Ingrid Bozoky | PubMed Health

PubMed2003

Interleukin-1beta elevation during the postpartum period.

During the postpartum period, women frequently report increased fatigue, which, if severe, may interfere with maternal-child bonding, delay a new mother's return to her activities of daily living, and contribute to depression. Several studies have sought to determine psychosocial contributions to fatigue during the postpartum period, but few evaluate any physiological changes that may contribute to fatigue during this time. The following study was designed to test whether the potent, pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta), known to be a physiological mediator of fatigue in several clinical and experimental conditions, is elevated in women during the postpartum period and whether it might be related to symptoms of fatigue. Levels of fatigue and the urinary excretion of IL-1beta were measured in 26 women over 4 weeks postpartum. Correlations between fatigue and activation of the inflammatory response were investigated. Results demonstrated a significant elevation in IL-1beta during the postpartum period compared to control participants (p < .05) and a significant, although delayed, correlation between IL-1beta elevation and fatigue (p < .05). These results suggest that activation of the inflammatory response, as reflected by elevation in urinary IL-1beta, occurs in association with postpartum fatigue. Studies to explore further this association and to identify specific mechanisms of action are needed.

Adult↗

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Fatigue as a predictor of postpartum depression.

BACKGROUND: The postpartum is a time when women commonly report increased fatigue that may contribute to depression. Studies have not examined fatigue alone as a predictor of postpartum depression. OBJECTIVE: To examine whether and when fatigue in the early postpartum is predictive of postpartum depression. DESIGN: Correlational, longitudinal study. SETTING: Two hospitals and participants' homes in central Pennsylvania. PARTICIPANTS: Convenience sample of 38 healthy women recruited from hospital maternity units within 24 hours after an uncomplicated birth. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Fatigue was measured using the Modified Fatigue Symptom Checklist (MFSC) on Days 0, 7, 14, and 28 after childbirth. Depression was assessed using the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depressive Symptomatology Scale (CES-D) on Day 28. RESULTS: After adjustments for multiple comparisons, a significant correlation was obtained between fatigue as measured by the MFSC and postpartum depression on Day 7 (r = .46; p < .05), Day 14 (r = .57), and Day 28 (r = .70). Fatigue on Day 0 was correlated with fatigue on Day 7 (r = .45), Day 14 (r= .58), and Day 28 (r = .34). CONCLUSIONS: Fatigue as early as 7 days postpartum is predictive of depression at Day 28 postpartum.

Adult↗