Effects of Cesarean Delivery on Parental Depression, Marital Adjustment, and Mother Infant Interaction

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Abstract
To further our understanding of the effects of cesarean delivery on maternal and paternal depression, marital adjustment, and mother‐infant interaction during perinatal and three‐month postpartum feeding, data were prospectively collected on 80 primiparous married women and their infants, and 76 of their husbands. There were 56 vaginal deliveries and 24 cesarean section deliveries. Data were collected by interview at the latter part of the second trimester and three months postpartum by examination of the mothers' and infants' medical records, and by observation of mother‐infant feedings at two days and three months postpartum. The infants' birthweight, weeks of gestation, and Apgar scores at five minutes, maternal age at delivery, and maternal and child health index risk scores were not significantly different between the two groups. Mothers who had cesarean delivery had significantly higher labor index risk scores than those with vaginal birth. The mothers and fathers were not significantly different on levels of depression or marital adjustment prenatally or at three months postpartum. There were no significant differences in mother‐infant behaviors during the feedings observed. That we found no differences after cesarean and vaginal delivery would support the theory that mothers respond to infants' behavioral repertoire and not to the mode of delivery.