The Emotional Impact of Mode of Delivery in Cameroonian Mothers: Comparing Vaginal Delivery and Caesarean Section

Abstract

Background: The rate of caesarean section delivery seems to be continuously increasing worldwide over the years. The safety of this method of delivery as far as mothers' mental state is concerned compared to vaginal delivery has been the subject of a number of studies. This study aimed at evaluating the emotional state of newly delivered women after various mode of delivery so as to enable comparison in our context. Method: A cross sectional analysis of two consecutive cohorts of newly delivered women were successively carried out from January 2014 to April 2015 at the Yaoundé Gynaeco-Obstetric and Paediatric hospital (YGOPH). The first group comprised 214 women with vaginal delivery while the second group was made of 321 women who had delivered through caesarean section. Women emotional and psychological impairments were evaluated by screening for the baby blues, which is a mild, transient and precocious depressive state of the postpartum. The Kennerley and Gath blues questionnaire which was used as the screening tool is the most approved and standardized scale for diagnosing the baby blues during the first 10 days of postpartum. Demographic information, medical, obstetrical, psychosocial and neonatal data were equally obtained. Results: The incidence of emotional instability in women with vaginal delivery was 36.9% [CI (31.8%, 42.4%)] while that of the group of women who delivered through caesarean section was 33.3% [CI (28.2%, 38.8%)]. Conclusion: Emotional instability occurred in both groups of women after vaginal delivery and caesarean section, but was less frequent after caesarean section, though not statistically significant. Therefore, psychic impairments that may occur during postpartum is bound to the delivery process as a whole and not just specific to its mode or type. However, the prevention of post-traumatic stress which may be associated with all forms of delivery, mainly by psychological support and reduction of all forms of pain should be done, regardless of the mode of delivery so as to prevent psychic complication.