How Postpartum Depression Affects Your Baby

Many think about postpartum depression affecting the new mother.  There’s another important aspect to consider in postpartum depression:  the affects it has on your baby.  Postpartum depression often inhibits the ability for the mother to effectively take care of her newborn, which may impact her infant’s development.

How Babies Attach to their Mothers

Babies need to develop quality connections with their primary caregivers.  This ability to have strong attachments to a significant adult allows the babies to become confident, trusting and capable of dealing with stress.  Young children who develop a secure attachment with their primary caregiver (usually mother) are more likely to have positive relationships with their peers, perform better in school and are more resilient when they become older children.  Infants who develop an insecure attachment are at risk of having difficulty expressing emotions, developing learning delays and having dysfunctional relationships with peers.

How Postpartum Depression Affects Parenting

Postpartum depression may cause mothers to be unreliable with child care.  For example, if your baby cries, your depression may make it difficult for you to respond as quickly as you need to.  Sometimes, a mother has severe depression, so she is not able to respond to her baby at all.  If you are unable to consistently respond to your baby in a nurturing way, your baby may have difficulty feeling safe, secure and trusting of others.  In turn, your baby may have difficulty interacting with you if the child feels insecure.

When a person is depressed, everything is seen as negative.  Mothers with postpartum depression often express negative attitudes about their children and may view their infants as difficult or demanding.  The depression also makes the mothers more withdrawn or too involved with their children’s needs.  In turn, the baby who attempts to make interactions with a depressed mother may feel rejected and make fewer efforts to engage mother.

How Postpartum Depression Affects Babies

Babies are typically in tune with the emotional signals of their mothers’ voices, movements and facial expressions.  Infants whose mothers are depressed display more negative emotions than other mothers, so the babies are at risk for becoming negative.  Babies also learn that crying may be the only way to attract the attention of the depressed mother, so the child may be more irritable and difficult to soothe in comparison to other infants.  Young children of depressed mothers may become upset with them or even reject them because of their mothers’ inability to meet the infants’ needs.  Given the insecure attachment, children of mothers with untreated postpartum depression are at greater risk for developing anxiety, emotional problems, sleeping difficulties, hyperactivity and temper tantrums.   The children may experience developmental delays, in such areas as walking, talking or potty training.

Minimizing Your Baby’s Risks

There are several ways to counter the effect of postpartum depression  on your baby.

• Seek professional help.  Postpartum depression is a condition that needs help right away.  Ask your obstetrician or primary care physician for a psychologist who specializes in postpartum depression.  The psychologist will provide you the tools to feel better and to have a more secure bond with your baby.
• Talk to your baby.  Look into your baby’s eyes while talking to your child.  Use your child’s name often when talking to him or her.
• Sing to your baby.  Old children’s songs (e.g., The Itsy Bitsy Spider or Mary Had a Little Lamb) or current popular songs from the radio are fine.  Children often enjoy music.
• Read to your baby.  Reading is a great way to help build a relationship with your child.  There are many terrific books for young children (e.g., Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown and The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle).
• Play a game with your baby (e.g., peek-a-boo).  If you have the energy, you may get down on the floor and play with your child.
• Take your baby outside.  Going out of the house may also help your mood a little.  Take your baby on a short walk or to a park.  Point out trees, kids, or other things along the way.  At a park, engage your baby in a simple activity (e.g., feeling the grass, holding or rolling a ball).

The ultimate goal is for you to feel better, so you can have a loving and secure relationship with your newborn.