The effects of stress on lactation among working and non-working Malaysian mothers / Nik Raihan Haji Mohamed

Nik Raihan , Haji Mohamed (2014) The effects of stress on lactation among working and non-working Malaysian mothers / Nik Raihan Haji Mohamed. Masters thesis, University of Malaya.

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Abstract

Lactation impairment is commonly blamed on stress despite mothers’ determination and knowledge on breastfeeding. This research is carried out to determine the association between perceived stress and serum cortisol and prolactin levels in working and non-working mothers during the first, second, third and fourth postpartum months. It is hypothesised that working mothers would be under more stress and thus have higher cortisol level but lower prolactin levels as compared to non-working mothers. Fifty-nine postpartum mothers at two health clinics within the Kuala Lumpur urban area were recruited. However, only nine working and seven non-working participating mothers manage to complete the study. The mothers were asked to complete a Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales (DASS) questionnaire that assesses perceived stress, and thereafter blood samples were taken for cortisol and prolactin measurements. These procedures were repeated at monthly intervals during the first four postpartum months. There was no significant association between perceived stress and serum cortisol and prolactin levels in working mothers as well as non-working mothers. However, it was interesting to note that during the second postpartum month (end of confinement period for Malaysian mothers), the non-working mothers had significantly higher stress scores (p<0.05) with increased cortisol level (p<0.05) than the working mothers. However, there was no significant difference in the prolactin levels. Possible explanations for this finding were strong family or social support and financial stability. In conclusion, conventional wisdom suggests that the postpartum period of new mothers would be a period of great adjustment but the data collected here demonstrate otherwise. Indeed, for new Malaysian mothers with strong family support, they appear to pass this period quite calmly and relatively stress-free, even for those mothers who need to work outside their homes. More research is necessary to reveal the underlying reasons for this unexpected finding.

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