The impact of postpartum depression on the baby

Postpartum depression is a fairly common condition in many women today, and the impact of postpartum depression on their babies is very serious. This condition not only affects the mother but also the baby's development.

What is the difference between 'baby blues' syndrome and postpartum depression?

Baby blues syndrome is a mild postpartum depression that many new moms experience. It begins 1–3 days after birth and lasts about 10 days to several weeks. With "baby blues" syndrome, many women have unstable mood, one minute ago are happy, happy, a minute later can cry without any reason.

They feel anxious, confused, have problems with eating or sleeping. Up to 80% of new mothers have baby blues syndrome. However, this syndrome will go away naturally. About 13% of new mothers experience postpartum depression. This condition is more severe and lasts longer than "baby blues". If someone in your family has had depression in the past , you are at higher risk of falling into it.

Some of the symptoms of depressive syndrome include:

Feeling that you cannot care for your baby;

Extreme anxiety or extreme panic;

Difficulty making a decision;

Always feel sad, even hopeless;

Lose control.

The main cause of postpartum depression remains unclear. If you have any of the above symptoms, it's important to get the help of others. Postpartum depression requires treatment, so it's best to see your doctor for the best advice and treatment.

The impact of postpartum depression on the baby

If the mother does not cure depression quickly, it will affect the baby a lot. Depressed mothers will have difficulty caring for their children. A minute ago, maybe they loved their child very much, but soon they felt depressed.

They may respond to a baby's wishes in a negative way or ignore it. Emotions and behavior now both affect a mother's ability to take care of her children. Above all, the mother needs to respond to the child's wishes, such as feeding, changing diapers, cuddling, petting the baby. Having a strong bond relieves stress and is important for long-term emotional health, making your child feel safe and protected, and learn to trust others.

If depressed, mothers may have problems expressing love and caring for their children. This will lead to dozens of problems later in the baby's childhood. Children that do not develop strong emotional ties can lead to the following problems:

Having trouble interacting with the mother (the baby doesn't want to be around her or feels sad being around her);

Sleep problems;

Development delay ;

Frequent abdominal pain;

Become passive, quiet;

Developing good skills at critical milestones is much slower than other babies.

For toddlers or under-school babies whose mothers suffer from depression will have the following problems:

Less independent than friends;

Little getting along with everyone;

There are many problems with discipline;

Or more destructive or aggressive;

Didn't study well.

School-aged children can:

There are many problems in the behavior;

Difficulty in learning;

High risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD);

Not good at studying;

High risk of depression, frequent anxiety, and other mental health problems.

Children in the “teen age” age group whose mothers suffer from depression are at high risk of a number of problems such as mental disorders, anxiety disorders, behavioral disorders, substance abuse, and increased disorders. Attention decreases and learning is harder than you.

Postpartum depression is a serious illness, but it can be treated if detected in time. Hope you can quickly find an effective treatment for yourself!