ABSTRACT

The aim of this study was to identify possible risk factors for postpartum depression deve-lopment in mothers of infants who were brought to first-month well-child visits.

Self-reports were obtained from 103 mothers. The interviews collected data on mothers’ sociodemographic and health characteristics, and infants’ characteristics. The Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS) was used to assess maternal depressive symp-toms.

In this high socioeconomic population, twenty-eight mothers (27.1%) scored in the clinical range of the EPDS. Mothers’ unemployment, maternal health problems during present pregnancy, depression history during previous and present pregnancies, delivery complications, infant health problems, and infant cry/fuss problems were associated with postpartum depression.

Postpartum depression was common at one-month well-baby visits. Nonworking mothers, those with health problems during pregnancy and with a problematic infant were often depressed. Well-child visits provide a convenient setting for evaluating postpartum depression and related risk factors.

Keywords: postpartum depression, risk factors, infant characteristics, well-child visit