Introduction: Postpartum Depression is a depressive disorder that happens to mothers in the puerperium period, between four and twelve weeks after the baby has been born and is characterized by manifestations of extreme sadness, anxiety, fatigue, depressed humour, difficulty to concentrate, feelings of guilt, lack of energy and pleasure performing everyday activities. The main aim of this research is to reveal how such maternal characteristics affect the interaction between a mother and her children and what are the consequences in the development of the child.
Methods and materials: We had connected two women with children of approximately 3 years that were registered for struggling with postpartum depression at the Psychiatric Hospital ‘`Saint Marina`` in Varna. They were treated in an outpatients` department so foremost the treating doctor was contacted an appointment was set for a short interview with both of them. Question sheets with 7 questions were used in order to receive direct information from both the interrogation as well as through the paper questionnaire.
Results: According to the answers both of the mothers did not breastfeed their babies which lead to the inability to form a deep attachment between them and the baby. The answers in relation to the infant`s interpersonal functioning when in direct communicative engagement with the mother showed a lower rate of overall interactive behaviour, less concentration and more negative responses. On the question of how they estimate their parenting style while one describes it as intrusive the other woman considered it as neglectful. Furthermore the mothers reported for sleeping and eating disturbances of the baby and excessive infant crying.
Conclusion: It is evident that postnatal depression is associated with detached and neglectful mother-child relationships that inhibit maternal bonding and the provision of warm and attentive care and poses a risk for the cognitive, emotional and behavioural development of the child.
