Why a winter birth may help beat the baby blues

WOMEN who give birth in winter or spring are less likely to suffer postnatal depression, a study has found.

Those who have a longer pregnancy also have reduced risk, according to researchers – as do those who have an epidural.

Scientists in the US looked at the medical records of more than 20,000 women who had babies between June 2015 and August 2017. Some 817 – or just over 4 per cent – suffered postnatal depression. Symptoms include sadness, restlessness and lack of concentration.

The team found that giving birth in winter or spring had a positive effect, suggesting it could be linked to the ‘seasonal enjoyment of indoor activities mothers experience with newborns’. Caucasian women were less likely to experience the ‘baby blues’ than mothers of other ethnicities, the annual Anesthesiology meeting in Boston heard.

Those who had an epidural were also at lower risk. Meanwhile the method of delivery – either through a natural birth or caesarean – had no effect.

Dr Jie Zhou, from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Massachusetts, said: ‘We wanted to find out whether there are certain factors influencing the risk of developing postpartum depression that may be avoided to improve women’s health both physically and mentally.’

Researchers believe that postnatal depression is typically the result of a combination of factors, including hormonal changes, psychological adjustment to motherhood and fatigue.