Postpartum Depression and Cesarean Section

The purpose of this retrospective study is to determine if there is an increase in postpartum depression (PPD) among women who undergo an emergency cesarean section as opposed to a planned cesarean section. We will analyze the hospital and clinic medical records of postpartum women who delivered by cesarean section (CS) at Tulsa Regional Medical Center between January 1, 2003, and June 1, 2005, and who obtained their postpartum care at the OSU Ob/Gyn Clinic in Tulsa, Oklahoma. We will record whether the cesarean was planned or emergent, and we will note the score they received on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale when they came to the clinic for their four-week postpartum visit. A score of 12 or lower on the EPDS will be considered "not depressed", and a score of 13 or higher will be considered "depressed." Numbers of depressed patients will be compared among the two types of cesarean sections and analyzed for statistical differences using the chi-squared method of analysis.