A new research has found that physical therapy and programmes based on imparting health education can prove to be effective in improving postnatal health and may help in reducing the risk for postnatal depression.

PND has been hitting more than 13% women all over the world, with a majority of the cases commencing within the first three months after the delivery.

Though the period of the depression varies in different women, yet, it is considered to be based on socio-cultural factors like self-respect of the mother, her experience during the childbirth and the amount of moral support received by the mother during her pregnancy.

Mary P. Galea, professor of Clinical Physiotherapy at the University of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia, who is one of the authors of the study, said that health education programmes help the mothers in gaining back their energy and mental health.

"Giving birth involves many changes in a woman's physical, emotional and social health", she said.

The study involved 161 women who had just entered the postnatal period, being sent to the ward of the Angliss Hospital. These women were associated to an experimental Mother & Baby (M&B) Programme.