Maternal Outcomes Following Kangaroo Mother Care in Women With Postpartum Depression: A Descriptive Study

Postpartum depression (PPD) is a mental health condition that adversely affects both maternal and infant well-being. Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC), involving skin-to-skin contact and exclusive breastfeeding, has shown promising maternal and neonatal outcomes. This study explored post-KMC observed improvement in maternal depressive symptoms among women with PPD. The present study aimed to evaluate Kangaroo Mother Care as a supportive intervention for postpartum depression in mothers.

This descriptive study was conducted at Shaikh Zayed Hospital for Women, Larkana, from April 2025 to September 2025. A total of 128 women aged 18-40 years, delivering infants between 28-36 weeks of gestation and diagnosed with postpartum depression (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale {EPDS} ≥13), were enrolled using non-probability consecutive sampling. The EPDS, a validated 10-item screening tool for postpartum depression, was administered at baseline and repeated once after completion of the intervention. Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) was provided to mothers with postpartum depression for 1 h daily over one week. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20 (Armonk, NY: IBM Corp.). Results were stratified by age, gestational age, parity, and mode of delivery. Paired t-test or Wilcoxon signed-rank test, chi-square test, multivariable logistic regression, and multiple linear regression analyses were applied where appropriate, with p≤0.05 considered statistically significant.

The mean maternal age was 30.91±5.14 years, and the mean gestational age was 32.28±2.39 weeks. The baseline mean EPDS score was 13.56±8.59. After the intervention, 36 (28%) women demonstrated post-KMC observed improvement, defined as an EPDS score <13. A statistically significant association was observed between gestational age and post-KMC observed improvement (p=0.003).

This study demonstrates post-KMC observed improvement in depressive symptom scores among a subset of participants, with gestational age showing a significant association with outcome. As a descriptive case series without a control group, causal inferences cannot be made. Further controlled studies are required to confirm these findings and explore underlying mechanisms. These results provide preliminary evidence supporting the feasibility of KMC as a supportive, low-cost intervention in maternal mental health within resource-limited settings.