The Effect of Grandmothers’ Presence on the Provision of Multidisciplinary Perinatal Support for Pregnant and Postpartum Women with Psychosocial Problems

Figures & data

Table 1 Clinical Characteristics of Participants with and without Grandmothers’ Perinatal Support

Characteristics	With Grandmothers’ Perinatal Support (n = 76)	Without Grandmothers’ Perinatal Support (n = 38)	t	p*
Age, Years [Mean (SD)]	30.67 ± 5.93	33.84 ± 7.62	2.44	0.016
Number of Children (Including Unborn Babies), [Mean ± SD]	1.47 ± 0.74	1.74 ± 0.92	1.65	0.10
	n (%)	n (%)	χ2	p*
Marital Status			1.58	0.45
Single	12(16.0)	6(15.8)
Married	60(80.0)	32(84.2)
Divorced (single)	3(4.0)	0(0.0)
Health Problems
Mental Disorders (ICD-10)	50(65.8)	18(47.4)
F10-F19: Mental and behavioral disorders due to psychoactive substance use	2(4.6)	1(4.8)
F20-F29: Schizophrenia, schizotypal, and delusional disorders	3(6.8)	6(28.6)
F30-F39: Mood [affective] disorders	29(65.9)	9(42.9)
F40-F48: Neurotic, stress-related, and somatoform disorders	9(20.5)	1(4.8)
F50-F59: Behavioral syndromes associated with physiological disturbances and physical factors	0(0.0)	2(9.5)
F60-F69: Disorders of adult personality and behavior	0(0.0)	1(4.8)
F70-F79: Mental retardation (intellectual disability)	1(2.2)	1(4.8)
Medical Complications
Syphilis	1(1.3)	2(5.3)
Hepatitis B	0(0.0)	1(2.6)
HIV carrier	0(0.0)	1(2.6)
Ulcerative colitis	1(1.3)	0(0.0)
Cerebrovascular disease	3(4.0)	0(0.0)
Epilepsy	3(4.0)	1(2.6)
Narcolepsy	2(2.6)	0(0.0)
Collagen diseases	1(1.3)	1(2.6)
Genital warts	1(1.3)	0(0.0)
Marfan syndrome	0(0.0)	1(2.6)
Type 1 diabetes	2(2.6)	0(0.0)
Type 2 diabetes	2(2.6)	0(0.0)
Chronic kidney disease	1(1.3)	0(0.0)
Ovarian tumor	0(0.0)	1(2.6)
Uterine fibroid	3(4.0)	1(2.6)
Arrhythmia	0(0.0)	1(2.6)
Congenital cardiac anomaly	1(1.3)	0(0.0)
Endocrine disease	0(0.0)	3(7.9)
Obstetric Complications Including Fetal Abnormalities
Gestational diabetes	11(14.5)	4(10.5)
Hypertension during pregnancy	2(2.6)	1(2.6)
Threatened premature delivery	4(5.3)	3(7.9)
Weak labor	3(4.0)	1(2.6)
Premature rupture of the membranes	6(7.9)	3(7.9)
Breech presentation	4(5.3)	1(2.6)
Placenta previa/Low Lying Placenta	2(2.6)	1(2.6)
Placenta accreta	1(1.3)	0(0.0)
Premature separation of normally implanted placenta	1(1.3)	1(2.6)
Fetal malformation	1(1.3)	1(2.6)
Intrauterine growth restriction	0(0.0)	1(2.6)
Cervical incompetency	3(4.0)	0(0.0)
Cephalopelvic disproportion	1(1.3)	1(2.6)
Incompatibility of maternal and fetal blood group type	0(0.0)	2(5.3)
Oligohydramnios	1(1.3)	1(2.6)
Polyhydramnios	1(1.3)	0(0.0)
Twins	3(4.0)	3(7.9)
Forelying of the umbilical cord	1(1.3)	0(0.0)
Atonic bleeding	1(1.3)	0(0.0)
Arrest of labor	1(1.3)	0(0.0)
Fetal hydrops	1(1.3)	0(0.0)
Economic Problems
Suspected abuse against newborn or children	1(1.3)	2(5.2)
Receiving welfare public assistance	2(2.7)	3(7.9)
Lack of any social support before multidisciplinary agencies	7(9.2)	11(29.0)
Other social problems	0(0.0)	4(10.5)
Intervention and Support from Multidisciplinary Agencies
Public health nurse	72(94.7)	35(92.1)
Municipality	7(9.2)	6(16.2)
Child counseling center	10(13.3)	10(27.0)
Area meeting for child protection measures	0(0.0)	1(2.6)
Neuvola	2(2.6)	1(2.6)
Postnatal care	1(1.3)	5(13.2)
Family and child counseling center	7(9.2)	5(13.2)
Police agency	1(1.3)	1(2.6)
Home caregiver	2(2.6)	10(26.3)
Psychiatric nurse home visit	2(2.6)	1(2.6)
Area living support center	1(1.3)	1(2.6)

Notes: Participants with grandmothers’ perinatal support were defined as those who received substantial help from their biological mothers regardless of whether or not they did it from their other family members such as their partners and mothers-in-low. Participants without grandmothers’ perinatal support were defined as those who did not receive any help from their biological mothers irrespective of other family members’ support. *p-value was calculated for the results of the t-test or χ²-test.

Figure 1 Number of multidisciplinary agencies involved with participants.

Notes: Participants with grandmothers’ perinatal support were defined as those who received substantial help from their biological mothers regardless of whether they did it from their other family members such as their partners and mothers-in-low. Participants without grandmothers’ perinatal support were defined as those who did not receive any help from their biological mothers irrespective of other family members’ support. A student’s t-test was performed after controlling the medical complications and the obstetric complications. The number of agencies involved with participants without functional support was significantly higher than participants with functional support (t(55.14) = 2.98, p < 0.01). Among pregnant and postpartum primipara participants (n = 70), the number of agencies involved with those participants without functional support were significantly higher than for those participants with functional support (t(68) = 3.87, p < 0.001). Error bars represent standard error of the mean. **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001.

Table 2 Parity and Grandmothers’ Perinatal Support

	With Grandmothers’ Perinatal Support (n = 76)	Without Grandmothers’ Perinatal Support (n = 38)	χ^2	p*
	n (%)	n (%)
Parity of the Mother			3.13	0.08
Primipara	51(67.1)	19 (50.0)
Multipara	25(32.9)	19(50.0)

Notes: Participants with grandmothers’ perinatal support were defined as those who received substantial help from their biological mothers regardless of whether they did it from their other family members such as their partners and mothers-in-low. Participants without grandmothers’ perinatal support were defined as those who did not receive any help from their biological mothers irrespective of other family members’ support. *p-value was calculated for the results of the χ²-test.