Eliete dos Reis Carvalhoenfermeira. Mestre em promoção da saúde. Docente do colegiado de enfermagem da Faculdade de educação, Ciências e Filosofia de Mandaguari. Instrutora da saúde do SenaC-Pr, Brasil. Hellen CapelPsicóloga pelo Centro Universitário de Maringá (UniCeSUMar), Brasil. Andréa Grano Marques MOTHER-INFANT RELATIONSHIP WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF POST-PARTUM DEPRESSION: A QUANTITATIVE ANALYSISABSTRACT: Current study analyzes how depressive symptomology in females during the post-partum period affects the mother-infant behavior. Qualitative research comprised interviews with six mothers, aged between 20 and 38 years, attended to at a Basic Health Unit, and who exhibited symptoms of depression during the after-birth period. The half-structured interview was employed for data collection. results from content analysis revealed that mother´s depression symptoms affected the mother-child relationship within three categories: affective ambivalence during dyade, mother´s difficulties in breast feeding and instability in the infant´s sleep. During the pregnancy-puerperal period, the mother has to be psychologically supported to acknowledge, prevent and interfere on factors that affect her mental health and promote the healthful development in mother-child relationship.KEY WORDS: motherhood; mental health; mother-infant health. INTRODUÇÃOTodo recém-nascido necessita do acolhimento parental para que consiga sobreviver. a mãe, por meio de seus cuidados, é a principal Saúde e Pesquisa, Maringá (PR) DOi: http://dx