Childbirth pain and postpartum depression

SummaryChildbirth pain is one of the most painful experiences of a mother's life. In this review we investigate the association between childbirth pain and postpartum depression. It is well documented that postpartum depression is an increasing concern which affects not only the mother but can impact the newborn's development. Multiple factors seem to contribute to the likelihood of this depression developing such as the mother's socio-economic background, age, education level, history of childhood abuse as well as the presence of pain catastrophizing traits. Severe acute pain is linked with an increased risk of chronic pain as well as postpartum depression and so it is essential that childbirth pain be managed effectively and in a timely fashion. With this increasing knowledge, we explore the methods used to minimise the risks factors thereby reducing the occurrence of postpartum depression.