Women Who Give Birth Near Winter or Spring Are Less Likely to Develop Post Natal Depression
Women who birthed near winter or spring are far less likely to suffer from depression than at other times of the year, a study indicates.
Other factors affecting the risk of postnatal depression, also called postpartum depression (PPD), including the amount of pregnancy, whether or not an epidural was given during delivery and body mass index.
After giving birth, at least 10% of women experience some degree of depression or anxiety. Symptoms include restlessness, sadness, and lack of concentration. PPD arises from a combination of changes adjustments fatigue and to motherhood, said US researchers.
Dr. Jie Zhou, from Brigham & Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, stated: "We wanted to find out whether there are particular factors influencing the risk of developing postpartum depression which may be prevented to improve women's health, both physically and emotionally."
The group reviewed the medical records of 20,169 girls who delivered babies between August 2017 and June 2015. Of the total, 817 (4.1%) suffered from PPD.
Why giving birth in winter or spring should have a positive effect is not known but it could be connected to the "seasonal enjoyment of indoor actions mothers experience with newborns," said the investigators.
The analysis found that a longer pregnancy reduced the risk of PPD, while it was increased by not needing an anesthetic during shipping. White women were not as likely to experience PPD than women of other ethnic backgrounds, the study revealed. The manner of delivery did not affect.
The findings were presented at the Anesthesiology 2017 assembly in Boston.
