Washington: A new study has indicated that women with urinary incontinence after giving birth are almost twice as likely to develop postpartum depression as those without incontinence.
In their research Wendy Sword, a professor in McMaster Universitys School of Nursing, and her colleagues set out to examine the relationship between mode of delivery and postpartum depression at six weeks following hospital discharge. They evaluated almost 1,900 new mothers. One-third had C-section deliveries.
Almost eight percent had postpartum depression at six weeks after discharge.
Their investigation showed the five strongest predictors of postpartum depression are the mother being less than 25-years-old; the mother having to be readmitted to hospital; non-initiation of breastfeeding; good, fair, or poor self-reported postpartum health; and urinary incontinence or involuntary urination.
We were surprised to find that urinary incontinence is a risk factor for postpartum depression, said Sword.
Urinary incontinence following childbirth has not received much attention as a factor contributing to postpartum depression and we do not yet fully understand the reasons incontinence is linked to depression, added Sword.
The study has been published online in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology .
ANI