Ms. Tang, 28,?had a baby less than a month ago, but cannot
bring herself to look at her child.
She describes her current emotional state: "My cut is so
painful, and he keeps on crying and crying. I have to nurse him
every one to two hours, no matter day or night. I don't know why
things turn out to be so depressed, I was so happy before his
arrival."
Tang is far from alone in having this unexpected feeling.
?
Working as a psychologist at the Beijing Xuanwu Hospital, Zhan
Shuqin reveals that close to half of new mothers suffer from
postpartum depression. A Beijing Morning Post report places
at 150,000 the number of babies to be born in Beijing this
year.
Experts have warned that depression could completely overshadow
the happiness of a newborn child, with families needing to pay
special care to mothers' health.
Depression can fall at anytime during the first year of the
baby's life. It can be deceptive to spot since sleep disorders,
mood swings and weight fluctuations that often manifest themselves
after giving birth can also be symptoms of depression.
Jiang Hong from the Chinese PLA General Hospital explains that
although depression can come from hormonal changes, the stresses of
real life, such as work pressure or anxiety at having to raise a
child, can be major contributing factors.
Jiang adds that new mothers in China also face a unique
challenge in avoiding depression. Most of China's new parents come
from the only-child generation, who were often the core of their
family's attention. With the new arrival, the focus of the family
will shift, potentially leading the mothers to feel cast out.
The matter is further worsened since depression is often
misdiagnosed and thus not treated properly. Currently, a select few
maternity hospitals have psychological aid services, and patients
are only hospitalized once the depression has severely taken
hold.
(CRI.cn March 26, 2007)