Table 1 Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Studies concerning the mother’s own adult attachment style.

Studies specifically involving premature infants.

Papers published from 1991–2013.

Media outside of academic journals.

Journal articles only.

Studies investigating male PND or couple’s PND where data is not grouped according to Gender.

Studies using a depression scale and an adult attachment scale

Studies investigating depression linked to still births.

Studies concerning assisted Vs. natural conception and typical Vs. atypical pregnancies and births.

Investigations of the attachment between mother and infant.This study concerns the mothers own adult attachment style only, not the bidirectional attachment of between infant and mother.

Studies concerning adult and adolescent mothers.

Studies assessing participants with known pre-existing psychiatriccomorbidities.

Quantitative data

Maternal depression occurring after the first year of motherhood.