New research suggests women who are afraid of childbirth are at a higher risk of suffering from postpartum depression.
To make their findings researchers looked at 500,000 mothers in Finland, a University of Eastern Finland news release reported.
Women who have a history of depression have been known to be more susceptible to post-partum depression; women who do not have a history and are afraid of childbirth are three times more likely to suffer from postpartum depression than those who are not afraid.
These findings could help medical professionals better-recognize postpartum depression.
In Finland 0.3 percent of "all mothers delivering a singleton birth" between the years of 2002 and 2010 were diagnosed with post-partum depression. The diagnosis was made in 5.3 percent of women with a history of depression. About one-third of women who were diagnosed with postpartum depression had no history of past depressive symptoms.
The researcher found that in the women with no history of depression being afraid of giving birth nearly tripled their chances of struggling with postpartum depression.
Factors such as "Caesarean section, pre-term birth and major congenital anomaly," also tripled the risk of depression after giving birth.
"Giving birth is a powerful experience both physically and mentally, and a variety of emotions are present. As much as [50 to 80 percent] of women suffer from baby blues after birth," the news release reported.
The effects of post-partum depression can range from "minor symptoms to psychotic depression." It can interfere with the mother's ability to bond with her child and form a relationship with them. This can lead to psychological problems for the child down the road.
It has been widely accepted that women with a history of depression have an elevated risk of suffer depression post-partum; before now little has been known about risk factors in women with no history of depression symptoms.
"The observed link between fear of childbirth and postpartum depression may help health care professionals in recognizing postpartum depression. The study provides strong evidence, as it relies on diagnosis-based data on postpartum depression," the news release reported.
