POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION: PRENATAL SCREENING AND INFANT DEVELOPMENTAL OUTCOMES

Abstract

Postpartum depression often represents the continuation or intensification of symptoms that began during pregnancy, making prenatal care an opportunity for early recognition and intervention. This narrative review analyzed the role of prenatal screening in identifying trajectories of perinatal depression and examined the strength of evidence on child development. Publications in Portuguese, English, and Spanish indexed in PubMed/MEDLINE, SciELO, and LILACS were consulted in 2026, together with guidelines and official documents. The synthesis addressed instruments, timing, diagnostic confirmation, organization of the care pathway, and cognitive, language, motor, and socioemotional outcomes. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale is the most extensively studied instrument, but its performance depends on the threshold and context, and a positive result requires clinical assessment. Longitudinal studies and meta-analyses support more consistent associations with socioemotional and behavioral outcomes; for cognition, language, and motor development, mean effects are small and vary according to exposure definition and synthesis method. These findings do not support simple causal inference. Prenatal screening is therefore justified when integrated with risk assessment, treatment, and maternal-infant follow-up.