Abstract
Postpartum depression is the number one complication of childbirth. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has suggested that 15% of all women will experience one of the types of perinatal mood disorders, and one woman in eight will have postpartum depression. The impact of postpartum depression has far-reaching consequences and alters more than the emotional status of the mother. Postpartum depression impairs mother/infant bonding, delaying the emotional development of the infant and adding stress to the father/mother relationship. Screening for postpartum depression during the maternity stay alerts staff to mothers who are at risk. Timing of follow-up phone calls assists in identifying those with current problems. Referring for immediate treatment and linking mothers to ongoing support groups has been known to play an important role in the prevention and treatment of perinatal mood disorders.
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