A new American study reveals that fathers can also suffer from a case of the baby blues.
In fact, according to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, 10 per cent of fathers are affected by either prenatal or postpartum depression.
Although women are twice as likely to suffer from depression after childbirth (42 per cent of women are affected three to six months after birth), fathers are also affected.
Researchers analyzed 43 surveys totalling 28,000 participants. They found that if a woman suffers from postpartum depression, their partner often tends to become depressed as well.
Approximately 25 per cent of fathers showed signs of depression three to six months after the baby’s arrival.
Experts point out that it is highly important to detect signs of depression early on, both in the mother and father, because it also affects the emotional state of the new baby.