Breastfeeding and Postpartum Depression
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Authors
Sondag, Emily
Dickerson, Hailey
Gasser, MacKenzie
Date of Issue
2023-04-28
Type
Presentation
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Abstract
Postpartum depression (PPD) is a serious medical diagnosis that affects many aspects of family-centered care and the health of the postpartum mother. It is a mood disorder that occurs after childbirth that goes unresolved for more than one to two weeks (Taber’s Medical Dictionary, 2021). Those with PPD can affect the outcomes for their newborn babies, their family dynamic, and their own mental health. Postpartum mothers include women who have given birth to a newborn child. They are faced with the option of breastfeeding their child as a main form of nutrition over using formula exclusively or as supplementation, in addition to breastfeeding. When these postpartum mothers make this decision, the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) can be used to determine their severity of postpartum depression if it is present. According to the Center of Perinatal Excellence, EPDS is a screening tool that identifies a mother’s risk for PPD (2023). The purpose of this evidence-based brief is to examine the EPDS scores between mothers who chose to breastfeed and mothers who do not choose to breastfeed. The outcome of this brief synopsis may shed light on potential education that nurses can give to mothers based on their EPDS scores. Nurses or other healthcare providers can use this information to determine the effects of breastfeeding on EPDS scores. Knowing these scores and what effects them can provide context for care and education for nurses who provide patient care.