Frecuencia de la depresión puerperal en la maternidad de un hospital universitario de la Región del Sur

this study aimed to identify the frequency of risk to trigger postpartum depression in women interned in a maternity hospital, through the application of the scale edinburgh post-natal depression scale (epds). it is a quantitative, exploratory and descriptive study. it included 53 postpartum women in the immediate postpartum period from april to may 2009. a questionnaire was developed based on the scale edinburgh post-natal depression scale (epds). the obtained data through the application of the scale were analyzed and interpreted using descriptive statistics and taking into account all the provisions from the resolution196/96 of the research with humans. the results showed that the risk of postpartum depression was found in six women (11%), which demonstrate the importance of health professionals to perform the early detection of postpartum depression, with the epds scale aid, the effectiveness' and practicality of its implementation.