Postnatal Depression News and Research

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Postpartum depression (Postnatal depression) is a type of depressive illness that some women experience after child birth. This form of depression usually occurs around 4 to 6 weeks after delivery but sometimes does not manifest until months after the baby is born. The condition can occur whether a woman gives birth naturally or by way of a caesarean section.

Mothers who gush about babies grow bigger brains

Motherhood may actually cause the brain to grow, not turn it into mush, as some have claimed. Exploratory research published by the American Psychological Association found that the brains of new mothers bulked up in areas linked to motivation and behavior, and that mothers who gushed the most about their babies showed the greatest growth in key parts of the mid-brain.

21 Oct 2010

Fish oil not as good for pregnant mums as thought: Study

According to a new Australian study, taking fish oil / docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) supplements during pregnancy does not appear to reduce the risk of postpartum depression of mothers or boost the language development and cognitive skills of their children.

19 Oct 2010

Depressed pregnant women at increased risk of delivering preterm birth and low-birth weight infants

Clinical depression puts pregnant women at increased risk of delivering prematurely and of giving birth to below-normal weight infants, according to a report published Oct. 4 in the Archives of General Psychiatry.

5 Oct 2010

Women's mental health issues to be discussed at 2010 Marc- Society International Conference

Nearly 500 researchers, clinicians and mental health advocates are expected to attend the 2010 Marc- Society International Conference, Perinatal Mental Health Research: Harvesting the Potential, Oct. 26 to 30, at the Sheraton Station Square Hotel in Pittsburgh. The event, which focuses on women's mental health issues related to childbearing, will feature keynote speaker former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, who has been an active advocate for mental health reform.

28 Sep 2010

Mental health issues during pregnancy contribute to infant mortality and poor child health

Clinical depression and anxiety during pregnancy results in smaller babies that are more likely to die in infancy, according to new research published in the open access journal BMC Public Health. The study, which focused on women living in rural Bangladesh, provides the first finding of its kind in a non-Western population. The research indicates that mental health issues are likely to be a primary contributor to infant mortality and poor child health, above poverty, malnutrition or low socio-economic status.

26 Aug 2010

Study unveils ways new moms can lose baby weight after childbirth

New moms who returned to work soon after delivery, had childcare help, breastfed, and did not experience postpartum depression were the ones most able to lose the baby weight within 6 months of giving birth, according to a new research study.

18 Aug 2010

Psychological support from health visitors prevents depression after child birth: Study

The world's first ever analysis of data from a full scale clinical trial in adults shows that training Health Visitors to assess and psychologically support mothers after childbirth can prevent the development of depression over the following year.But the substantial reduction in the number of NHS health visitors was identified by researchers as a key issue for the health and well-being of mums.

18 Aug 2010

Blue Cross of Massachusetts agrees to reduce dramatic rate increases

In Massachusetts, the state's largest health insurer has agreed to reduce dramatic rate increases for individuals and small businesses.

7 Aug 2010

Study reveals increase of enzyme MAO-A in female brain during immediate postpartum period

Within the first week after giving birth, up to 70 percent of all women experience symptoms of the baby blues. While most women recover quickly, up to 13 percent of all new mothers suffer from symptoms of a clinical-level postpartum depression. Postpartum depression is defined as a major depressive episode starting within 4 weeks after delivery and is a significant public health problem. Postpartum blues represents a major risk factor for developing postpartum depression and severe postpartum blues symptoms can be viewed as a prodromal stage for postpartum depression.

17 Jun 2010

Research analysis shows 10% of fathers experience prenatal or postpartum depression

About 10 percent of fathers experience prenatal or postpartum depression, with rates being highest in the 3 to 6 month postpartum period, according to an analysis of previous research appearing in the May 19 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on mental health.

19 May 2010

Understanding the biology of postpartum blues

Greater levels of a brain protein called monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) - may explain why postpartum blues and clinical depression are so common after childbirth according to an important study published today in the Archives of General Psychiatry.

5 May 2010

New classification of depressive subtypes of depression proposed

Lichtenberg and Belmaker propose a new classification of depressive subtypes of depression in the current issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics. They argue that a simple diagnosis is no longer sufficient to guide treatment.

3 May 2010

CIHR experts available to discuss current health research related to motherhood

In light of Mother's Day (May 9), experts from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) are available to discuss current health research related to motherhood.

21 Apr 2010

Physiotherapist-led exercise helps postnatal women reduce risk of PND

In a world first study of its kind, 161 postnatal women with no previous depressive symptoms were divided in two separate groups to test the effect of a physiotherapist-led exercise and education program on wellbeing.

3 Apr 2010

Perception, rather than actual sleep quality may predict postpartum mood disturbances in new mothers

A study of healthy new mothers in the April 1 issue of the journal Sleep found that the perception of poor sleep and the conscious awareness of its impact on daytime functioning might be stronger predictors of immediate postpartum mood disturbances than actual sleep quality and quantity.

1 Apr 2010

Structured and supervised exercise can prevent postnatal depression, says study

Postnatal depression (PND) or baby blues are a recognized entity with millions of mothers suffering from it in varying degrees. It affects 13% of the new mothers usually within the first 3 months after the birth of the baby.

1 Apr 2010

Physical therapy exercise improves postnatal well-being and reduces risk for PND

A physical therapy exercise and health education program is effective in improving postnatal well-being and reducing the risk for postnatal depression, according to a randomized controlled trial published in the March issue of Physical Therapy, the scientific journal of the American Physical Therapy Association.

23 Mar 2010

Expectant mothers’ spatial memory ability reduces during later stages of pregnancy

New research has found that pregnant women's ability to remember the position of objects previously seen is reduced as pregnancy progresses. These findings will be presented this week at the annual Society for Endocrinology BES conference in Manchester.

18 Mar 2010

Study shows prevalence of depression among low-income urban mothers

More than half of low-income urban mothers met the criteria for a diagnosis of depression at some point between two weeks and 14 months after giving birth, according to a study led by University of Rochester Medical Center researchers and published online by the journal Pediatrics.

19 Feb 2010

Training health personnel in emotional intelligence can help women from developing depressive symptoms

The extent of mental health problems is increasing, and has become one of the biggest challenges facing Europe today. As much as 10-25 per cent of women are at risk of developing serious depression during their lifetime.

21 Jan 2010