Background: Postpartum period is associated with higher rates for depression, blues and psychosis. Anxiety is also significant. These disorders may have serious implications in the cognitive development of the infant. There is relative lack of data in this area. So we tried to estimate postpartum anxiety and depression in a group of women and tried to compare its impact on the infants' development. Method: 100 women were assessed for depression and anxiety using Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, ICD-10 criteria. Of the three categories of these postpartum women 10 each mother infant pairs were selected and were given Communication and Symbolic Behaviour Scales Developmental Profile Infant Toddler Checklist at 6 months. Results: 18% and 15% depression and anxiety were found respectively. Higher maternal age, parity, any post operative history correlated with it significantly. In case of infants, infants born to ill mothers were found to gain weight less as compared with that of infants born to healthy mothers. Moreover they were found to have less scores in the social, speech and symbolic composites. Conclusion: Depression and anxiety are separate clinical conditions having significant prevalence in postpartum period. These clinical conditions have impact on the development of the infant and its early recognition may be beneficial for the newborn and the family. (Contains 5 tables.)