Symptoms of maternal depression immediately after delivery predict unsuccessful breast feeding.
OBJECTIVE
Postnatal depression may interfere with breast feeding. This study tested the ability of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) to predict later breast feeding problems, hypothesising that risk of unsuccessful breast feeding increased with increasing EPDS scores, even at low values.


METHODS
The authors administered the EPDS on days 2-3 after delivery to 592 mothers of a healthy baby. Feeding method was recorded at 12-14 weeks.


RESULTS
Median EPDS score was 5 (IQR 2 -8); 15.7% of women scored >9. At 12-14 weeks, 50.7% of infants received full breast feeding, 21.0% mixed breast feeding and 28.4% bottle feeding. Mothers with higher EPDS scores were more likely to bottle feed at 3 months; the odds of bottle feeding increased with EPDS result, even at low scores (OR 1.06, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.11).


CONCLUSIONS
Higher EPDS scores immediately after delivery were associated with later breast feeding failure.
Department of Woman and Child Health, Ospedale Versilia, Via Aurelia 335, Lido di Camaiore (LU), Italy. l.gagliardi@neonatalnet.org
Luigi
L
Gagliardi
Angela
A
Petrozzi
Franca
F
Rusconi
D000328:Adult; D001903:Bottle Feeding / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019052:Depression, Postpartum / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008425:Maternal Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales