (OR 4.69 [9 5% CI 3.2-6.8]), sexual problems (OR 2.06 [95% CI 1.4-3.0]), and urina ry incontinence (OR 1.81 [95% CI 1.1-2.9]). These differences remained significant after adjusting for infant birthweight, length of labour and degree of perineal trauma. Conclusion Physical and emotional healt h problems are common after childbirth, and are frequently not reporte d to health professionals despite the fact that many women would like more advice and assistance in dealing with them.