Serious Complications at Delivery Increase the Risk of Postpartum PTSD
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is common among women of child-bearing age. While we are increasingly attentive to screening for depressive symptoms after delivery, we may not always ask about PTSD symptoms. Importantly, PTSD symptoms that go undetected and unaddressed may complicate the treatment of postpartum depression. A recent study has looked at the prevalence of PTSD symptoms in women who experience complications at delivery. The objective of this prospective cohort study [...]
Antidepressant Use Associated with Longer Duration of Breastfeeding
Data was presented at the 18th Perinatal Society of Australia and New Zealand (PSANZ) Annual Conference in Perth regarding the use of antidepressants among breastfeeding women. Analyzing the data from the Danish National Birth Cohort in Denmark, researchers examined outcomes in 368 women who were taking antidepressants prior to becoming pregnant. Two thirds of the women (67%) stopped taking their antidepressant medication either after becoming pregnant or during breastfeeding. A third of the [...]
Sleep Interventions During Pregnancy Reduce the Risk of Postpartum Depression
It should be no surprise that many women complain of disrupted sleep during pregnancy. According to a recent study, approximately 28%-38% of women meet criteria for sleep deficiency during early pregnancy. (Sleep deficiency is defined as short sleep duration, insufficient sleep, or insomnia).As pregnancy progresses, sleep quality continues to deteriorate; during the third trimester, over half of all women report poor quality of sleep. While some might consider that sleep disturbance is an unfortunate consequence of pregnancy [...]
Positive Parenting Can Reduce Risk for Postpartum Depression
A recent study investigated the effectiveness of two pediatric primary care interventions for reducing the risk for postpartum depressive symptoms. The researchers tested two interventions designed to promote parental responsiveness: Video Interaction Project (VIP) is a relationship-based intervention, using video- recordings of mother–child dyads which are used to reinforce positive interactions Building Blocks (BB) communicates with parents via parenting newsletters, learning materials, and questionnaires. A group of low income women were [...]
Support Women and Families with PPD and Raise Public Awareness: Climb Out of the Darkness
This is from Katherine Stone at Postpartum Progress. Katherine Stone has long been an advocate for women with perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. In addition to her website which provides information and support, she has helped to create and sponsor events which raise public awareness of postpartum depression and related disorders. The largest event for women with perinatal mood and anxiety disorders -- Climb Out of the Darkness 2014 – takes [...]
