Abstract
Purpose: Researchers compared psychiatric sequelae in women with life threatening complications during pregnancy (LT), and uncomplicated pregnancies (UP) in a low- and middle-income country (LMIC) over a 6-month follow-up period.Method: The study design was a mixed method and quantitative data was collected in a parallel convergent manner at two university hospitals in Gauteng, South Africa. Women from two groups, namely those with uncomplicated pregnancies and those with life threatening complications were followed up over a six-month period postnatally. Results: Eighty-nine women participated in the study of whom 46 experienced a life-threatening pregnancy complication. At six-week follow-up, 65.5% (n=19) of women in the LT-group and 29.2% (n=7) of the UP-group experienced symptoms of depression (p=0.08). In the LT-group, 30.4% (n=14) had anxiety symptoms compared to 7% (n=3) of UP-group (p=0.011). Compared to the UP-group, more women in the LT-group experienced somatic symptoms (28.3%, n=13, p=0.003) and sleep disturbances (28.3%, n=13, p=0.0009). More women in the LT-group reported memory disturbance 15.2% (n=7, p=0.034) compared to women in the UP-group. Psychotic symptoms were not prominent in either group.Conclusions: Women who experienced life-threatening complications at birth experienced significant distress including depression, anxiety, somatic complaints, sleep disturbances and memory deficits compared to women with uncomplicated pregnancies and deliveries. Maternal services for women with complicated deliveries should include a comprehensive package of obstetric, paediatric and psychiatric care that involves a multi-professional team.
Effects of Physical Tracing on Estimates of Loss to Follow-Up, Mortality and Retention in Low and Middle Income Country Antiretroviral Therapy Programs: A Systematic Review
