Emergency caesareans put new mothers at higher risk of developing postnatal depression

A new study has revealed first-time mothers who give birth via unplanned caesarean section are 15% more likely to experience postnatal depression.

The author of the study is calling for more mental health support for women whose babies are delivered via emergency caesarean section, or C-section -- a surgical procedure usually carried out because of complications during labour.

There were more than 103,000 c-sections performed in Canada in 2016-17, according to the statistics. This meant that 28.2 per cent of births were performed by c-section, up from 26.7 per cent in 2007-2008.

From study author Dr Valentina Tonei:

"The findings of this study are striking because they provide evidence of a causal relationship between emergency C-sections and postnatal depression. This has important implications for public health policy, with new mothers who give birth this way in need of increased support. The effects of postnatal depression can be far reaching, with previous studies suggesting that it can have a negative effect, not just on the health of the mother and her relationships with her partner and family members, but also on the baby's development. Mothers who experience postnatal depression are also less likely to go on to have more children."

"Unplanned caesareans may have a particularly negative psychological impact on mothers because they are unexpected, usually mentally and physically stressful and associated with a loss of control and unmatched expectations."

"While the financial costs associated with this surgical procedure are well recognized, there has been less focus on the hidden health costs borne by mothers and their families. We hope this new evidence brings the impact on mothers' mental health into the spotlight."

 About the study:

The study looked at data from 5,000 first-time mothers from the UK Millennium Cohort Study, a representative study of the UK population. The study isolated the effects of emergency C-section on mothers' psychological well-being in the first nine months after delivery by taking other factors, such as differences in the resource and staffing levels in hospitals and the mental health history of the mothers, into account. By focusing on first-time mothers, the effects of previous birthing experiences were also eliminated.

Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/r.../01/190123105845.htm