Maternal Depression

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Maternal Depression

The AAP recommends integrating postpartum depression surveillance and screening at the 1-, 2-, 4-, and 6-month visits.

The resources on this page provide information on effective screening, referral, and support for perinatal/postpartum depression.

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AAP Resources: Screening, Referral, and Follow-up

Policy, Guidelines, and Publications

Incorporating Recognition and Management of Perinatal and Postpartum Depression into Pediatric Practice (2019) – policy statement discussing the need for screening and evidence-based interventions focused on healthy attachment and parent-child relationships. View the companion Technical Report

External Resources

Clinical Guidelines for Implementing Universal PPD Screening in Well Child Checks - Guide providing information on the importance of implementing screening for postpartum depression during well-child visits, including basic workflow, documentation, and scripts.
DC Collaborative for Mental Health in Pediatric Primary Care, Children's National Health System - Project focusing on integrating mental health services into primary care with a special focus on children under five; includes the Perinatal Mental Health Toolkit Overview & Primer for Pediatric Primary Care Providers, containing a screening and referral algorithm, community-based referral resources, and billing information.
Depression and Postpartum Depression: Resource Overview - List of resources from the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists for health care providers and patients.
The General Pediatrician: Screening for Postpartum Mood and Anxiety Disorders webinar - Webinar from the Society for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics providing background information on postpartum mood disorders, the effect on the baby, and how to implement a screening, referral, and support system.
Maternal Depression Screening and Treatment: A Critical Role for Medicaid in the Care of Mothers and Children - CMS bulletin encouraging postpartum depression screening and authorizing state Medicaid to pay for screening for the mother and treatment for the child as an EPSDT benefit; from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
MotherToBaby - Service providing real-time expert advice from the Organization of Teratolgy Specialists to physicians, families, and other providers about medications and other exposures while pregnant or breastfeeding.
Postpartum Depression Toolkit - Toolkit from the American Academy of Family Physicians containing training materials, screening tools, treatment guidance, patient information, and follow-up/monitoring resources.
Postpartum Support International - Organization offering training and tools on screening as well as a resource hotline.
Women with Gestational Diabetes at Risk for Postpartum Depression - News release summarizing an NIH study that found women who reported feeling depressed during the first two trimesters of pregnancy were nearly twice as likely to develop gestational diabetes; separate analysis found that women who developed gestational diabetes were more likely to report postpartum depression six weeks after giving birth, compared to a similar group of women who did not develop gestational diabetes.