Postpartum Depressive Symptoms Common in U.S. Moms

Almost 20% of women self-reported postpartum depressive symptoms; physical abuse, life or financial stress, smoking, and having a low birth weight infant raised risk.

About 10% to 15% of U.S. women experience postpartum depression (PPD) within the first year after giving birth. The CDC’s Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) is an ongoing, population-based surveillance project aimed at collecting information that reflects maternal attitudes and experiences before, during, and after the delivery of live infants. The 2004–2005 PRAMS provides the most recent nationally representative assessment of self-reported postpartum depressive symptoms (PDS) and also identifies groups of women at particularly high risk. Table 1 lists the two questions that the CDC used to evaluate self-reported PDS. The questions have a high sensitivity (96%) for identifying depression, although specificity is low (66%).…

Reviewing Author

Diane E. Judge, APN/CNP

Disclosures

EquityStryker Corporation

Diane E. Judge, APN/CNP

Disclosures

EquityStryker Corporation

Postpartum Depressive Symptoms Common in U.S. Moms

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Reviewing Author