Postnatal Depression - Essay Example

Single parentism or inadequate social support increases the burden to be borne by mothers in terms of their own health as well as monetary risks. Such a condition automatically causes mothers to show lesser positive, sensitive and responsiveness towards their babies. They develop more negative emotions and in worst cases thoughts of harming the children also persist. To conclude mothers with financial problems and lack of social security show greater tendency to develop PPD indicating that PPD is not a mental illness.

The maternal mood is assessed using Edinburg Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS)-- the higher scaling indicating PPD as maximum and less scaling indicating minimum range. Women with PPD exhibit inconsistent child caring attitudes resulting in poor coping strategies (Murray and Cooper 1997). PPD women less likely respond to the sickness or necessities of the infant, or persuade the child with eating habits, less interest in breast feeding/healthy feeding or sleeping habits of their infants. This care less attitude with less sensitive and less positive interactions act as potential impedance in building a strong mutual emotional bond between the parents and the infant coupled with poor infant health and slowed physical growth like low birth weight.

According to Murray (1992) PPD itself influences all dimensions of the mother's life. It is known to affect mother's physical functioning, physical role, mental health, emotional role, social functioning, vitality, and also her general health. To conclude the PPD mothers are not fully equipped in providing justice to parenthood of a new born. Under such circumstances fathers have a vital role to play where his presence probably buffering the situation tries to compensates the mother-infant relationship strained by PPD, establishing a joyful and affectionate bond with secured child-father attachment.

However much studies and investigation in knowing about father-infant relationship is much under due.Effects of PPD on infantsThe intensity of PPD depends on its severity and duration. The recent psychiatric studies have revealed that young children are sensitive to their parent's affection and their parental attachment depends on their past intimacy. Hence apart from the genetics, personal interaction between the parent-child, play a major role in the psychological outcome of the child where infants at their young age adapt and respond well to their parents behaviors and interactions.

Tests conducted have shown that boy babies are more sensitive to PPD impacts in comparison with girl babies and this vulnerability continues with time.According to Rutter (1989) the impact of PPD on infants could be i) It could shed direct deleterious effects on the child ii) indirect impact through interpersonal behavior in general and in parenting in particular iii) Through social adversity associated with psychiatric