Exercises Reduce Postnatal Depression Risks

By Super Admin

Friday, May 20, 2011, 17:04

The physical therapy exercises and health education programs can effectively reduce the risks for postnatal depression (PND), says a new research.

General exercises can improve the mood states in both younger and older women. It can improve the well-being and reduce the depressive symptoms in mothers, diagnosed as PND. The benefits of physical therapy exercises approaches, include the post natal psychological health out comes of women.

Giving birth to a baby involves many changes in a woman's physical, emotional and social health. A group exercise program led by a physical therapist, could help the mothers who may otherwise be at the risk for PND . It could enable them to better care for the children.

Around 161 women from the postnatal ward, who participated the study, were assigned to an experimental Mother and Baby (M&B) program and another Education Only (EO) program. For 8 weeks, The M&B group consisted of 62 women, undertook 1 hour exercise with their babies, once in a week. It was facilitated by a women's health physical therapist. It was combined with 30 minutes of parenting education delivered by the health care professionals.

The other group of women who were enrolled to the EO group were given only the same written educational materials.

The results of the study showed that there was significant improvement in well-being scores and depressive symptoms of the M&B group compared with the EO group, over the study period. There was a significant positive effect on well-being scores and depressive scores at 8 weeks. This score was maintained 4 weeks after the completion of the program. The number of women identified at the risk of postnatal depression pre-intervention was reduced by 50 percent by the end of the intervention.

The study has been published in the Physical Therapy(PTJ), the scientific journal of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA).