The lactation behavior of women is a nursing behavior to improve offspring survival conditions and ensure successful gene transfer, mainly including mixed feeding, artificial feeding and breastfeeding (Lu, 2018). Among them, the growth and development of infants under breastfeeding are healthier, and their immunity, vitality and intelligence are relatively higher than those of infants not under breastfeeding. Breastfeeding is of great benefits. However, due to the effect of social, life, psychological, spiritual and physiological factors on the pregnant and lying-in women, the breastfeeding rate decreased year by year, which affected the infant growth and development, and also increased the risk of breast cancer (Xu and Liu, 2018). These changes are mainly due to the change in the life, spirit and psychology of pregnant and lying-in women. Hence, the breastfeeding rate could be promoted by correcting the life, mental and psychological problems through mental health education. To investigate the influence of mental health education in pregnant and puerperal period on the lactation behavior, a total of 200 pregnant and lying-in women admitted to our hospital from January 2017 to June 2018 were randomly selected for research and analysis. The specific research was shown below:

1 Patients and Method

1.1 Patients

A total of 200 pregnant and lying-in women admitted to our hospital from January 2017 to June 2018 were randomly selected for research and analysis, and they were divided into the control group (100 cases) and the research group (100 cases). In the research group, the age was 21-35 years old, and 28.11±1.35 years old on average; the weight was 57-79kg, and 64.12±6.38kg on average; the gestational week was 37-41 weeks, and 37.24±1.25 weeks on average. In the control group, the age was 22-34 years old, with an average of 28.16±1.40 years old; the weight was 58-80kg, with an average of 64.16±6.41kg; the gestational week was 35-42 weeks, with an average of 37.26±1.30 weeks. The difference between the data of the two groups was not significant (P>0.05), thus could be compared. Inclusion criteria: The pregnant and lying-in women and their family members were informed and agreed the research; their age was 20-35 years old.

Exclusion criteria: patients with gestational hypertension, gestational diabetes, respiratory system diseases, infectious diseases and mental disease; patients with communication disorder or disturbance of consciousness; lying-in women who are incapable of breastfeeding after delivery; pregnant and lying-in women with premature delivery, abortion, fetal malformation and stillbirth; intrauterine asphyxia.

1.2 Method

The control group received routine nursing in the pregnant and puerperal period; both the control group and the research group were carried out conventional antenatal examinations on a regular basis in the pregnant and puerperal period, and the cautions of delivery (artificial delivery and natural delivery) have been explained, and symptomatic treatment and nursing were given based on the actual conditions of the lying-in women and delivery requirements in the delivery process. The research group further received mental health education on this basis.

1.2.1 Psychological guidance

The nursing staffs with rich professional knowledge, good communication skills and professional ethics were selected to explain knowledge related to pregnancy, delivery and lactation for pregnant and lying-in women, and targeted knowledge propaganda was implemented based on the gestational weeks, emotion and educational level of pregnant and lying-in women, thus reducing their psychological burden in the later stages of pregnancy, before and after delivery, puerperium and first breast-feed. The nursing staffs informed the pregnant and lying-in women of the cautions and necessity of cesarean delivery if they cannot have a natural delivery, guided their correct understanding of cesarean delivery, dispelled their fears and doubts, corrected their mentality, eliminated their anxiety, and prevented them from antenatal panic and complications due to mental stress.

1.2.2 Antenatal evaluation

A comprehensive and detailed evaluation of psychological needs and mental state was carried out for the pregnant women; a good relationship was established with the pregnant women, and the objective of mental health education was determined based on their needs. The primary nurse interpreted the reason, significance and importance of mental health education in the pregnant and puerperal period. Education and propaganda were implemented among pregnant and lying-in women through blackboard newspaper, marked words and manuals.

1.2.3 External support

The family members were mobilized to provide mental health support for the pregnant and lying-in women, to ensure that the pregnant and lying-in women could receive the care and warm from their families and strengthen their conviction. The pregnant and lying-in women were encouraged to exchange experience with others, and the change of their psychological mood was observed. The psychological guidance could be provided if necessary. They were informed to pay attention to their personal hygiene and reasonable diet nutrition in the period before and after delivery as well as the lactation period. They were informed the self-monitoring methods and the benefits of breastfeeding, and were encouraged for breastfeeding.

