Postpartum depression is a form of major depression which begins within 4 weeks of the delivery and is diagnosed if the symptoms last up to six months. It gets severe if the symptoms are not addressed.
If the mother is experiencing symptoms of mental disturbance, it is natural for the infant to be directly or indirectly affected by it therefore babies can sense depression.
Postpartum depression results in the child developing slower than expected, which means that the child talks late, walks late, learns slower, has difficulty adjusting to other people and may experience puberty later than expected.
A mother’s depression post childbirth involves her lack of interest in the things around her including the child she birthed; which results in lack of emotional attachment between mother and child
Women with a history of depression or any mood disorder are more likely to go through depression during and after pregnancy. In such cases, the effects of post pregnancy depression may manifest genetically.
Treating the depressive symptoms of the mother reduces the effects on the child and prevents chances of depression, emotional disturbances and behavioural problems in the child.