The Effect of Infant Massage on Postpartum Depression and Maternal Attachment: A Literature Review

Year 2024, Volume: 6 Issue: 2, 97 - 106, 31.08.2024

Ceyda Sarper Erkılıç , Ayten Şentürk Erenel

https://doi.org/10.59124/guhes.1477908

Abstract

The postpartum period can be both exciting and challenging for mothers. During this time, women may potentially experience postpartum depression (PPD) due to various factors such as hormonal changes, breastfeeding and sleep problems, increased stress load, infant care, and adjustment to maternal roles. PPD poses a serious risk to both maternal and infant health. Infant massage, with its positive effects on PPD and maternal attachment, has been encouraged as a practice taught to mothers in recent years. This review examines the effects of infant massage on mothers during the postpartum period. Findings suggest that infant massage may be an effective method in reducing PPD symptoms and strengthening maternal attachment. By enhancing the emotional bond between mother and baby, reducing stress, and increasing oxytocin levels, infant massage contributes to alleviating symptoms of PPD. It is important for nurses to educate and promote infant massage among mothers during the postpartum period. Infant massage may play a significant role in reducing PPD risk and enhancing mother-infant attachment. Further research could evaluate the long-term effects of infant massage and its effects on mothers from different demographic groups in more detail. This review demonstrates that infant massage is a beneficial practice for mothers during the postpartum period and highlights the importance of nurses promoting this practice.

