Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health in parents of infants with colic and on health care use.
Acta Paediatr 2022;
111:2352-2358. [PMID:
36168742 PMCID:
PMC9537808 DOI:
10.1111/apa.16550]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
AIM
To examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of parents of infants with colic and on health care use.
METHODS
Retrospective cohort study. Data of 64 parents of infants with colic pre-pandemic and 43 parents of infants with colic during the pandemic were analyzed using validated questionnaires on parental stress, depression, and anxiety. Additionally, we evaluated the number of outpatient clinic visits and admission rates pre- and during the pandemic by collecting data on the diagnosis treatment combination 'excessive crying' from electronic patient files in three secondary hospitals in the Netherlands.
RESULTS
Mothers in the pandemic group reported significantly higher levels of depression than mothers in the pre-pandemic group (12.3 ± 7.0 and 8.8 ± 5.2) (p=0.04). Moreover, mothers showed a trend toward higher stress levels during the pandemic (29.6 ± 9.6 and 25.2 ± 8.1; p=0.06). During the pandemic, admission numbers of infants with colic compared to pre-pandemic data increased with 34% (146 vs. 196).
CONCLUSION
Mothers of infants with colic reported significantly more feelings of depression during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, the pandemic was associated with increased healthcare use amongst infants with colic. With the continuing pandemic, we recommend active perinatal support for this vulnerable population.
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