Does Mode of Delivery Affect the Incidence of Postpartum Mood Disorders? [ID 1334]

INTRODUCTION: Although a history of mental illness is a known risk factor for postpartum mood disorders, the role of delivery mode remains unclear. This study investigated the relationship between mode of delivery and the incidence of postpartum depression and anxiety in women without prior mood disorders. METHODS: This cross-sectional, descriptive study used electronic health records at an academic tertiary care hospital from participants enrolled in MOMitor, a smartphone app, which tracked physical and mental health in the first 6 weeks postpartum. Charts from 2021 to 2023 were reviewed retrospectively, with the primary outcome being postpartum anxiety and/or depression. The independent variable was mode of delivery (cesarean versus vaginal). Patients with prior diagnoses of depression or anxiety were excluded. Proportions of the outcome were compared between groups, and values of P were calculated via chi-squared testing to assess statistical significance. RESULTS: Nine hundred eleven patient charts were initially reviewed. After the exclusion criteria, 680 charts remained for analysis. Among the 409 who delivered vaginally, 27 women (6.6%) developed postpartum depression (PPD), and 15 (3.7%) developed postpartum anxiety (PPA). In the cesarean birth group, n=271, 26 women (9.6%) developed PPD, and 17 (6.3%) developed PPA. The values of P for the comparison of PPD and PPA by delivery mode were 0.154 and 0.116, respectively. CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS: Although more women with cesarean births developed postpartum mood disorders, mode of delivery was not a statistically significant risk factor among women with no history of mental illness. This emphasizes the importance of screening all women equally for early signs and symptoms.