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. 2020 Apr 15;17(8):2725.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph17082725.

Positive Effect of Breastfeeding on Child Development, Anxiety, and Postpartum Depression

Štefica Mikšić  1 , Boran Uglešić  2   3 , Jelena Jakab  1   4 , Dubravka Holik  1 , Andrea Milostić Srb  1 , Dunja Degmečić  4   5
Affiliations

Positive Effect of Breastfeeding on Child Development, Anxiety, and Postpartum Depression

Štefica Mikšić et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Background: Postpartum depression is a psychiatric disorder that starts from the second to the sixth week after birth. Breastfeeding is considered a protective factor for postpartum mood swings. This paper aims to examine the effect of breastfeeding on postpartum depression and anxiety, and how it affects child development.

Methods: The study included 209 pregnant women, 197 puerperea, and 160 women at the end of the third month after delivery, followed through three time-points. The instruments used in the study were the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS), Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI), and Beck's Anxiety Inventory (BAI).

Results: Postpartum mothers with low risk of PPD breastfed their children more often than mothers with a mild or severe risk of perinatal depression. Mean values on the BDI scale three months after giving birth were higher in mothers who did not breastfeed their child (M = 3.53) than those who did breastfeed their child (M = 2.28). Postpartum anxiety measured by BAI was statistically negatively correlated (rs-, 430) with the duration of breastfeeding.

Conclusion: Nonbreastfeeding mothers are more depressed and anxious compared to breastfeeding mothers.

Keywords: anxiety; breastfeeding; child development; postpartum depression.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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