The Impact of Maternal Postpartum Depression on Child Growth/Development in India
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58445/rars.2150Keywords:
Postpartum Depression, PPD, Child growthAbstract
Postpartum depression (PPD) can impede mother-child bonding, feeding, and caregiving to stimulate child growth. The lack of initiative can deprive children of the nurturing essential for their development. In India, where mental health is considered ‘taboo,’ PPD has a high prevalence rate and goes unnoticed. Therefore, this paper explores the risk factors of PPD in India, such as age, socio-economic status, education levels, marital and familial relationships, lack of mental healthcare facilities, and the child’s gender. Studies that investigate these relationships were used to determine its impact on an infant's physical and psychological growth. This paper examines current information on how PPD affects children's cognitive development in India, emphasizes the importance of longitudinal studies to observe its prolonged effect, and advocates for research on mothers from diverse socioeconomic situations where healthcare access may not be a constraint.
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