Association of delivery type with postpartum depression, perceived social support and maternal attachment

Objective: There are contradictory findings in the literature about the effects of delivery type on postpartum depression and mother-infant interaction. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between delivery mode and postpartum depression, perceived social support, and maternal attachment. Method: Forty females, who had vaginal delivery (VD) and 40 females, who had cesarean delivery (CD) were recruited to participate in the study. Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS) was used to screen depressive symptoms and Maternal Attachment Scale (MAS) was used to detect maternal attachment. Social support was assessed by using Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). Results: We found no significant differences in postpartum depression and perceived social support scores between the two groups. On the other hand, MAS scores were significantly lower in CD women. Discussion: Our findings support that delivery mode had no impact on the development of postpartum depression. However CD may have negative effect on maternal attachment.