ANN ARBOR, Mich. – One in three new mothers during early COVID had postpartum depression, according to University of Michigan researchers.
That number is nearly triple pre-pandemic levels. One in five of them also had major depressive symptoms, according to the study.
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Researchers from the U-M School of Nursing found that depression in new mothers rose during the pandemic. Before COVID, the CDC estimated that one in eight women experienced postpartum depression and about 5-7% experienced major depressive symptoms. That’s according to Clayton Shuman, U-M assistant professor of nursing.
The study, “Postpartum depression and associated risk factors during the COVID-19 pandemic” appears in BMC Research Notes. It comes from a larger study called “COVID-19 MAMAS (Maternal Attachment, Mood, Ability, and Support),” which gave rise to several papers about pregnancy and postpartum experiences during COVID.
Researchers collected survey data between February and July 2020 from 670 U.S. postpartum patients who completed the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale online and provided demographic information.
“We also found that almost 1 in 5 participants who screened positive for postpartum depression reported having thoughts of harming themselves. This is very concerning given that prior to the pandemic, Dr. Lindsay Admon and colleagues from U-M found the rate of suicidality among prenatal and postpartum patients is on the rise in the U.S.”
According to the study, moms who fed infants formula had 92% greater odds of screening positive for postpartum depression and were 73% more likely to screen positive for major depressive symptoms, compared to those who breastfed or bottle-fed with their own human milk.
The study also found that moms with infants in neonatal intensive care units had 74% greater odds of screening positive, and each one-week increase in weeks postpartum increased the odds of screening positive by 4%. Researchers said moms worried about contracting COVID-19 had 71% greater odds of screening positive for postpartum depression.
Shuman says he was surprised by how many women screened positive for depression and major depression. Shuman said there are several reasons for the link between postpartum depression and feeding formula.
Previous research has found that breastfeeding support, like lactation consults, was limited early on in the pandemic and that may have increased stress or caused people to go with formula. Researchers say stress from supply chain issues could have also contributed to depression. Studies also suggest that breastfeeding may help protect postpartum patients from postpartum depression.
“Treatment is pivotal to recovery,” he said. “Resources and education about postpartum depression must be better disseminated and implemented. These resources should be shared with the general public to reduce stigma, and shared with those who provide social and emotional support to postpartum patients, such as partners and family members.