Does traumatic birth increase the risk of postnatal depression?

The aim of the study was to review if experiencing a traumatic birth, in the form of caesarean section or assisted vaginal births, increases the risk of developing postnatal depression. This issue is significant to health professionals when planning postnatal care. A focused search of databases containing medical and psychiatric research relevant to this question was performed and the selected papers critically appraised and reviewed. The numbers of mothers recording depressive symptoms for each birth method were measured using a validated outcome tool for postnatal depression. Two research papers met the inclusion criteria and were reviewed using a checklist for critically appraising cohort studies. Although the papers met many of the quality markers, both reported limited data relating to obstetric factors in the development of postnatal depression and both sets of published results were incomplete. More studies may be found by searching psychological and psychiatric medicine-oriented databases as just one was included in this evaluation. The conclusion of this review is that there is no evidence on which to base a reappraisal of current clinical practice.