Abstract
It is currently estimated that up to one third of new mothers in industrialized nations suffer from moderate postpartum depression in the weeks and months following childbirth. However, cross-cultural data reveal that this condition is not nearly so prevalent outside of the West. While the traditional structuring of the postpartum period may contribute to maternal well-being, an important covarying factor is feeding practice. Diverse breastfeeding patterns can create meaningful differences between the hormonal profiles of women in Western and non-Western countries. Specifically, the activity of oxytocin, a neurohormone released during parturition and lactation, is reduced in the postpartum period in mothers who do not breastfeed. Because recent studies demonstrate that oxytocin is a potent antidepressant, decreases in oxytocin activity may significantly contribute to an increase in postpartum depression in the absence of lactation. This thesis explores the ultimate and proximate functions of oxytocin in mediating maternal affect in the postpartum period. Several studies linking breastfeeding to positive affective tone are reviewed. It is concluded that, by redefining postpartum depression to fit ecologically valid diagnostic criteria, future studies will demonstrate that women who do not breastfeed are more likely to develop postpartum depression.
Peyton, Kelly J (1996). Postpartum depression in the absence of lactation: an evolutionary perspective. Master's thesis, Texas A&M University. Available electronically from
https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /ETD -TAMU -1996 -THESIS -P44.