Screening for Postpartum Depression During Infant Well Child Visits: A Retrospective Chart Review

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that pediatricians screen mothers for postpartum depression (PPD) at the infant’s 1, 2, 4, and 6-month well child (WC) visits. Despite these recommendations, less than 50% of mothers are screened nationally. We evaluated the impact of a statewide quality improvement initiative that implemented routine screening for PPD utilizing the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS) at AAP recommended WC visits. A total of 224 patients were included. Screening rates increased significantly at all four WC visits ( P < .01). A higher prevalence of positive EPDS screens was detected in mothers with a history of a mental health condition ( P = .009) and in mothers who reported recent food or housing insecurity ( P = .02). EPDS screening was successfully implemented through a statewide initiative in a busy hospital-based pediatric clinic. Pediatricians play an important role in identifying mothers with PPD and referring them to adequate treatment.