Women with no history of depression who are diagnosed with a fear of childbirth could be at three times higher risk of postpartum depression -- a finding that could help healthcare professionals diagnosing postpartum depression.
The study looked at over 500,000 mothers in Finland, and the findings are published in BMJ Open.
In Finland, 0.3 percent of mothers delivering singletons were diagnosed with postpartum depression from 2002 to 2010. Postpartum depression was diagnosed in 5.3 percent of women with a history of depression.
About a third of women experiencing postpartum depression had no history of depression. Among these women, a physician-diagnosed fear of childbirth was shown to almost triple the chances of developing postpartum depression.
While 50 to 80 percent of women get the "blues" after childbirth, only some of them get postpartum depression, which could range from minor symptoms to psychotic depression. Postpartum depression could affect a mother's ability to engage with her newborn and there could be a lack of attachment with the baby.
[BMJ Open]
