Breast-feeding and postpartum depression: Is there a relationship?

Objective: To study the relationship between breast-feeding cessation and the onset of postpartum depression. Method: The association between breast-feeding and depression was retrospectively examined in an obstetrical outpatient sample of 51 postpartum women who were suffering from major depression and who had stopped breast-feeding. Self-report questionnaire data were obtained from the subjects; the severity of the illness and the clinical course of each subject were evaluated. Results: The majority (39 out of 51; 83%) of the women reported that their depression began before the cessation of breast-feeding, while only 8 patients (17%) stated that their depression was subsequent to breast-feeding cessation. Conclusions: In an outpatient sample of depressed postpartum women, the onset of depression preceded the cessation of breast-feeding. The severity of the illness did not appear to influence breast-feeding persistence significantly.