Postpartum Depression May be Linked to Colic

Recently in the news, according to the Archives of Diseases in Childhood, May 2006, is the research study results out of Turkey that
suggest that postpartum depression may be linked to colic. This is just a suggestion, however. The lead author of the study that colic is

extremely common among infants and that there is still only a small amount of information toward deciding whether or not it is linked to
postpartum depression in the mother.
The study was conducted with 78 mothers who had given birth within a month. They were asked to take tests that were standardized
across the board that had as their goal the detection of postpartum depression. Meanwhile, each of these mothers’ babies was also

tested ? for colic.
Of the 78 mothers, 10 were in a high risk category for postpartum depression. Of the 78 infants, 17 had colic. The percentage of
mothers at high risk for postpartum depression that also had colicky babies was significantly higher than mothers not at risk.
The possible link between colic and postpartum depression may be found in the fact that women with the problem often don’t form a very

strong bond with their new babies. The lack of attachment may be a contributory factor to the baby’s colic. The mothers who tested as
having attachment disorder, a relative of postpartum depression, were much more likely to have a baby with colic.
The possibility that colic may be linked to postpartum depression is not without its solution. Early diagnosis and treatment of the
mother’s state of mind can decrease the possibility of detachment between mother and child as well as colic. Of course, further studies
are necessary to definitively determine whether or not postpartum depression and colic are linked.


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