Relationship Between Postpartum Mood Disorder and Birth Experience: A Prospective Observational Study

Abstract

(Int J Obstet Anesth. 2020;44:90–99) Postpartum depression (PPD) affects 1 in 5 mothers and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may affect up to 15.7% postpartum women. Traumatic birth experience has been identified as a risk factor associated with PPD, but what qualifies an event as traumatic is at times unclear and varies across studies. A patient’s expectations, when differing from the realized experience, can also contribute to risk for PPD or PTSD. This study aimed to identify birth events associated with increased risk of PPD and postpartum PTSD.