Prenatal depression moderates the relationship between maternal trauma exposure and cortisol production and predicts breastfeeding behavior

Trauma exposure is associated with many negative outcomes for women during the prenatal and postnatal periods, including increased antenatal depressive symptomatology and dysregulation of the body's stress responses. Trauma exposure and its consequences are also tied to women's ability to breastfeed, a crucial component in maternal and infant health. Cortisol is biologically relevant to the breastfeeding process, and is also associated with depressive symptoms, which may interfere with women's ability to successfully maintain breastfeeding. However, no known studies integrate prenatal cortisol and depressive symptom severity into models of relations between trauma exposure and breastfeeding, particularly while considering trauma timing and type. Therefore, the current study did so using data from a historically understudied sample. Data were drawn from a community sample of 96 women residing in a health professional shortage area for mental health and primary care. Participants provided data during their third trimester of pregnancy and 6 months postpartum. Three moderated mediation models were tested to explore relations among history of trauma, breastfeeding, and related variables. Increased prenatal depressive symptoms were related to elevated prenatal cortisol awakening response, as well as moderated the relationship between interpersonal trauma exposure and greater prenatal cortisol awakening response. A significant positive correlation was also found between trauma and prenatal depressive symptoms, as well as a significant negative correlation between prenatal depressive symptoms and breastfeeding frequency. Results suggest that subclinical prenatal depressive symptoms may interact with trauma symptoms to affect women's stress responses and breastfeeding behaviors, and that women at risk for breastfeeding difficulty may be identified prenatally.