All antenatal women should be assessed for a past history of depressive episodes. Depressive episodes experienced any time in the past, in relation with or not in relation with childbirth pose a significantly increased risk of developing PPD(7),(22),(54),(70). A 3.6 times higher risk of PPD was found in women who had a previous history of major depressive episode (48). However, an Indian study stated that a past history of depression increased the risk of further depressive episodes in general and not necessarily postnatal depression (35).
A small but significant association was found between the presence of a positive family history of any psychiatric illness and PPD (22).
3. 27 INFANT TEMPERAMENT
Infant temperament is the way in which the child approaches or reacts to the world. It has consistently been found to be associated PPD(7),(95),(96),(97). There are five variables of infant temperament that are of importance – feeding problems in the infant, infant having trouble sleeping, mother percieving the …show more content…
It is characterized by symptoms like emotional lability, crying spells, anxiety, easy fatiguablity, low mood, irritability, sleep disturbance in the absence of any impairment in socio-occupational functioning. It can have its onset immediateley post delivery, reaching its peak by 5 days and usually resolves completely by 2 weeks. Maternity blues are generally considered normal and does not usually require treatment. But if it persists beyond 2 weeks, it can progress to a full blown depressive episode in which case it is advisable to seek treatment(99),(100). Postpartum blues have been identified as one of the strongest predictors of PPD(7),(99),(101),(102). It was found that 25% of the women who experience postpartum blues will go on to have