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.

Postpartum women's experience of social restrictions during COVID-19

A new study published on the medRxiv* preprint server has focused on the effect of various social restrictions or lack of social support on women who delivered and raised babies during the pandemic.

27 Oct 2021

Pandemic-related grief associated with lower levels of mother-infant bonding

The emotional connection between a mother and her newborn baby can lay the foundation for the child's development and the family's outcomes.

15 Oct 2021

Breastfeeding could possibly reduce a woman’s risk for postpartum depression, suggests study

According to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, between 11 and 20 percent of women who give birth each year in the U.S. have postpartum depression symptoms, which is the greatest risk factor for maternal suicide and infanticide

1 Oct 2021

One-day online therapy session can help treat postpartum depression

A one-day online therapy session can help treat postpartum depression (PPD), says a study led by McMaster University scientists.

8 Sep 2021

Allopregnanolone exerts persistent antidepressant effects by altering brain states

New research led by neuroscientists at Tufts University School of Medicine suggests the prolonged antidepressant effects of allopregnanolone, a neuroactive steroid used therapeutically to treat postpartum depression, may involve the ability of the compound to modify communication in an area of the brain important for mood and emotion regulation.

18 Aug 2021

Women say California insurer makes it too hard to get drug for postpartum depression

When Miriam McDonald decided she wanted to have another baby at age 44, her doctor told her she had a better chance of winning the lottery. So when she got pregnant right away, she and her husband were thrilled. But within three days of giving birth to their son, in September 2019, everything shifted.

28 Jul 2021

Child's toothbrushing habits linked to mother's mental health

A mother's mental health may play a larger role in a child's toothbrushing habits than previously thought.

26 Jul 2021

How women in England faced childbirth in the COVID-19 pandemic

Pregnant women have suffered considerable uncertainty during the COVID-19 pandemic. Not only were the effects of the virus on the baby unknown, but social restrictions in place threatened their ability to plan their delivery experience or have their birthing partners with them. This is the focus of a new paper, which illustrates the need to provide proper guidance and support to pregnant women during such periods, especially allowing them to feel supported and in control of their childbirth experience.

8 Jul 2021

Maternal and paternal behaviors in voles promoted by the exact same neural pathways

Like female voles, connections between oxytocin neurons in the hypothalamus and dopamine neurons in reward areas drive parental behaviors in male voles, according to new research published in JNeurosci.

2 Jul 2021

In a murky sea of mental health apps, consumers left adrift

In the eyes of the tech industry, mental health treatment is an area ripe for disruption.

22 Jun 2021

Bad romantic relationships may worsen physical and mental health in postpartum women

Postpartum women in bad romantic relationships are not only more likely to suffer symptoms of depression, they are also at greater long-term risk of illness or death, according to new research from Rice University, Ohio State University and the University of California, Irvine.

3 Jun 2021

Nursing mothers' tweets help understand the factors influencing breastfeeding behaviors

Social media has become a platform for new mothers to openly share their experiences of the joys and challenges of parenthood.

6 May 2021

Mother's stress levels during conception could be a determinant of fetal sex

A study carried out by scientists from the University of Granada has revealed that women who experience stress both before becoming pregnant and during conception are almost twice as likely to have a girl as a boy.

6 Apr 2021

Exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals may increase likelihood of postpartum depression

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals may influence hormonal shifts during pregnancy as well as contribute to postpartum depression, according to a small study published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

1 Apr 2021

Cognitive behavioral therapy can reduce stress, improve mood in pregnant women

Perinatal depression has soared during the pandemic. But many mental health professionals are overwhelmed and can't take on new clients.

3 Mar 2021

Psychological variables account for anxiety and depression among pregnant women during COVID-19

Women who gave birth during the COVID-19 pandemic report having felt greater stress in the delivery process, and rate lower the quality of care received.

17 Feb 2021

Essential coaching for mothers during COVID-19

Pregnancy and childbirth are especially high-risk periods for mental ill-health. The mobile health program called Essential Coaching for Every Mother (ECEM) was designed to meet the needs of mothers during this critical time, but its introduction was delayed because of the onset of the pandemic.

19 Jan 2021