Women with unintended pregnancies avail shortest maternity leaves

Mothers in the US who have unintended pregnancies return to work sooner after childbirth than mothers whose pregnancy was intended.

Dr. Rada K. Dagher, assistant professor of health services administration at the University of Maryland School of Public Health, said they know that it's better for women to take time off after childbirth to take care of their physical and mental health.

She said returning to work soon after childbirth may not be good for these women or for their children.

The study, which uses national data from the Listening to Mothers II survey of women across the United States, also found that 62 percent of all women surveyed reported some symptoms of depression after childbirth.

An examination of the relationship between maternal depression and the length of maternity leave revealed that depression did not have an effect on return to work for mothers with unintended pregnancies. However, among women with an intended pregnancy, depressed mothers return to paid work more quickly than nondepressed mothers.

The authors suggest that depressed mothers may find that staying home with a newborn decreases their sense of control and paid work becomes more attractive, or that women who are forced to return to work quickly may feel depressed about having to do so because of their economic circumstances.

Leave from work after childbirth provides mothers time for emotional recovery and for bonding with the baby, and returning to paid work sooner than desired may worsen depressive symptoms.

Based on this and the findings of this study, the authors suggest that health care providers may want to advise women on the optimum amount of leave to take after childbirth given their mental health state.

The study has been published in Women's Health Issues.