MCPAP for Moms: Exploring New Strategies for Providing Care to Women with Perinatal Depression
We are clearly making big strides in terms of increasing public awareness of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, but we still have a long way to go when it comes to providing access to mental health professionals with expertise in this area. We have demonstrated that screening for perinatal depression can be carried out successfully in a variety of settings, but we have also learned that screening alone does not necessarily [...]
Maternal Prenatal Depression Affects Levels of Inflammation in Offspring 25 Years Later
The three primary methods of communication in the human body (nervous system, immune system, and endocrine system) are interconnected in a number of ways, and exposures that take place during critical windows of fetal development can permanently impact how each system is “programmed” to function. Increasing amounts of research in both animal and human populations support the Fetal Programming Hypothesis, which asserts that experiences during pregnancy may modulate the normal course [...]
Study Links Conflict with Partner to Increased Vulnerability to Perinatal Depression
The Maternity Experiences Survey (MES) is a national survey of Canadian women’s experiences, perceptions, knowledge and practices before conception and during pregnancy, birth and the early months of parenthood. This is a project funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada’s Canadian Perinatal Surveillance System, with the goal of achieving a better understanding of the determinants of maternal, fetal and infant health. The MES questionnaire includes more than 300 questions covering [...]
Weekly Roundup for DECEMBER 2, 2016: Recent Publications in Women’s Mental Health
Next week we will be reviewing two important articles which look at the effects of maternal depression on the developing brain of the child: one from Posner and colleagues and another from Lebel and colleagues. This week, there were also a few interesting articles on the association between poor sleep quality and depression during pregnancy and the postpartum period. One of them is summarized here. Ruta Nonacs, MD PhD [...]
Sleep Problems Common During Pregnancy, Associated with Depression
While we tend to think of sleep deprivation as a postpartum issue, a recent study from Finland indicates that sleep problems are relatively common during pregnancy, for both mothers and fathers. This study included 1667 mothers and 1498 fathers. The researchers evaluated the core symptoms of insomnia (sleep onset problems, nocturnal awakenings, too-early awakenings, and poor sleep quality) and, in addition, the presence of insufficient sleep, defined as a two-hour difference [...]
Which Contraceptive is Best for Me? The WHO MEC WHEEL Can Provide Guidance
In the world of family planning the question “Which contraceptive method is best for me?” is a common one. The World Health Organization (WHO) has tried to address this through a document called Medical Eligibility Criteria for Contraceptive Use (MEC). This document, now in its fifth edition, provides guidance for choosing the safest contraceptive method given a woman’s health conditions and personal preferences. The MEC makes recommendations based on whether the [...]