More than 400,000 babies are born each year to women who are depressed, and that makes perinatal depression the most under-diagnosed complication of pregnancy and childbirth in the U.S., according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.

When nobody notices a new mom is blue, the whole family can suffer, doctors say.

In addition to inappropriate medical care and increased costs, a new mother’s depression can lead to child abuse and neglect, discontinued breastfeeding, family dysfunction and an adverse effect on early brain development, the pediatrics organization said in a report published on-line Monday in the journal Pediatrics.

Pediatricians say primary care doctors are in unique position to screen for depression among new moms through well-child and prenatal visits: Pediatric practices can establish a system to launch postpartum depression screening and refer depressed mothers to community services.

“This system would have a positive effect on the health and well-being of the infant and family,” the article states.

More from this article:
— Perinatal depression affects 5-25 percent of pregnant and postpartum women, but studies of low-income and teen mothers and pregnant teens have reported depressive symptoms at 40-60 percent. A family or personal history of depression and alcohol abuse increase the risk.
— When new moms are depressed, it threatens the mother-child relationship in terms of attachment and bonding and creates an environment that adversely affects the child’s development,

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends psychosocial screening of pregnant women at least once per trimester.