By Catherine Egwuom
Early recognition, appropriate treatment and support are crucial to helping mothers manage postpartum depression, protect their well-being and strengthen mother-child relationships.
A 50-year-old woman, Nneoma Dike, was deported back to Nigeria following a postpartum depression that affected her ability to care for herself and her baby.
Her younger sister, Nkechi Amadi, said the development affected Nneoma’s marriage and job, adding, “All because of a condition that was not properly managed”.
Postpartum depression is a serious mental health condition that can occur during pregnancy or after childbirth, affecting a mother’s emotional wellbeing and ability to care for herself and her newborn.
Unlike the temporary mood changes commonly experienced as “baby blues,” postpartum depression can persist and interfere with daily functioning, maternal-infant bonding and the wider family environment.
According to the World Health Organisation, globally 10 per cent of pregnant women and 13 per cent of women who have just given birth experience a mental disorder, primarily depression.
In developing countries, this is even higher: 15.6 per cent during pregnancy and 19.8 per cent after childbirth.
In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, Dr Mosunmola Adebayo, Head, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Apapa General Hospital, urged early recognition and treatment of the condition among new mothers.
Adebayo, also Director, Clinical Services and Training, said postpartum depression was a major depressive episode occurring during pregnancy or after childbirth, potentially extending throughout the first year.
She said early detection enabled healthcare providers to offer counselling, psychotherapy or medication, while helping mothers recover and establish positive bonds with their babies.
“Postpartum depression disrupts the entire family dynamic through stress, relationship tension and altered developmental environments,” she said.
Adebayo urged husbands, relatives and healthcare workers to support affected mothers, while professionals should provide screening, diagnosis and evidence-based treatment.
She advised mothers to seek professional help when sadness, anxiety or feeling overwhelmed lasted beyond two weeks, worsened or interfered with daily functioning.
The specialist recommended psychotherapy, support groups and appropriate antidepressants.
According to her, symptoms of postpartum depression included persistent sadness, extreme fatigue, anxiety and difficulty caring for the newborn.
She identified previous depression or postpartum depression, family history of mood disorders, financial worries, abusive partners and inadequate social support as risk factors.
Adebayo said postpartum depression could begin during pregnancy or after delivery, stressing that untreated symptoms could persist for a prolonged period and severely affect the mother.
She encouraged mothers experiencing symptoms to speak up, stressing that postpartum depression was real, treatable and not their fault.
Similarly, Prof. Taiwo Obindo, Professor of Psychiatry, said postpartum mental health disorders include maternal or baby blues, affecting about 50 per cent of women.
Obindo, also Chairman, Faculty of Psychiatry, West Africa College of Physicians (Nigeria Chapter), said maternal or baby blues do not require treatment but need support, attention and help with house chores.
He said Africa had a low prevalence partly because of support provided by mothers-in-law and mothers of new mothers, commending the Lagos State Government for enacting a law granting new fathers two weeks’ leave.
He said the leave would help fathers support their wives and adjust to their new status, while signs to watch include weepiness, unnecessary clinging to the baby and suspicion.
Obindo said other signs include speech suggesting that the world was not worth living, social withdrawal, low energy and lack of interest in things, adding that some women may have difficulty sleeping or eating.
“Some women may start hearing voices or seeing things others around them cannot see; the earlier such signs were identified, the better,” he said.
He said hormonal changes after delivery, emotional abuse, neglect, poverty, lack of hope and family history of mental illness could contribute to postpartum mental health disorders.
Obindo said untreated postpartum depression could affect the mother’s ability to bond with her baby and respond to the child’s cues, laying the foundation for emotional issues in the child’s future development.
He urged people not to stigmatise women with mental health conditions, saying those showing concerning signs should see psychiatrists, while current treatment allows mothers and babies to stay together. (NAN)www.nannews,ng
Edited by Oluwafunke Ishola
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