Anticipation of Exclusive Formula Feeding Is a Risk Factor for Postpartum Depression [04O

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Breastfeeding may have protective effects against postpartum depression (PPD), although there is debate amongst the literature. We aimed to determine if prenatal intent to exclusively formula feed was a risk factor for higher PPD risk. METHODS: This is a secondary analysis of delivery data from a cohort study conducted between 8/2015–1/2016. Women were asked to report their feeding intention upon admission (prior to delivery). Women were then screened in the hospital for PPD risk using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), approximately 1–4 days post-delivery. Women who planned to breastfeed (either exclusively or in combination with formula) were analyzed separately from those who intended to exclusively formula feed. Fisher exact test was used to compare rates of PPD risk between groups (EPDS score ≥10 indicating moderate risk for PPD). RESULTS: A total of 2083 women had complete data for analysis. A total of 128 (6%) intended to formula feed only. Of these women, 4.48% screened at risk for PPD. This is significantly higher than the 1.85% at-risk rate in the group of women who anticipated they would breastfeed after delivery (P=.049). Of note, this relationship did not remain significant in multivariate analysis (including age and BMI). CONCLUSION: Exclusive formula feeding intention may be one of several important risk factors for moderate PPD risk. Therefore, feeding intention warrants inclusion in future PPD studies. Future studies may also investigate the association of postpartum feeding decisions with later PPD risk (e.g. 2–6 weeks).