Half of expectant mothers in South Africa experience undiagnosed and untreated depression during pregnancy and after childbirth, that risks their own and their babies’ health and future development.
This is the observation of Dr Bavi Vythilingum, a member of the SA Society of Psychiatrists, as the country observed National Pregnancy Awareness Week last week.
“While postnatal depression is well-known, depression during pregnancy is almost as common and carries risks of increased complications during pregnancy and childbirth,” Vythilingum said.
Between 21% and 47% of SA women experience depression during pregnancy, and 31% to 50% suffer postnatal depression: the global rate shows only about 12% of women experience depression during or after pregnancy, reports TimesLIVE.
“Pregnancy-related depression is often dismissed as ‘just the baby blues’ and women are told ‘just pull yourself together’, but it is a serious mental health condition, not only negatively affecting women’s quality of life and motherhood experience, but the prospects of the next generation too,” said Vythilingum.
Antenatal depression increases the risks of hypertension, putting both mother and baby at risk of complications during the pregnancy and in childbirth, and of low birthweight and premature births.
Untreated depression during pregnancy means the mother is more likely to experience postnatal depression and difficulties in bonding with her baby, affecting the vital mother-child attachment relationship. This can affect the child’s social, emotional and cognitive development and lead to mental health problems later in life.
Mental health is often overlooked during pregnancy, added Vythilingum, saying lack of awareness and stigma around mental health conditions, and the tendency to focus more on a woman’s physical health than her mental health during pregnancy means depressive symptoms are very often not detected.
Women experiencing moderate to severe depression should ideally be treated with both psychotherapy and medication, she noted.
TimesLIVE article – Depression during pregnancy is not ‘just the baby blues’ (Open access)
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