Background/Objectives: Postpartum depression (PPD) is a prevalent mental health disorder affecting women after childbirth, with significant adverse effects on both maternal and infant outcomes. Early detection and intervention are critical to improving health trajectories. Material and Methods: This narrative review compares the predictive validity of commonly used screening instruments for PPD, including the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and brief tools like PHQ-2 and PHQ-4. It also examines the role of self-esteem, assessed using the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), and coping mechanisms, evaluated through the COPE Inventory, in moderating PPD risk. Results: Validation studies reveal variability in the performance of screening tools across different populations, emphasizing the need for contextual calibration. Low self-esteem and maladaptive coping strategies are consistently associated with higher PPD risk, with socioeconomic status (SES) further influencing these relationships. Interventions focusing on enhancing self-esteem and promoting adaptive coping, such as cognitive–behavioral therapy and psychoeducation, show promise in reducing PPD incidence. Conclusions: This review highlights gaps in existing research, particularly regarding screening during pregnancy, and calls for integrated predictive models incorporating psychosocial variables. Early, context-sensitive screening approaches are essential for effective PPD prevention and management.

Background: Postpartum depression and anxiety are common in the perinatal period and can adversely affect maternal functioning and infant outcomes. Self-esteem is a relevant psychosocial factor, yet evidence from Eastern Europe remains limited. Objectives: To describe self-esteem levels among postpartum Romanian women, examine correlational associations between self-esteem and postpartum depression/anxiety symptoms, and assess whether these associations persist after adjustment for sociodemographic and clinical covariates, across two maternity centers in a cross-sectional design. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 201 postpartum women recruited consecutively during their initial postpartum hospitalization from two public maternity hospitals in Western Romania (Bihor, n = 100; Timiș, n = 101) during 2024–2025. Participants completed the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7). Associations were assessed with χ² tests (categorical comparisons), Pearson correlations, and multivariable linear regression models including center and selected sociodemographic/obstetric covariates. Results: Self-esteem showed a strong inverse correlation with postpartum depressive symptoms (RSES–EPDS: r = −0.542 overall; r = −0.537 in Bihor; r = −0.552 in Timiș; all p < 0.001). Negative correlations were also observed with anxiety (RSES–GAD-7: r = −0.400; p < 0.001) and PHQ-9 depressive severity (r = −0.370; p < 0.001). Stratified analyses indicated graded symptom burden across self-esteem categories, with higher EPDS risk proportions among women with moderate/low self-esteem within each center (χ²p ≤ 0.039). In adjusted models, EPDS (B = −0.37; p < 0.001) and GAD-7 (B = −0.15; p = 0.021) remained independently associated with lower RSES, alongside study center (Timiș vs. Bihor: B = −1.08; p = 0.043) and educational attainment. Conclusions: Lower self-esteem co-occurs with postpartum depressive symptoms and, secondarily, anxiety in Romanian women. While the cross-sectional design precludes causal inference, these robust correlational associations support the potential value of self-esteem assessment for early psychosocial risk identification. Longitudinal research is needed to establish temporal relationships and evaluate whether self-esteem can prospectively predict postpartum mental health outcomes.

Congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract (CAKUT) are common developmental malformations and a leading cause of pediatric renal dysfunction. Severe hydronephrosis, especially when accompanied by ureteral duplication, ureterocele, or neurogenic bladder, poses significant diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. This case report presents a 7-year-old male with prenatally diagnosed bilateral grade IV/V hydronephrosis (according to the radiology hydronephrosis grading system), complicated by the right pyeloureteral duplication, the left ureterocele, and the neurogenic bladder. The patient’s clinical course was marked by recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs), progressive renal dysfunction, and multiple surgical interventions. Initial decompression via bilateral ureterostomy and stenting led to significant improvements in renal function. However, the patient experienced recurrent febrile UTIs caused by multidrug-resistant pathogens, necessitating repeated hospitalizations and intravenous antibiotic therapy. Serial imaging studies documented persistent hydronephrosis, a neurogenic bladder, and vesicoureteral reflux. Subsequent surgical interventions included bilateral ureteral reimplantation, excision of the left ureterocele, and removal of a fibroepithelial polyp from the bladder wall. Despite these interventions, residual left hydronephrosis and right kidney hypoplasia persisted, underscoring the need for long-term surveillance. This case highlights the diagnostic and therapeutic challenges of managing CAKUT and emphasizes the importance of a multidisciplinary approach integrating imaging, functional assessment, and surgical planning. Early diagnosis and timely intervention can stabilize renal function, but ongoing monitoring and individualized treatment remain crucial for optimizing long-term outcomes in children with complex CAKUT.