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.

Opioid overdose found to be most common cause of pregnancy-associated death in new moms

As the opioid epidemic rages on, one vulnerable group--new moms--have often been overlooked.

9 May 2019

PSU researcher to identify the behavioral health needs of parents with NICU babies

Thirteen years ago, Susanne Klawetter gave birth to triplets. They required a stay in a neonatal intensive care unit. Stays like Klawetter's are relatively common: about 10 percent of all babies born nationwide will require care in a NICU, according to the National Institutes of Health.

8 May 2019

FDA approves brexanolone, first drug developed to treat postpartum depression

Approximately 1 in 9 women in the United States experiences symptoms of postpartum depression, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

21 Mar 2019

First postpartum depression drug gets FDA nod

Sage therapeutics’ Zulresso became the first drug approved for postpartum depression by the United States Food and Drugs Administration (FDA). This cause the shares of Sage to rise by over 5 percent on Tuesday this week.

20 Mar 2019

FDA approves first drug for treatment of postpartum depression in adult women

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Zulresso (brexanolone) injection for intravenous use for the treatment of postpartum depression in adult women. This is the first drug approved by the FDA specifically for PPD.

20 Mar 2019

Depression prevention for pregnant women and new mothers – new recommendations

At present all new mothers are screened for symptoms of depression and help is provided to those who need care. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force now has urged doctors to screen pregnant women for risks of depression and provide adequate counselling and support to prevent the onset of depression after delivery. The report was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association this week.

14 Feb 2019

Study examines hospital readmissions for women with postpartum psychiatric diseases

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, approximately 15% of women develop postpartum depression. Postpartum psychiatric diseases occur on a continuum and extreme manifestations are life-threatening and require hospitalization.

12 Feb 2019

Integrated care to women with PMADs offered at several levels

Over the past several decades, it's become increasingly recognized that perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, including postpartum depression, are more than just "baby blues."

17 Jan 2019

New study identifies four characteristics that predict severity of postpartum depression

A new Northwestern Medicine study was able to successfully predict if a new mother would experience worsening depressive symptoms over the first year after giving birth by identifying four maternal characteristics that put her at risk.

17 Jan 2019

Researcher takes further steps in understanding how and why cute aggression occurs

Have you ever looked at a puppy and had the urge to squeeze or even bite it? Or felt compelled to pinch a baby's cheeks, albeit without a desire to harm it? If you answered yes to either question, you've experienced a phenomenon called cute aggression -- and you're far from alone.

5 Dec 2018

Improving access to behavioral health screenings for pregnant and postpartum women

The number one medical complication of pregnancy and childbirth for mothers is depression and/or anxiety, with one in seven women suffering from a mood disorder during pregnancy and the postpartum period.

16 Oct 2018

New tool improves assessment of postpartum depression symptoms

In the current issue of Family Medicine and Community Health (Volume 6,Number 3, 2018, pp.104-114; DOI:https://doi.org/10.15212/FMCH.2018.0109, researchers Ajibola A. Ishola, Chisom C. Obasi and Ismail T. Sholuke of the Department of Psychology, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria, describes how having a baby is often marked by disturbance in mood, and the birth of a premature baby can put mothers at greater risk of psychological distress than the birth of a full-term baby.

5 Oct 2018

Fewer daylight hours during late pregnancy may increase risk of postpartum depression

Women in late pregnancy during darker months of the year may have a greater risk of developing postpartum depression once their babies are born.

27 Sep 2018

Mothers with gestational diabetes mellitus have elevated risk of postpartum depression symptoms

Mothers diagnosed with gestational diabetes mellitus have an elevated risk of developing postpartum depression symptoms, according to a new Finnish study.

4 Sep 2018

Screening mothers for PPD in emergency setting

It's a scenario that Children's emergency medicine specialist Lenore Jarvis, M.D., M.Ed., has seen countless times: A mother brings her infant to the emergency department in the middle of the night with a chief complaint of the baby being fussy. Nothing she does can stop the incessant crying, she tells the triage nurse.

30 Jun 2018

Depression symptoms can persist six months after NICU discharge for young parents

Young parents who have less education and care for more than one child are more likely to have persistent symptoms of depression that linger six months after their newborn is discharged from the neonatal intensive care unit, according to a Children's National Health System research presentation during the Pediatric Academic Societies 2018 annual meeting.

7 May 2018

Cedars-Sinai researchers explore risk factors associated with mental health of new mothers

Cedars-Sinai investigators are examining the risk factors associated with mental health issues experienced by many women after giving birth.

3 May 2018

Maternal placentophagy does not cause harm to newborn babies, study finds

The largest study of its kind found mothers who consumed their placenta passed on no harm to their newborn babies when compared to infants of mothers who did not consume their placenta.

3 May 2018

Researchers urge federal policymakers to address perinatal depression among minority women

Despite Latinas' and African-American women's increased risks of perinatal depression and the availability of reliable screening tools and national awareness campaigns, research has shown that these women are significantly less likely to be screened or treated.

30 Mar 2018

Docs worry there’s ‘nowhere to send’ new and expectant moms with depression

Lawmakers in California will begin debate next month on a bill that would require doctors to screen new moms for mental health problems — once while they’re pregnant and again after they give birth.

19 Mar 2018