Comparison of Zinc Level In Mother With Postpartum Blues and Normal at Makassar City

Abstract

Introduction : Postpartum blues is a mild mood disorder that is temporary, characterized by short tears,

feelings of loneliness or rejection, anxiety, confusion, forgetfulness and imsomnia. The causes can occur

in the form of biological and social factors. Postpartum blues is a type of depression commonly found in

mothers. Zinc is a biological factor that is thought to be related to the incidence of depression in mothers

Objectives: This study aims to look at zinc levels in mothers with postpartum blues when compared with

normal mothers

Methods: This research was conducted at St. Fatimah Hospital in Makassar. This type of research is analytic

study with cross sectional design.The population of this study was all mothers who were treated at St. Fatimah

Hospital for the period of May-June 2017 that were selected by purposive sampling. Based on established

criteria, 68 postpartum mothers were chosen. Depression scores were collected using the Edinburg Postnatal

Depression Scale. Level of zinc was examined through the colorimetric method using QuantiChrom Zink

Assay Kit (DIZN-250). To determine the differences in zinc levels used independent t test.

Results: This study found that zinc levels in mothers with postpartum blues were higher when compared

to normal mothers. The difference is 1.74 µg / dl. But the difference was not significant (p = 0.263). Most

mothers with postpartum blues have low zinc levels (66.7%) whereas those normal mother mostly have very

low zinc levels (50%). But the difference was not significant (p = 0.170)

Conclusion: This study found no significant differences in zinc levels in mother with postpartum blues or

normal. But an important finding is the low levels of zinc in postpartum mothers in Makassar City. This is

important to get attention because zinc plays an important role in the health of mother and child