Antenatal depression among pregnant women at a hospital in Northern Vietnam.

backgroundDepression during pregnancy directly affects both mother and baby, causing premature birth and low birth weight. Antenatal depression is an important issue, but in Vietnam, most studies focus on postpartum depression and other pregnancy-related disorders. The study determines the rate of antenatal depression and analyzes some factors related to antenatal depression. METHODS AND MATERIAL: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 388 pregnant women attending regular antenatal check-ups at Hanoi Obstetrics Hospital, Vietnam. The study used the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (cut-off ≥10), which is considered to be antenatal depression. Data was entered using Epidata 3.1 and processed using SPSS 20. The multivariable logistic regression was used to analyze several related factors. Statistical significance:

resultsThe rate of depressive disorders in pregnant women was 116/388, accounting for 29.9%, of which the rate of depression according to trimesters of pregnancy: first trimester: 8.3%; second trimester: 33.3% and third trimester: 29.6%. The average EPDS score was 7.81 ± 3.82, the lowest score collected was 2, and the highest score collected was 20. Factors related to antenatal depression in pregnant women included age group, occupation, husband's occupation, and strained relationship with husband (

conclusionsThe rate of antenatal depression among pregnant women in Vietnam is 29.9%. Measures to support women during pregnancy are needed to reduce depression rates to a lower level.