Postpartum Depression News and Research

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Eighty percent of women experience some level of the baby blues after giving birth, and symptoms usually clear up on their own. One in eight-to-ten women experiences postpartum depression. When symptoms don't go away in a few weeks, women should seek help through health care providers and licensed counselors. Treatment may include talk therapy, medication, support groups, or a combination of these.

Virtual reality training to combat implicit bias in maternal health care

During a checkup with her obstetrician, Marilyn Hayes tells him about overwhelming exhaustion and possible symptoms of postpartum depression, such as feeling unsafe.

22 Jul 2024

Study uncovers long COVID risks for pregnant individuals

Nearly one in 10 people who get COVID while pregnant will go on to develop long COVID, a report publishing July 11th in Obstetrics & Gynecology has found.

11 Jul 2024

Gene discovery points to oxytocin for depression

While investigating two boys from different families with severe obesity, anxiety, autism, and behavioural problems triggered by sounds or smells, a team led by scientists at the University of Cambridge, UK, and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, USA, discovered that the boys were missing a single gene, known as TRPC5, which sits on the X chromosome.

3 Jul 2024

TRPC5 gene identified as a diagnostic marker of obesity and postpartum depression

Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine, the University of Cambridge and collaborating institutions have discovered that alterations in the human gene TRPC5 cause obesity and postpartum depression.

2 Jul 2024

Perinatal depression may increase cardiovascular disease risk

Women with perinatal depression have a 36% higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease, particularly hypertensive disease, ischemic heart disease, and heart failure, as shown in a Swedish nationwide study.

23 Jun 2024

Perinatal depression linked to higher long-term cardiovascular disease risk in women

Women diagnosed with perinatal depression are more likely to develop cardiovascular disease in the following 20 years compared to women who have given birth without experiencing perinatal depression, according to research published in the European Heart Journal today (Wednesday).

19 Jun 2024

Early management of gestational diabetes can prevent maternal and child health complications

Speaking at the American Diabetes Association 84th Scientific Sessions, authors of a new Lancet Series challenge current approaches to managing gestational diabetes (a type of diabetes that can be diagnosed during pregnancy) and call for initiating treatment much earlier to prevent complications during pregnancy and beyond.

19 Jun 2024

Exploring the biology behind maternal mental health disorders

Pregnancy and new motherhood transform a woman's body as well as her life. While this is often a joyous time, it can sometime lead to mental health disorders, most often anxiety and depression.

6 Jun 2024

Study reveals alarming rates of postpartum depression among mothers in six countries

Study published in BMC Public Health identified the prevalence, predictors, and coping strategies for postpartum depression (PPD) among mothers in six countries, highlighting significant variation across different cultural and demographic contexts.

19 May 2024

Early life stress may underlie a pathophysiological exacerbation of postpartum depression

In a new study, a Johns Hopkins Medicine-led research team reports that social stress during adolescence in female mice later results in prolonged elevation of the hormone cortisol after they give birth.

16 Apr 2024

Low dose esketamine injection after childbirth reduces postpartum depression

A single low dose injection of esketamine given immediately after childbirth reduces major depressive episodes in individuals with depressive symptoms during pregnancy (prenatal depression), finds a clinical trial published by The BMJ today.

12 Apr 2024

New natural supplement shows promise in preventing postpartum blues

A new study published in the Lancet discovery science journal eClinicalMedicine has confirmed that a novel natural supplement-;invented, researched, developed and commercialized at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH)-;prevents postpartum blues, and reduces symptoms of postpartum depression over the following six months after giving birth.

10 Apr 2024

Researchers call for policy changes to address perinatal mental health disparities

A team of researchers is calling for comprehensive changes to U.S. health care and social policies to improve diagnosis and treatment of perinatal mental health conditions and mitigate the dramatic disparities that put women of color at significantly greater risks of morbidity and mortality compared with white women.

3 Apr 2024

Study reveals underdiagnosis and inequities in postpartum depression treatment

Pregnancy and childbirth can be significant stressors on mental health. Nearly one in eight people who have given birth develop postpartum depression, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

1 Apr 2024

A new $16,000 postpartum depression drug is here. How will insurers handle it?

A much-awaited treatment for postpartum depression, zuranolone, hit the market in December, promising an accessible and fast-acting medication for a debilitating illness.

12 Mar 2024

Pregnant women with autoimmune conditions at a greater risk of developing adverse pregnancy outcomes, study suggests

Researchers analyzed systematic reviews conducted on the association between autoimmune diseases and pregnancy outcomes.

8 Mar 2024

Is there a higher risk of depression among specific populations of patients with rheumatoid arthritis?

Researchers assessed the risk of depression following the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

8 Mar 2024

Housing affordability for new mothers may help stave off postpartum depression

Becoming a parent comes with lots of bills. For new mothers, being able to afford the rent may help stave off postpartum depression.

7 Mar 2024

Cognitive behavioral therapy helps prevent postpartum mental health challenges in low-resource settings

Results from a large clinical trial funded by the National Institutes of Health show that an intervention for anxiety provided to pregnant women living in Pakistan significantly reduced the likelihood of the women developing moderate-to-severe anxiety, depression, or both six weeks after birth.

26 Feb 2024

Antidepressant use during pregnancy linked to child brain development risks

A new study published in Nature Communications provides direct evidence that antidepressant use during pregnancy can impact a child's brain development and contribute to the risk of mental health disorders later in life.

16 Feb 2024