The baby symptom: the postpartum depression

Postpartum depression is a pretty severe depression occurring between six weeks and one year after childbirth. Its prevalence is estimated between 10 and 20% with an average of 13%. Several factors are involved in the genesis of these depressive states, including genetic, hormonal, neurobiological and psychosocial environment. The clinical picture is highly polymorphic, dominated by anxiety, emotional numbing, irritability and somatization, centered on the baby who may be the only symptom of maternal depression. The postpartum depression has a negative impact on early mother-child relationship as well as the further development of the child. Their screening using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), thus appears primordial and appealed to all healthcare professionals: pediatrician, obstetrician, gynecologist, midwife. We report the case of a patient with a late diagnosed postpartum depression to illustrate the complexity of the clinical picture and the value of early screening.