Postpartum depression in mothers with pregnancies complicated by fetal cardiac anomaly.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate factors associated with positive postpartum depression (PPD) screen in pregnancies complicated by fetal congenital cardiac anomaly.

STUDY DESIGN: We reviewed all records of pregnancies complicated by fetal congenital cardiac anomaly receiving prenatal, intrapartum and postpartum care at our single center, October 2016-October 2019. Maternal, obstetric, and neonatal data were compared between women with and without a positive PPD screen at the 6-week postpartum visit.

RESULTS: Out of 415 women referred for fetal congenital cardiac anomaly, 86 women had complete inclusion criteria. Twenty-four women (28%) had a positive PPD screen. The frequencies of planned future infant surgery (73.9 vs. 26.2%, p = 0.01) and neonatal death prior to postpartum visit (12.5 vs. 0%, p = 0.02) were significantly higher among women with a positive PPD screen.

CONCLUSION: In pregnancies complicated by fetal congenital cardiac anomaly, mothers of infants with planned future surgery or neonatal death are at significant risk for postpartum depression.