Postnatal depression is a mood disorder that affects women after childbirth. According to different research, women who went through Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) are at higher risk of developing such disorder due to childbirth complications associated with FGM. Signs and symptoms may include severe anxiety and panic attacks, depressed mood, insomnia, loss of appetite, overwhelming fatigue or loss of energy, difficulty with bonding with the baby, withdrawal from friends and family, restlessness, etc. This in turn affects the newborn baby who remains unattended to or less breastfed by the mother.
The psychological impact of FGM can be devastating. Hence, the need to raise awareness among women, familes and the society at large about the destructive and long-lasting consequences of FGM on women.
#EndFGM #SpeakWednesday
