A study of 29,685 American women finds postpartum depression (PPD) is a significant health issue, with nearly 13 percent of the sample being at risk. Results showed that women who were currently breastfeeding at the time of data collection had statistically significant lower risk of PPD than women who were not breastfeeding. There also was a statistically significant inverse relationship between breastfeeding length and risk of PPD. As the number of weeks that women breastfed increased, their PPD decreased. Surprisingly, there was no significant difference in PPD risk among women with varying breastfeeding intent (yes, no, unsure).
