Maggio 2009 - Volume XXVIII - numero 5
Focus
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1Pediatra di famiglia, Torino
2Pediatra di famiglia, Carmagnola (Torino)
3Responsabile Unità semplice di Neonatologia, Ospedale Agnelli, Pinerolo (Torino)
Indirizzo per corrispondenza: roccatop@inrete.it
Key words: Post-partum Depression, Mother-child relationship, Support to parents
The observation of the mother, child and their relationship is not always sufficient to recognize post-partum depression, which can be highlighted thanks to the open questions that the paediatrician asks the mother at the end of the visit, thus showing his/her interest also in the mother’s health. After having supposed depression the paediatrician will have to accompany the mother towards the deepening of the diagnosis and treatment, choosing with her the physician, either the psychiatrist or psychologist. At the same time he/she will support the mother trying to improve her self-esteem and capacity to understand her child and to gradually solve ordinary problems. The social and family support will be relevant, in particular the role of the partner and the attendance to child massage courses are important. Moreover, the paediatrician has to take any opportunity to improve the mother-child interaction by giving practical advice. In conclusion, it is essential to improve the training of paediatricians on the parents’ capacity to relate, since parents are more and more insecure before their role.
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Focus
1Pediatra di famiglia, Torino
2Pediatra di famiglia, Carmagnola (Torino)
3Responsabile Unità semplice di Neonatologia, Ospedale Agnelli, Pinerolo (Torino)
Indirizzo per corrispondenza: roccatop@inrete.it
Key words: Depression, Post-partum depression, Mother-child relationship, Child mental development
Post-partum depression is frequent: it affects about 10% of mothers but it is not always recognized and treated. It is a particular type of depression, whose characteristics are described in the present work. Post-partum depression, which very often starts 2 months after the delivery, is of interest for paediatricians because of the consequences that it may have on child development, since it alters the capacities of the mother to get the signals of her child and to answer them properly. The mental development of the child may be hindered, causing disorders of the relational, emotional, behavioural and cognitive development. However, some studies report also possible damages to the physical health. Since there are some problems in the realization of a generalized screening of the post-partum depression, it is the paediatrician’s task to recognize depressed mothers, who are often unaware of or do not speak about their condition. The paediatrician can detect the problem by observing the mother and the type of mother-child relationship, but also highlighting their difficulties to relate. Particular attention shall be paid to some characteristics of the breast-fed child, such as irritability, hyper-motricity as well as the mother’s incapacity to put limits, which may induce the depression in the mother.
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