Keywords

depression, infant, maternal attachment, nursing, postpartum period

References

• American Psychiatric Association, D. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: DSM-5 (Vol. 5). American Psychiatric Association Washington, DC.
• Auckett, A. (1979). Baby massage: An alternative to drugs. The Australian Nurses' Journal, Royal Australian Nursing Federation, 9(5), 24-27.
• Bai, Y., Li, Q., Cheng, K. K., Caine, E. D., Tong, Y., Wu, X., & Gong, W. (2023). Prevalence of Postpartum Depression Based on Diagnostic Interviews: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Depression and Anxiety, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/8403222
• Baixauli, E. (2017). Happiness: Role of Dopamine and Serotonin on mood and negative emotions. Emergency Medicine (Los Angel), 7(2), 350. https://doi.org/10.4172/2165-7548.1000350
• Bonacquisti, A., Geller, P. A., & Patterson, C. A. (2020). Maternal depression, anxiety, stress, and maternal-infant attachment in the neonatal intensive care unit. Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology, 38(3), 297-310. https://doi.org/10.1080/02646838.2019.1695041
• Brockington, I. (2017). Suicide and filicide in postpartum psychosis. Archives of women's mental health, 20(1), 63-69. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-016-0675-8
• Cafiero, P. J., & Zabala, P. J. (2024). Postpartum depression: Impact on pregnant women and the postnatal physical, emotional, and cognitive development of their children. An ecological perspective. Archivos Argentinos de Pediatria, e202310217. https://doi.org/10.5546/aap.2023-10217.eng
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, C. (2008). Prevalence of self-reported postpartum depressive symptoms--17 states, 2004-2005. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 57(14), 361-366.
• Chan, K., Pawi, S., Lee, S., Hii, E., Ooi, C., Arabi, Z., & Hazmi, H. (2018). Experience of mothers’ learning and doing infant massage. Malaysian Applied Biology, 47(1), 189-194.
• Chojnowska, S., Ptaszyńska-Sarosiek, I., Kępka, A., Knaś, M., & Waszkiewicz, N. (2021). Salivary biomarkers of stress, anxiety and depression. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 10(3), 517. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm10030517
• Epstein, O. B. (2023). John Bowlby, Attachment Theory, and Attachment-Based Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy. In Underlying assumptions in psychoanalytic schools (pp. 78-88). Routledge.
• Erçelik, Z. E., & Yılmaz, H. B. (2023). Effectiveness of infant massage on babies growth, mother-baby attachment and mothers' self-confidence: A randomized controlled trial. Infant Behavior and Development, 73, 101897. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infbeh.2023.101897
• Field, T. (1994). Infant massage. The Journal of Perinatal Education, 3(3), 7-13.
• Field, T. (2016). Massage therapy research review. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, 24, 19-31. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctcp.2016.04.005
• Field, T. (2019). Pediatric Massage Therapy Research: A Narrative Review. Children (Basel), 6(6). https://doi.org/10.3390/children6060078
• Field, T., Hernandez-Reif, M., Diego, M., Schanberg, S., & Kuhn, C. (2005). Cortisol decreases and serotonin and dopamine increase following massage therapy. International Journal of neuroscience, 115(10), 1397-1413. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207450590956459
• Geary, O., Grealish, A., & Bright, A.-M. (2023). The effectiveness of mother-led infant massage on symptoms of maternal postnatal depression: A systematic review. Plos one, 18(12), e0294156. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0294156
• Gürol, A., & Polat, S. (2012). The Effects of Baby Massage on Attachment between Mother and their Infants. Asian Nursing Research, 6(1), 35-41. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anr.2012.02.006
• Hétu, S. (2023). Infant massage: Ancient as the world-modern necessity The work of the International Association of Infant Massage (IAIM). International Journal of Birth & Parent Education, 11(1).
• International Association of Infant Massage. (2024). An Inspiring Woman. Retrieved April 20, 2024 from https://iaim.net/an-inspiring-woman/
• Jauhar, S., Cowen, P. J., & Browning, M. (2023). Fifty years on: Serotonin and depression. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 37(3), 237-241. https://doi.org/10.1177/026988112311618
• Kadiroğlu, T., & Güdücü Tüfekci, F. (2022). Effect of infant care training on maternal bonding, motherhood self-efficacy, and self-confidence in mothers of preterm newborns. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 26, 131–138. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-021-03287-0
• Karaçam, Z., Çoban, A., Akbaş, B., & Karabulut, E. (2018). Status of postpartum depression in Turkey: A meta-analysis. Health Care for Women International, 39(7), 821-841. https://doi.org/10.1080/07399332.2018.1466144
• Katona, J. (2021). What can be learnt from observing a 5-week baby massage group in a Parent Infant Mental Health Service? Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust/University of Essex]. https://repository.tavistockandportman.ac.uk/2679/
• Klein, S., Blazek, M., & Swietlik, D. (2024). Risk and protective factors for postpartum depression among Polish women - a prospective study. Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics & Gynecology, 45(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/0167482X.2023.2291634
• Lang, C. (2018). Bağlanma: Doğum Öncesi ve Sonrası Dönemde Bağlanmanın Güc̨lendirilmesi. Modern Tip kitabevi.
• Leboyer, F., & Elbrecht, A. (2013). Sanfte Hände: die traditionelle Kunst der indischen Baby-Massage. Kösel-Verlag.
• Li, H. (2023). Maternal-Infant Attachment and its Relationships with Postpartum Depression, Anxiety, Affective Instability, Stress, and Social Support in a Canadian Community Sample. Psychiatric Quarterly, 94(1), 9-22. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11126-022-10011-w
• Li, Q., Zhao, W. H., & Kendrick, K. M. (2022). Affective touch in the context of development, oxytocin signaling, and autism. Frontiers in Psychology 13(967791). https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.967791
• Lutkiewicz, K., Bieleninik, Ł., Cieślak, M., & Bidzan, M. (2020). Maternal–infant bonding and its relationships with maternal depressive symptoms, stress and anxiety in the early postpartum period in a Polish sample. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(15), 5427. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17155427
• McCarty, D., Silver, R., Quinn, L., Dusing, S., & O'Shea, T. M. (2024). Infant massage as a stress management technique for parents of hospitalized extremely preterm infants. Infant Mental Health Journal, 45(1). 11-21. https://doi.org/10.1002/imhj.22095
• McCarty, D. B., Willett, S., Kimmel, M., & Dusing, S. C. (2023). Benefits of maternally-administered infant massage for mothers of hospitalized preterm infants: a scoping review. Maternal Health, Neonatology and Perinatology, 9(1), 6. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40748-023-00151-7
