Hi my question is what happens to a woman’s mental health if postnatal depression is not treated. Can a woman still have post natal depression after few years if it has been left untreated or would it develop in to normal depression ?

Answered by: Maria/MD Health Forum.com Team

Women’s reaction to childbirth experience may present in a wide range of emotions. The delivery of a newborn is typically associated with positive feelings such as joy and happiness. However, some women may also feel sad, unsure and anxious after childbirth.

The plummeting hormone levels after pregnancy is thought to play an important part in the development of postpartum mood disorders. There are different types of affective disorders that may occur after childbirth. Some women experience the mild form called baby blues that usually go away in a few days, but other women suffer from clinical depression known as postpartum depression.

Postpartum blues
About 50-90% of women experience baby blues after childbirth. This is characterized by feelings of sadness and emotional surges that may begin in the first days after childbirth.

A woman with baby blues experience mild symptoms of anxiety, mood shifts, feelings of being overwhelmed, tearfulness, irritability, and fatigue. These symptoms typically peak on the 4th or 5th day after delivery. Although it can be distressing, baby blues do not usually affect the mother’s ability to take care of her newborn.

Baby blues often go away in a few hours or a week or so without treatment. However, follow-up is important because about 20% can progress to a far more serious condition known as postpartum depression.

Postpartum depression
If the symptoms of postpartum blues do not decline after about a week and seem to get worse, this could mean that the mother may already be experiencing postpartum depression. Most women who have this condition have a history of depression and many of them were depressed while they were pregnant.

The onset of postpartum depression is more gradual and becomes evident within the first 6 weeks after childbirth. Untreated postpartum depression can persist up to a year or longer

If left treated, postpartum depression can disrupt mother-child bonding and may result in family distress, it can also lead to chronic depressive disorder. Even if treated, women who have had postpartum depression have an increased risk of future episodes of major depression.

The complications of postpartum depression are not limited to the mothers’ mental health. Research suggest that their infants can also develop health problems that may persist into childhood. They may not perform as well on developmental tasks as those children of mothers who are not depressed. Additionally, they are at a higher risk of developing depression early in life.

References:
http://www.acog.org/publications/patient_education/bp091.cfm
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/postpartum-depression/DS00546
Ricci, S. Kyle, T. Maternity and Pediatric Nursing.2008. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Sigelma, C., Rider. E. Life-Span Human Development. 2008. Wadsworth Publishing; 6 edition.
http://www.psychguides.com/DinW%20postpartum.pdf

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Tags: baby blues, postnatal depression, postpartum blues, untreated postpartum depression

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