Pregnancy is a biological storm. Your skin, your appetite and your feet will change. Hormones drive the chaos. They cause discoloration. They cause cravings. They lead to drooling. Some women experience dry eyes. Others get hemorrhoids or acid reflux. Hair grows quickly and then falls out. These physical changes are well documented. We joke about them in movies. Morning sickness and ice cream with pickles are classic tropes.
But the emotional toll is less obvious. It’s rarely a punch line. It happens behind the scenes. Skyrocketing estrogen levels after childbirth can cause extreme depression and anxiety. This condition is called PPD or PPD.
This is not unusual. As many as one in five women experience symptoms of PPD. These include excessive crying; Sadness. A feeling of emptiness. despair. Changes in appetite. insomnia. Fatigue. Sometimes extreme anxiety. Most women experience at least some of these symptoms to some degree after giving birth. They are usually mild. They fade away after a week or two. Hormone levels begin to balance. If you have PPD, symptoms may persist. They are so strong that they interfere with the mother’s ability to care for the newborn. Some patients may have suicidal thoughts. Or of harming the baby.
Apparently, it is very difficult for mothers to cope with these symptoms. But they can also be difficult for babies to handle. Infants don’t know it. Their mothers’ depression can cause long-term problems for them. As if a depressed new mom need more guilt.
The good news is that PPD is treatable.
Understanding the link between maternal mental health and infant cognitive outcomes
The cognitive impact that depressed mothers have on their babies is an logical result of PPD. Consider that the first year of life is mommy-centric In most birthing centers, the newborn is placed on the mother’s bare chest immediately after birth. This is the first thing you feel when the baby leaves the womb. It is designed to facilitate bonding.
When this connection is strained by untreated PPD, the basis of cognitive development is altered. Babies miss out on constant, responsive interaction. This stilted relationship can lead to potential cognitive problems. These problems can continue into childhood. What is important is how exactly this happens. Let’s look at the treatments for PPD. The sooner mom gets help, the better for everyone.
The effect of postpartum depression on the infant’s fear response
The transition from the womb to the outside world is shocking. The weather is very cold. It’s noisy. This is completely different from the warm, dark and safe environment of the womb. For a newborn baby, the mother is a bridge to safety. She is the regulator. If the bridge wobbles, the baby feels less stable.
If the mother suffers from postpartum depression, this connection becomes unstable. This is not just an emotional issue. It has a great impact on the development of the baby’s brain.
Israeli researchers published a study in the August 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry that highlights this very finding. They looked at three specific components of infants’ cognitive responses: social engagement, stress level, and fear responses.
Relationship between fear response and cortisol
The fear response is a survival instinct. Babies experience fear when they encounter new things, such as unfamiliar faces or loud noises. It has a protective effect. In order to interact with the world in a healthy way, babies must learn to overcome their initial fears.
This process can be measured concretely. Researchers study cortisol levels.
Cortisol is the “stress hormone”. When the baby is stressed, cortisol rises. When they feel safe, it falls. During the first year of life, the mother is the main mediator between the baby and the outside world. Her own comfort with his presence, with others and with the child determines the baby’s starting situation.
Mothers who accept and respond to their baby’s cues can effectively teach their child that the outside world is safe.
Mothers suffering from depression often feel uncomfortable with their lives. She may be less an intuitive understanding of the child’s needs. The natural consequence is that the baby becomes more frightened. Not very tolerant of new things. Increased levels of stress hormones.
Long-term social and cognitive effects
These early interactions shape the social development. If postpartum depression affects early fear responses and stress levels, its effects may extend far beyond infancy.
A 1999 British study published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry found that 5-year-olds whose mothers were diagnosed with postpartum depression had more behavior problems at home and at school.
There is even evidence that older children may have lower IQs if their mothers are depressed in the first few months after giving birth.
This is terrible. It shouldn’t. The appearance of postpartum depression has changed. Fifty years ago, or even 20 years ago, very little was known about this. Today, this disease is well studied and easily recognized.
Seek professional help for postpartum depression
Mental health professionals recognize this condition easily. It is the mother’s responsibility to seek professional help as soon as possible. This does not mean waiting. Intervention is important if signs and symptoms of postpartum depression persist beyond the first few weeks after delivery.
Treatment is usually provided by a doctor, psychologist or social worker. This condition can often be treated very successfully with therapy, medication, or a combination of both.
Catching the problem can help both mother and baby. Avoid the potential cognitive and social consequences associated with long-term, untreated depression.
The natural consequence [of untreated postpartum depression] is that the baby becomes more fearful and less open to new things.
Understanding postpartum depression is the first step. Recognizing the impact of the effects on your baby. The third step is to ask for help.
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Sources
- Anderson, Pauline. “Postpartum depression and anxiety can affect the baby’s development.” Medscape Today. August 20, 2009.
- Health tips: risk factors for postpartum depression. US News & World Report. February 12, 2010.
- Murray, Lynn and Peter Cooper. “Effects of Postpartum Depression on Infant Development” Archives of Disease in Childhood. 1997.
- Nauert, Rick, PhD. “Effects of Postpartum Depression on Infants” PsychCentral. August 21, 2009.
- Postpartum Depression: An Overview of Treatment. WebMD.
- Postnatal identification and screening of NICU infants: impact of PPD on infants and children. Medscape Today.
