INTRODUCTION: Congenital clubfoot is the most common musculoskeletal birth anomaly affecting infants. It may also have a profound impact on the psychological well-being of parents. The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence of a positive screening for postpartum depression and/or anxiety symptoms for biological mothers whose infants were undergoing Ponseti casting for clubfoot. METHODS: The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) screening tool was administered by convenience sampling to mothers of patients with clubfoot being seen at a single pediatric tertiary hospital between February 2023 and June 2025. The tool was provided at the initial visit to mothers whose infants were under 4 months old with no prior clubfoot treatment. Data were collected through standardized EPDS assessment and electronic medical records. Descriptive and nonparametric statistics were used for data analysis. RESULTS: There were 56 biological mothers who completed the EPDS in clubfoot clinics. The median EPDS score was 3 out of 30 (IQR: 6.5). The prevalence of mothers who met the clinical cutoff for postpartum depression, defined as an overall score of ≥10, was 6/56 (10.7%). Mothers endorsed symptoms such as difficulty coping (50.0%) and feeling anxious (50.0%). For those who screened positive for postpartum depression, there was no association with age at initial visit (P=0.640), race (P=0.663), idiopathic or nonidiopathic clubfoot (P=0.119), prenatal diagnosis (P=0.168), prenatal consultation (P=0.670), pregnancy complications (P=0.186), and insurance type (P=0.670). There was a significant association between a positive EPDS score and being seen by the clinical psychologist beyond the initial visit (P=0.022). Mothers who screened positive were evaluated by the orthopaedic clinical psychologist. CONCLUSION: The EPDS screening tool has a role in the clubfoot clinic. Most mothers endorsed postpartum anxiety and/or depressive symptoms, though they did not meet the cutoff for clinical postpartum depression. This prevalence is similar to the reported literature in the general population. This study highlights the importance of incorporating postpartum depression screening in clubfoot clinics to address the mental health needs of families undergoing Ponseti method clubfoot care. SIGNIFICANCE: Postpartum anxiety and depressive symptoms are endorsed in mothers of infants with a clubfoot diagnosis, and postpartum depression screening is important to address the needs of families undergoing clubfoot treatment.
Bent et al. (Tue,) studied this question.