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We don't know exactly how many women get postpartum depression. That's because women don't always tell their doctors about their problems.

There hasn't been very good research on postpartum depression.¹ Also, doctors don't always recognize postpartum depression. Some researchers think that about half of all cases are not diagnosed.²

Here is what the research that has been done tells us.^{1 3}

• About 13 new mothers in every 100 get postpartum depression.
• About 1 or 2 mothers in every 1,000 get a more serious condition called postpartum psychosis. (For more information, see Postpartum psychosis.)

Overall, women are not more likely to get depression in the first year after their babies are born than women of a similar age who have not recently given birth. But the risk of getting depression is much higher than average in the first few weeks after having a baby. In the first five weeks after childbirth, you are three times more likely to get postpartum depression than a woman who has not had a baby in the last year.⁴

We don't know much about how postpartum depression affects women from different ethnic backgrounds. That's because most studies have been done among white women. But research done in South Africa and India suggests this illness is more common in developing countries than in developed ones.^{5 6}

This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment. ©BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2008. All rights reserved.