While perinatal depression is typically considered to be a woman’s illness, a number of studies have suggested that, although men do not experience any of the dramatic physiologic or hormonal changes that go along with [...]
DHA or docosahexaenoic acid is an omega-3 fatty acid which is essential for the growth and development of the brain in infants and is required for maintenance of normal brain function in adults. Based on [...]
Over the last few days, there has been a lot of buzz regarding the use of a nutritional supplement to reduce risk of postpartum depression. Quoting one of these articles: "'Women who take the supplement [...]
Often referred to as the “hormone of love," oxytocin plays an important role in childbirth, maternal behavior, lactation, social affiliation, and sexual pleasure. Levels of oxytocin, a neuropeptide produced by the hypothalamus and released into [...]
Postpartum depression (PPD) has been identified as the “most under-recognized, under-diagnosed, and under-treated obstetrical complication in America”, affecting approximately 10-15% of new mothers. In addition to affecting maternal mental health during a critical time [...]
Most studies over the last few decades have estimated the prevalence of postpartum depression (PPD) in the United States to be between 10% and 15%. According to longitudinal data derived from the Pregnancy Risk [...]
Several studies suggest that postpartum anxiety is relatively common among postpartum women and may even be more common than depression. Emerging evidence also suggests that a large number of postpartum women who do not [...]
Many studies have documented the finding that exposure to maternal psychiatric illness early on in the child’s life may adversely affect the child’s cognitive, emotional and behavioral development. These early studies focused on the impact [...]
About 15% of women suffer from perinatal depression -- depression which emerges during pregnancy or the postpartum period; however, most women with perinatal depression do not receive any type of treatment. While we have made [...]
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a growth factor which acts on neurons in both the central and peripheral nervous systems, promoting the survival of neurons and promoting the growth and differentiation of new neurons and [...]
