Latina Health News: Is Screening for Postpartum Depression Important?
One of the most neglected mental disorders is the "postpartum disorder" which usually affects mothers after giving birth. As per the Postpartum Progress website, 10 to 15 percent women are affected with postpartum mood disorders, which include postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety and postpartum psychosis.
Postpartum depression covers two types of mental conditions which includes major and minor depression. The severity of the conditions differs, but both types of mental health condition would usually surface within 1-6 months after child birth. It involves a series of manic episodes which can rapidly change from being too happy to being depressed in a snap of a finger. It also includes hallucination, confusion and delusions.
It is important for new mothers to have their selves screened for postpartum disorders a week after child birth. According to TIME, pediatricians should star screening postpartum depression.
Once a mother would suffer from postpartum disorder, her new born would also be affected which can have a long term effect on the child. It was also stated that infants that were not properly cared for or those who were nurtured by depressed mothers would usually have developmental delays.
Psych Central released a report stating that postpartum disorder greatly affects the development of the infant. Israeli group of researchers released a study which focused on the results of the depression to infants such as their social engagement, fear regulation and physiological stress reactivity.
The outcome of the study which was published in the "Journal of the American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry" revealed that those who were born with depressed mothers showcased the lowest scores on all the outcomes which were measured in a span of 9 months.
It was stated that the "lowest levels of social engagement during interactions with their mothers, were unable to self-regulate during situations that introduced novelty, fussed and cried more often, and their physiological stress response showed both higher baseline levels and a more pronounced stress reactivity."
Ruth Feldman, the lead researcher and the rest of the team came into conclusion stating that intimately nurturing an infant is important as it plays a vital role in a child's well-being. Maternal sensitivity is said to have a positive impact on a child, wherein mothers who suffer from postpartum would not be able to provide the said trait.
Feldman then stated that, "Furthermore, the unique associations found between maternal depression and each outcome underscore the need to consider maternal depression in the context of the child's global rearing environment and in relation to the attainment of specific developmental goals."
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