For years, doctors have blamed post-natal depression on hormonal fluctuations. Now researchers have shown that a particularly painful or traumatic birth and lingering pain in the weeks afterwards can significantly increase a mother's risk.
A study of 200 women who had an epidural when they gave birth to their first child showed that, six to eight weeks after giving birth, 5.8 percent had developed post-natal depression (PND). Of these women, all had experienced persistent pain for at least a month after they gave birth.
The study, conducted by Singapore's Duke-NUS Medical School, showed that lingering soreness can become a source of embarrassment and anxiety for new mums, adding to the pressure of new motherhood and increasing the chance of developing PND.
Speaking about the research, presented at the World Congress of Anesthesiologists (WCA) in Hong Kong, lead researcher Wei Du told
DM:
"The research findings support the need to address pain comprehensively to lessen the risk of developing PND.
"A larger study is being conducted to evaluate the impact of pain and PND in pregnant women."
Did you suffer pain for an extended period after your baby was born? Join the conversation on Twitter @HerFamilydotie.
