The functions of postpartum depression

Evolutionary approaches to parental care suggest that parents will not auto matically invest in all offspring, and they should reduce or eliminate inve stment in their children if the costs outweigh the benefits. Lack of patern al or social support will increase the costs born by mothers, whereas infan t health problems will reduce the evolutionary benefits to be gained, Numer ous studies support the correlation between postpartum depression (PPD) and lack of social support or indicators of possible infant health and develop ment problems, PPD may be an adaptation that informs mothers that they are suffering or have suffered a fitness cost, which motivates them to reduce o r eliminate investment in offspring under certain circumstances, and that m ay help them negotiate greater levers of investment from others, PPD also a ppears to be a good model for depression in general. (C) 1999 Elsevier Scie nce Inc.