Chapter 5: Maternal Depression

Perinatal depression is a pertinent issue for the primary care clinician (PCC) because of the significant associated risks to the health and well-being of the infant and family. Perinatal depression is an example of an adverse childhood experience that may have long-term adverse health complications for the mother, the father or partner, the infant, and the mother-infant dyad. Postpartum depression, a subset of perinatal depression, may adversely affect the child’s early brain development and result in increased costs of medical care, inappropriate medical care, child abuse and neglect, discontinuation of breastfeeding, and family dysfunction. Pediatric practices, as medical homes, can...