The Impact of Feeding Pattern and Mother's Gingival Health on Infant's Salivary Oxytocin in Relation to Postpartum Depression Status

Background: Feeding pattern of infant earlier found to be associated with bonding status with mother as their gingival health had some effect on this relation that associated with depression status of mother. The purpose of this in study was to evaluate the effect feeding pattern and mother's gingival health in relation to postpartum depression on infants bonding by using salivary oxytocin biomarker among a sample of infants in Baghdad city. Materials and methods: The selected sample included 46 mothers with breast feeding and 44 mothers with bottle feeding with an age range of 18-25 years with their infants aged 3-6 months. They were divided according to feeding pattern in breast feeding and bottle group. All samples were subjected to postpartum depression questionnaire. Mother gingival health was measured by using gingival index of loe and Silness in 1963 while oral hygiene status by using dental plaque index of loe in 1967. Ninety infant were selected for salivary oxytocin analysis, and the analysis was performed by using Enzyme-Linked Immune Sorbent Assay. Results: The data of present study revealed that among mother with healthy gingiva and moderate grade of gingivitis the salivary oxytocin level were non significantly higher among breast feeding infant than bottle feeding. Data revealed that the percentage of mothers with postpartum depression were less among breastfeeding mother with significant association between depression status and feeding pattern. However the mean value of salivary oxytocin hormone of infants was non-significantly higher in breast feeding group for both depressed and non-depressed group. Conclusions: The postpartum depression occur less among breast feeding mother that their infant showed a non-significantly higher oxytocin level while the gingival health of mothers shown a non-significant effect on salivary oxytocin of infants.