• McClure, V. (2000). Infant massage. The American Journal of Maternal/Child Nursing, 25(5), 276. https://doi.org/10.1097/00005721-200009000-00013
• McClure, V. (2017). Infant massage: A handbook for loving parents. Bantam.
• Midtsund, A., Litland, A., & Hjalmhult, E. (2019). Mothers' experiences learning and performing infant massage A qualitative study. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 28(3-4), 489-498. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.14634
• Mizuno, Y., Ashok, A. H., Bhat, B. B., Jauhar, S., & Howes, O. D. (2023). Dopamine in major depressive disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis of in vivo imaging studies. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 37(11), 1058-1069. https://doi.org/10.1177/026988112312008
• Moussa, S., Fawaz, L., Ibrahim, W., Fathelbab Elsayed, M., & Mostafa Ahmed, M. (2021). Effect of infant massage on salivary oxytocin level of mothers and infants with normal and disordered bonding. Journal of Primary Care & Community Health, 12, 21501327211012942. https://doi.org/10.1177/21501327211012
• Mrljak, R., Arnsteg Danielsson, A., Hedov, G., & Garmy, P. (2022). Effects of infant massage: a systematic review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(11), 6378. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19116378
• Nagahashi-Araki, M., Tasaka, M., Takamura, T., Eto, H., Sasaki, N., Fujita, W., Miyazaki, A., Morifuji, K., Honda, N., & Miyamura, T. (2022). Endogenous oxytocin levels in extracted saliva elevates during breastfeeding correlated with lower postpartum anxiety in primiparous mothers. Bmc Pregnancy and Childbirth, 22(1), 711. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-022-05026-x
• Nousia, A. (2023). Healthy touch and infant massage: Two main factors in infants daily care and healthy development. European Journal of Education Studies, 10(6). https://doi.org/10.46827/ejes.v10i6.4854
• O’Dea, G. A., Youssef, G. J., Hagg, L. J., Francis, L. M., Spry, E. A., Rossen, L., Smith, I., Teague, S. J., Mansour, K., & Booth, A. (2023). Associations between maternal psychological distress and mother-infant bonding: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Archives of Women's Mental Health, 26(4), 441-452. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-023-01332-1
• Ozkan-Sat, S., & Söylemez, F. (2024). The Association of Domestic Violence During Pregnancy with Maternal Psychological Well-Being in The Early Postpartum Period: A Sample from Women with Low Socioeconomic Status in Eastern Turkey. Midwifery, 104000. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2024.104000
• Özcan, N. K., Boyacıoğlu, N. E., & Dinç, H. (2017). Postpartum depression prevalence and risk factors in Turkey: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Archives of Psychiatric Nursing, 31(4), 420-428. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apnu.2017.04.006
• Özşahin, Z., Emine, A., & GÖKBULUT, N. (2020). Postpartum depresyon düzeyi ile maternal bağlanma arasındaki ilişki. İnönü Üniversitesi Sağlık Hizmetleri Meslek Yüksek Okulu Dergisi, 8(3), 715-724. https://doi.org/10.33715/inonusaglik.757249
• Saharoy, R., Potdukhe, A., Wanjari, M., & Taksande, A. B. (2023). Postpartum depression and maternal care: exploring the complex effects on mothers and infants. Cureus, 15(7). https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.41381
• Sharma, P., & Khera, K. (2024). A novel tool for risk assessment, screening, diagnosis, assessment, and therapy in postpartum depression. International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics. https://doi.org/10.1002/ijgo.15421
• Shoghi, M., Sohrabi, S., & Rasouli, M. (2018). The Effects of Massage by Mothers on Mother-Infant Attachment. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, 24(3), 34-39. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29101776
• Shorey, S., Asurlekar, A. R., Chua, J. S., & Lim, L. H. K. (2023). Influence of oxytocin on parenting behaviors and parent–child bonding: a systematic review. Developmental Psychobiology, 65(2), e22359. https://doi.org/doi.org/10.1002/dev.22359
• Śliwerski, A., Kossakowska, K., Jarecka, K., Świtalska, J., & Bielawska-Batorowicz, E. (2020). The effect of maternal depression on infant attachment: A systematic review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(8), 2675. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17082675
• Spinelli, M., & Bramante, A. (2022). Maternal suicide and filicide. In Key Topics in Perinatal Mental Health (pp. 185-198). Springer.
• Stewart, D. E., & Vigod, S. N. (2019). Postpartum depression: pathophysiology, treatment, and emerging therapeutics. Annual Review of Medicine, 70, 183-196. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-med-041217-011106
• The University of Miami School of Medicine. (2024). Touch Research Institute (Archives). Mailman Center for Child Development. Retrieved April 20, 2024 from https://med.miami.edu/centers-and-institutes/mailman-center/community/other-community-based-programs/touch-research-institute-(archives)
• Tuman, T. C., YILDIRIM, O., & Tufan, A. E. (2021). Evaluation of serum oxytocin levels in patients with depression, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and social anxiety disorder: A case-control study. Journal of Surgery and Medicine, 5(7), 670-675. https://doi.org/10.28982/josam.922612
• Wang, X. X., Zhang, L., Lin, X. F., Nian, S. W., Wang, X. Q., & Lu, Y. (2024). Prevalence and risk factors of postpartum depressive symptoms at 42 days among 2462 women in China. Journal of Affective Disorders, 350, 706-712. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2024.01.135
• Wang, Z., Liu, J., Shuai, H., Cai, Z., Fu, X., Liu, Y., Xiao, X., Zhang, W., Krabbendam, E., & Liu, S. (2021). Mapping global prevalence of depression among postpartum women. Translational Psychiatry, 11(1), 543. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-021-01663-6
• World Health Organization. (2016). mhGAP intervention guide for mental, neurological and substance use disorders in non-specialized health settings: mental health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP). World Health Organization.
• Yu, H., Shen, Q., Bränn, E., Yang, Y., Oberg, A. S., Valdimarsdóttir, U. A., & Lu, D. (2024). Perinatal depression and risk of suicidal behavior. JAMA network open, 7(1), e2350897. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.50897
• Yu, Y., Liang, H.-F., Chen, J., Li, Z.-B., Han, Y.-S., Chen, J.-X., & Li, J.-C. (2021). Postpartum depression: Current status and possible identification using biomarkers. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 12, 620371. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.620371
• Zhang, Y., Duan, C. L., Cheng, L. Y., & Li, H. H. (2023). Effects of massage therapy on preterm infants and their mothers: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Frontiers in Pediatrics, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fped.2023.1198730