Depressive symptoms during pregnancy: associated factors and association with exclusive breastfeeding

Objective: To analyze prevalence and factors associated with depressive symptoms during pregnancy and their relationship with exclusive breastfeeding practice for six months. Methods: This is a longitudinal, analytical and exploratory study, conducted in two stages. In the first, a cross-sectional study was carried out within a cohort, in which depression during pregnancy was investigated. The second stage was carried out six months after birth to verify the relationship between depressive symptoms during pregnancy and exclusive breastfeeding. It was conducted in a municipality in the state of Paran & aacute;, from October 2019 to November 2020, with the participation of 150 women interviewed in the third trimester of pregnancy and again six months after giving birth. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Poisson regression with robust variance. Results: Prevalence of depressive symptoms was 32.7%. Depression was significantly associated with not working outside the home, not being happy with the pregnancy and idealizing abortion. No association was observed between depressive symptoms and duration of exclusive breastfeeding. Conclusion: Prevalence of depressive symptoms during pregnancy was high and explained by factors that can be modified which, when identified early, can contribute to implementing interventions that result in better outcomes for women during pregnancy and postpartum.