Thursday 16 April 2009

Post-natal depression and multiple pregnancy

When you're trying hard to get pregnant, it's easy to assume that having two or three babies in one go would be the ideal solution to your problem, giving you an instant family. The fact that there are medical risks attached to multiple pregnancy is well-documented, but a new study from the States has found that mothers of twins and triplets are 43% more likely to suffer post-natal depression.

More than seven thousand mothers took part in the study and the researchers found that those who had been through the stress of a higher risk multiple pregnancy and delivery were far more likely to become depressed. It was also thought to be partly due to the exhaustion they experienced caring for more than one baby. The research is published in the April edition of Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics. You can find more at www.aap.org

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