1.2.4 Psychological therapy

The pregnant women received education and propaganda of knowledge related to the stages of labor of vaginal delivery women and uterine contraction and change, and were guided by demonstration of correct sitting and walking posture, intrapartum position, breathing analgesic method and power generation method. Before examination, they were advised to close the eyes for rest, and relaxing and soothing music was played to relieve their tension.

1.3 Observation index

The first breast-feed time and breastfeeding condition of infants aged 4-6 months were observed in the two groups.

1.4 Evaluation criteria

Depression was evaluated by EPDS (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale) one week after delivery, with a total score of 30 points and a critical value of 13 points, among which a score of 0-8 indicates normal; a score of 9-12 indicates depressive emotion; and a score of 13 or above indicates postnatal depression by primary diagnosis, requiring a psychiatrist for a definitive diagnosis (An et al., 2018).

1.5 Statistical analysis

Based on the data analysis by SPSS20.0 software, the first breast-feed time and EPDS score were represented by (mean ± standard deviation) to conduct t-test, and the exclusive breastfeeding rate was represented by (%) to conduct x² test. P<0.05 indicates that the difference is statistically significant.

2 Results

2.1 Comparison of first breast-feed time

The first breast-feed time of the research group was shorter than that of the control group, and the difference was significant (t=14.884, P<0.05) (Table 1).

Table 1 Comparison of First Breast-feed Time [(mean ± standard deviation), h]

2.2 Comparison of exclusive breastfeeding rate

The exclusive breastfeeding rate of infants aged 4-6 months in the research group was higher than that of the control group, and the difference was significant (x²=18.029, P<0.05) (Table 2).

Table 2 Comparison of Exclusive Breastfeeding Rate [n(%)]

2.3 Comparison of EPDS score

EPDS score of the research group was lower than that of the control group, and the difference was significant (t=24.904, P<0.05) (Table 3).

Table 3  Comparison of EPDS score [(mean ± standard deviation), score]

3 Discussion

The breast milk has an even and moderate distribution of nutrient elements, which can promote the development of infants' brain and body. Exclusive breastfeeding for infants aged 4-6 months can not only ensure infants to supplement breast milk with a high nutritional value, but also enhance the secretion of maternal prolactin and increase breast milk secretion, thus increase the success rate of breastfeeding (Yang, 2018). Breastfeeding can also reduce the occurrence of postnatal hemorrhage of lying-in women and enhance the material and infant relationship. Furthermore, it can also lower the infant mortality rate, especially the premature infants, and the benefit brought to body health can continue until the adulthood.

Mental health education, which is based on the characteristics of physical, psychological and spiritual development of pregnant and lying-in women, is to utilize the psychological education means and methods to cultivate them with good psychological quality and mental state, thus facilitating the health development of newborns and promoting the breastfeeding rate. Mental health education can help pregnant and lying-in women establish a health concept, ensure the nursing staffs fully understand their major problems and standardize their behaviors to promote and maintain the health of the maternal and infant. In clinical tradition, the nursing knowledge for the pregnant and puerperal period were simply imparted. The pregnant and lying-in women were informed relevant antenatal, postnatal and breastfeeding knowledge within a period, but due to the lack of information exchange and feedback, the physical condition of pregnant and lying-in women was poor, which further caused the poor postnatal lactation behavior and delayed first breast-feed time (Xu, 2018). In the present study, the research group were given mental health education, through which the nursing staffs could timely understand the mental characteristics, psychological needs and mental state of pregnant and lying-in women in the perinatal period, thus implementing reasonable and targeted psychological counseling and mental intervention, and improving lactation behavior (Mao et al., 2018).

In conclusion, the mental health education of women in the pregnant and puerperal period could improve lactation behavior, increase exclusive breastfeeding rate, shorten the first breast-feed time and reduce the occurrence of postnatal depression.

Authors’ contributions

Fu Yingjie designed this study. Fu Yingjie collected data and wrote this manuscript. Fu Yingjie revised the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Acknowledgments

We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to our departmental chair for their support. Additionally, we would like to give many thanks to our physicians, engineers, and nurses as well as the other staff of the department.

References

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