Postnatal depression affects around one in six mothers. In this sense, it’s the most common complication of pregnancy.
The effects of postnatal depression on children’s emotional development can be profound. These children have more mental health and behavioral problems as they grow up. And in low-income countries, the effects of maternal depression extend to higher rates of childhood stunting and physical illness.
Postnatal depression has always been seen as different than other mental health problems. That thinking dates back to the mid-19th century, when French psychiatrist Louis Victor Marcé published a monograph on the “madness of pregnant women.” He introduced the idea that the postnatal period is one of higher risk for mental health problems.
