Postpartum depression: The worst kept secret

Having a baby is one of the happiest times in life, but it can also be one of the saddest. For most new mothers, the first several days after having a baby is an emotional roller coaster ride. Thrilling moments of happiness and joy are abruptly interrupted by a plunge into moments of depressive symptoms including weeping, anxiety, anger, and sadness. These “baby blues” usually peak in the first two to five days after delivery, and in most women, go away as quickly as they came. Except sometimes they don’t go away. For some women, depressive symptoms continue well past those first two weeks or develop over the next several months after having a baby. A recent article by Drs. Stewart and Vigod published in the New England Journal of Medicine explores postpartum depression, this potentially debilitating condition that affects between 6.5% and 12.9% of new mothers. What causes postpartum depression? We don’t fully understand what causes postpartum depression. It is thought that the abrupt decrease in hormone levels after having a baby can lead to the development of postpartum depression in susceptible women. We also can’t say for sure what makes a woman particularly vulnerable to postpartum depression. We do know that the strongest predictor of postpartum depression is a personal history of a mood disorder or anxiety, especially if present and untreated during pregnancy. In fact, women with a history of depression during pregnancy are seven times more likely to experie...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Anxiety and Depression Behavioral Health Family Planning and Pregnancy Parenting Screening Women's Health Source Type: blogs