Structured and supervised exercise can prevent postnatal depression, says study

By Dr. Ananya Mandal, MDApr 1 2010

Postnatal depression (PND) or baby blues are a recognized entity with millions of mothers suffering from it in varying degrees. It affects 13% of the new mothers usually within the first 3 months after the birth of the baby.

It has been said before that simple exercise like pushing the baby in a pram is beneficial in coping with this condition. In the first study of its kind at Melbourne's Angliss Hospital it has been shown that prescribed exercises were most effective in preventing baby blues. The report says that exercising in the first three months after giving birth can cut a mother's risk of postnatal depression in half as well as increase her sense of wellbeing.

Lead author Prof Mary Galea said, "This program can reduce the risk of postnatal depression and women who are referred to such a program will have less chance of developing the illness…It is important that mothers exercise and exercise safely, but it is a bit hard for them to go to a gym because it is not the right environment….One of the key things is having the exercises supervised by a women's health physiotherapist who understands the needs of postnatal women….It is very important that those exercises are taught properly and that they are done properly, because this can lead to the prevention of other nasty things down the track."

"It is important that this is dealt with, because PND is a terrible thing…It affects not only the mother but the way she can care for her child and it also affects her family."

She went on to say that pelvic floor exercises and even picking up the baby may be important exercises not only in this regard but also to other benefits after childbirth.

This exercise program has other benefits like sharing notes with other new mothers, baby massage to bond with the new born. These can also help preventing postnatal depression.

In this study 161 mothers were divided into two groups. "These were just normal mums, but some of whom had a risk of postnatal depression (PND) which is something that is not obvious early," said Prof Galea.

One group completed exercise and education classes (Mother and Baby group); the second attended education classes only but had exercises to do at home (Education only group).

The exercises included baby massage, use of the fitball, guided squats, push ups against the wall and pelvic floor exercises. Prof Galea said the fitness program was led by a physiotherapist and "appropriate for the women's level of function given that they had just given birth".

At the end of the program at 3 months those that attended the classes had half the risk of depression than those who exercised similarly but alone at home. Study coordinator, Ms Emily Norman of the University’s Physiotherapy Department and women’s health physiotherapist at the Angliss Hospital, Ferntree Gully, says, “There were significant improvements in wellbeing scores and depressive symptoms in the “Mother and Baby” group compared with the “Education Only” group over the study period…However, further study is needed to explore whether the intervention effects and improved well being are maintained beyond the first three months,” she says.

The study was published in the March issue of Physical Therapy, the scientific journal of the American Physical Therapy Association.