Comparison of the effects of kangaroo care and Lullaby on postpartum depression in women with preterm infants

Preterm birth causes significant mental stress in women and increases the risk of postpartum depression. Appropriate interventions can prevent or reduce the complications of it. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of kangaroo care and Lullaby on PPD in women with preterm infants. In this quasi-experimental study, 90 women-infants were selected using a convenient restricted randomization, random allocation rule that was randomly divided into two intervention and one control groups. The Maternal and Neonatal Demographic Information Questionnaire and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale was used for data collection. Inclusion criteria were one month after Childbirth; score higher than 13 and no medication prescription. Kangaroo care and Lullaby were performed 30 minutes a day for one month in the intervention groups. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale was filled out by the women after one month of the interventions. Data was analyzed via SPSS software v.20 using descriptive and inferential statistics. The mean scores of depression had no statistically significant differences before the intervention in the three groups (F2.86 = 0.265, P = 0.77). The depression scores in the control and intervention groups (after the intervention) had statistically significant differences (F (70.2) = 119.29, P <0.001). Considering the differences in the scores before and after the intervention, kangaroo care was the most effective. The kangaroo care method and Lullaby reduced postpartum depression in the women with preterm infants. Therefore, considering the effects of PPD on women and newborns, their use are recommended to women in healthcare settings.