Study Suggests Pediatricians Should Screen for Postpartum Depression

A new study published in Pediatrics, the journal published by the American Academy of Pediatrics, recommends that pediatricians screen new mothers for postpartum depression.
Depression after the birth of a baby is normal, ranging from mild to severe depression to postpartum psychosis.  The so-called “baby blues” affects up to 80% of new mothers and consists primarily of anxiety, crying and fairly dramatic mood swings.

“Mandy”, a mother from Arkansas describes her experience with “mommy” sadness after the birth of her first child:  “I saw my mother driving away after staying with me for a week, and burst into tears, wondering how in the world I was going to be able to take care of my daughter all by myself.  As I recall, the sadness lasted for about a week.”

While Mandy’s experience is common, some women have more severe symptoms that can ultimately affect the mother-child bonding process, according to Dr. Marian F. Earls and colleagues from the AAP Committee on Psychosocial Aspects of Child and Family Health.

Cathy W., a mom from Texas describes her struggle with depression after her third child was born:  “The birth was particularly difficult – my uterus nearly ruptured because the doctor waited too long to order a c-section.  I was so traumatized that I couldn’t not bring myself to hold my son for three days.  It’s hard to explain – I didn’t ‘blame’ him for it, but I had absolutely no maternal feelings toward him, whatsoever.” Fortunately, Cathy sought treatment within a month after her son was born.

 Dr. Earls and his team maintain that 5%-25% of pregnant and postpartum women are depressed; furthermore, major depression like Cathy’s occurs in 1%-6.8% of new mothers the first year after a baby is born.

Such severe bouts of severe maternal depression means that a new mother is very likely to be unable to tend to the needs of her child, leading to “insecure attachment,” which can appear as soon as two months after a child is born.  Additionally, leaving maternal depression untreated can ultimately lead to behavior problems, mood disorders and anxiety throughout childhood and adolescence.

Although the researchers suggest that pediatricians screen for depression through the use of such tools as the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale, they emphasize that once a mother is diagnosed with depression, she can be referred to other specialists to help with her specific symptoms.