[Peripartum depression and grief after pregnancy loss: special problem areas in obstetrics]

There is evidence that postpartum depression increases the risk of premature birth and developmental disabilities of the child. Risk factors include a history of depression, prenatal anxiety, lack of social support, intimate partner violence, low socioeconomic status and lack of a relationship. For women in high risk groups antenatal interventions could reveal positive effects to prevent postpartum depression. In the peripartum period routine screening is recommended to detect women at risk of developing depression. Furthermore, prenatal losses during pregnancy, specifically occurring during the first weeks of pregnancy may result in complicated grief disorders. Only very few controlled and randomized intervention studies for the treatment after prenatal loss have been conducted; however, aimed at specific high-risk groups these bereavement interventions demonstrated a high treatment efficacy.