Volume 29, Issue 166, December 2025

Postpartum Depression: Risk Factors, Child Outcomes, and Treatment Approaches - A Systematic Review

Barbara Przybył^1♦, Natalia Cegielska², Patrycja Anita Kobrzyńska³, Aleksandra Korżel⁴, Jędrzej Mogilany⁵, Julia Niedźwiecka⁶, Karolina Górowska⁷, Ewelina Wojna⁸, Kamil Źródłowski⁹

¹Medical University of Lodz, Al. Tadeusza Kościuszki 4, 90-419 Łódź, Poland
²Medical University of Lodz, Al. Tadeusza Kościuszki 4, 90-419 Łódź, Poland
³University Clinical Hospital No. 2 of the Medical University of Lodz: Łódź, ul. Stefana Żeromskiego 113, 90-549 Łódź, PL, Łódź, PL,
⁴Medical University of Lodz: Lodz, Łódź Voivodeship, PL
⁵Medical University of Lodz: Lodz, Łódź Voivodeship, PL
⁶Medical University of Lodz, Al. Tadeusza Kościuszki 4, 90-419 Łódź, Poland
⁷Medical University of Lodz: Lodz, Łódź Voivodeship, PL
⁸Medical University of Lodz: Lodz, Łódź Voivodeship, PL
⁹Medical University of Lodz: Lodz, Łódź Voivodeship, PL

^♦Corresponding author
Barbara Przybył, Medical University of Lodz, Al. Tadeusza Kościuszki 4, 90-419 Łódź, Poland

ABSTRACT

Postpartum depression is a mental disorder that affects approximately 10-20% of women after childbirth. Despite such high prevalence, the exact etiology is unknown, but it is definitely multifactorial and involves changes in hormone levels, genetic predisposition, environmental stressors, and possibly immunological factors. Early detection and incorporation of appropriate treatment are of great importance for proper child development and the well-being of the mother. The purpose of this systematic review is to summarize the current knowledge regarding risk factors of postpartum depression (PPD), its effect on child development, and available diagnostic and therapeutic possibilities.

Keywords: Postpartum depression; perinatal mental health; baby blues; Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale

Medical Science, 2025, 29, e228ms3781

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi.v29i166.e228ms3781

Published: 23 December 2025