Health Policy and Management Department, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America.
The First Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China.
PLoS One. 2023 Oct 30;18(10):e0293667. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0293667. eCollection 2023.
The postpartum period is critical for maternal health status after childbirth. The traditional Chinese postpartum confinement practice, "doing-the-month", is considered especially effective in helping mothers recover during the postpartum period. However, research has not provided evidence to confirm its benefits. Postpartum depression is a common postpartum disease that seriously threatens maternal health. The systematic review aims to explore the association between "doing-the-month" and postpartum depression in the Chinese female population and to provide a scientific foundation for evidence-based postpartum maternal care.
Five databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane, PsycINFO, and Web of Science) were searched according to the protocol (INPALSY202320102). The JBI assessment tool was used to assess the quality of the included studies.
Sixteen quantitative studies from China and Chinese female immigrants in other countries, including 15 cross-sectional studies and 1 randomized controlled study, were identified. Four studies indicated that "doing-the-month" rituals reduced postpartum depression risk while 2 studies showed opposite results; 10 studies did not show a significant association between "doing-the-month" practices and postpartum depression.
There is conflicting evidence regarding the association between "doing-the-month" and the likelihood of developing postpartum depression. Some studies have explored the impact of family ties, particular rituals, and specific stressors during the postpartum period on the occurrence of postpartum depression in Chinese women. According to current research, "doing-the-month" practice failed to show a significant protective effect on postpartum depression in the Chinese maternal population. Evidence-based medical health education for the Chinese postpartum female community is urgently needed.
产后时期对产妇分娩后的健康状况至关重要。传统的中国产后“坐月子”习俗被认为在帮助产妇在产后期间恢复方面特别有效。然而，研究并未提供证据证实其益处。产后抑郁症是一种常见的产后疾病，严重威胁着产妇的健康。本系统评价旨在探讨中国女性人群中“坐月子”与产后抑郁症之间的关联，并为基于证据的产后产妇护理提供科学依据。
根据协议（INPALSY202320102），在五个数据库（PubMed、Embase、Web of Science、Scopus、Cochrane、PsycINFO 和 Web of Science）中进行搜索。使用 JBI 评估工具评估纳入研究的质量。
从中国和其他国家的中国女性移民中确定了 16 项定量研究，包括 15 项横断面研究和 1 项随机对照研究。四项研究表明“坐月子”仪式降低了产后抑郁症的风险，而两项研究则显示出相反的结果；10 项研究表明“坐月子”做法与产后抑郁症之间没有显著关联。
“坐月子”与产后抑郁症发生之间的关联存在相互矛盾的证据。一些研究探讨了家庭关系、特定仪式以及产后期间特定压力源对中国女性发生产后抑郁症的影响。根据目前的研究，“坐月子”实践未能在中国产妇人群中显示出对产后抑郁症的显著保护作用。迫切需要为中国产后女性社区提供基于证据的医疗保健教育。
