If a woman has postpartum depression, and refuses to receive treatment or even talk to someone about it, does that in itself necessarily increase her propensity for abuse or neglect towards her own child? Could the fact that she abuses prescription medications, alcohol and the fact that she was physically abused and neglected by her own mother, complicate the postpartum depression, or could it possibly be the cause? She's 19 and the baby is 5 1/2 months old.

FYI... she and I are not acquaintances.

The answer to your first question is that it COULD be a factor, yes. The answer to your second question is that her history does not help at all and can very easily lend to a possible situation of abuse and/or neglect.

If you and her are not acquaintances, what are you? Are you willing to help her seek proper treatment or just someone watching to see if she falls?

She is my brother's girlfriend and the problem is she has already fallen. Unfortunately, I had to find out the hard way.

Is the baby safe now? And is she in rehab? She can overcome her past and make her present liveable. It takes a lot of work and support. Hope she gets everything she needs to become well. Hope her baby is in a sale environment.