TY  -  JOUR
AU  -  Panza, Raffaella
AU  -  Capozza, Manuela
AU  -  Laforgia, Nicola
T1  -  Fetal sex and maternal postpartum depressive symptoms: biology or culture?
PY  -  2022
Y1  -  2022-01-01
DO  -  10.1723/3769.37568
JO  -  The Italian Journal of Gender-Specific Medicine
JA  -  Ital J Gender-Specific Med
VL  -  8
IS  -  1
SP  -  59
EP  -  61
PB  -  Il Pensiero Scientifico Editore
SN  -  2612-3487
Y2  -  2026/04/15
UR  -  http://dx.doi.org/10.1723/3769.37568
N2  -  Summary. Postpartum depression (PPD) etiology is complex and multifactorial, with biological, social and psychological factors involved. PPD affects the maternal emotional health and well-being and may cause long-lasting consequences on the physical, psychological, social and economic outcomes for both the mother and her child. A prospective study by Cowell et al. points out that the male sex of the fetus is an independent risk factor for maternal PPD, due to decreased estradiol and progesterone levels and higher variations of these hormones after delivery. Conversely, a recent meta-analysis involving 119,736 women shows that the mothers of a female neonate have a higher risk of PPD (OR 1.15), mainly in Asia (OR 1.30), China (OR 1.80) and India (OR 2.61). According to current knowledge, the sex of the fetus may predispose to PPD due to cultural reasons, rather than biological ones.
ER  -