In-focus

Technology

Breastfeeding problems tied to moms' depression: study

Dunya News

Moms who have particular difficulty breastfeeding may be at greater risk of postpartum depression.

The findings, reported in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology, do not prove that breastfeeding problems are the cause of depression symptoms. But researchers say that new mothers and their doctors should be aware that the two can go hand-in-hand.The study found that of nearly 2,600 mothers who had ever breastfed, just less than eight percent screened positive for major depression two months after giving birth. And that risk was higher among women who either had severe breast pain or generally disliked breastfeeding during their babys first weeks of life. Whether the breastfeeding difficulties are to blame is not clear, according to lead researcher Stephanie Watkins, an epidemiologist at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. A limit of the study, she said, is that there was no information on whether mothers had suffered depression during pregnancy. So it could be that women who were already depressed had a tougher time with breastfeeding.