Risk Factors in Postpartum Depression Among Women from South-East of Romania: Importance of Early Diagnosis

Our research aimed to identify the risk factors that may contribute to postpartum depression (PPD) in the immediate postpartum period. The study was conducted at the University Emergency County Hospital Constanta, Romania, between 2019 and 2021. We included 904 women on the 2nd day of the postpartum period, divided into 2 groups: women with PPD (n=236) and control (women without PPD, n=668). Demographic characteristics and clinical information (i.e., women's age, urban or rural areas, level of education, Rh blood group, chronic diseases, mode of delivery, women's parity, and the number of abortions) were assessed. The prevalence of PPD found was 26.1%. Our findings suggest that only the women's age and level of education were significantly associated with PPD (p=0.05 and p=0.002), being appraised as risk factors in PPD. Our study shows that early detection of PPD represents an important task for its prevention and women should be counseled in order to reduce negative child follow-up. Keywords: Postpartum depression, Demographic characteristics, Edinburgh postpartum depression scale, Early detection, Prevention