Postpartum depression and mother-offspring conflict over maternal investment.

ABSTRACT:

Background and objectives

As the mother-offspring relationship is central to human reproduction, postpartum depression symptoms are difficult to explain in evolutionary terms. We proposed that postpartum depression might arise as a result of evolutionary mother-offspring conflict over maternal investment, and investigated the association between postpartum depression symptoms, infant night waking, maternal sleep disturbance and breastfeeding frequency.

Methodology

We conducted a cross-sectional analysis using survey responses at 6 months postpartum from 1598 Finnish mothers. We hypothesized that infant night waking at 6 months postpartum would be associated with postpartum depression symptoms, and that this association would be mediated by maternal sleep disturbance and a hi

SUBMITTER: Gunst A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7910802 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature