The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology now recommends that women be screened for depression during pregnancy. Because depressive symptoms during pregnancy have been associated with worse outcomes and are a robust predictor of postpartum [...]
It is estimated that about 15% of women suffer from depression either during pregnancy or the postpartum period. Prior to the 1980s, most new mothers had never heard of postpartum depression. Over the last few [...]
Multiple studies have demonstrated that the postpartum period is a time of increased vulnerability in women with bipolar disorder. However, because many of the commonly used mood stabilizers carry some teratogenic risk, many women elect [...]
An article published today in the US News and World Report discusses the expanded role pediatric health care providers are playing in screening new mothers for postpartum depression. Because pediatricians have frequent contacts with the mother [...]
For decades, researchers have postulated a connection between breastfeeding and postpartum depression (PPD). However, the research examining the association between postpartum depression and breastfeeding has been somewhat difficult to interpret. A recent cross-sectional study yields [...]
In 2001, Andrew Solomon published The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression. As somebody who has long suffered from depression, Mr. Solomon brings to this book a nuanced understanding of depression -- looking at it [...]
While we are becoming more attentive to screening for depressive symptoms during pregnancy and the postpartum period, we may not always ask about stressful life events, especially when a woman has had what most would [...]
Having a newborn child in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is understandably stressful. Previous studies have demonstrated that mothers in this setting are at increased risk for postpartum depression (PPD). In addition, a recent [...]
When a mother is depressed, her children are more likely to show symptoms of depression or anxiety. A study published in this month's American Journal of Psychiatry has demonstrated that treatment of the mother's depression [...]
Various studies have observed an association between history of abuse and increased risk for perinatal depression. The data regarding childhood sexual abuse (CSA) in particular have been less consistent. A recent review of the literature [...]
