Because women appear to be at increased risk for new onset and recurrent depression as they transition into the menopause, it has been hypothesized that declining ovarian function -- or estrogen "withdrawal" -- may trigger [...]
Many pregnant women complain of “pregnancy brain”. They describe that they feel less sharp than usual and often complain of bouts of forgetfulness. Is it because they are distracted by thinking about and planning for [...]
Postpartum psychosis is the most severe form of postpartum psychiatric illness, affecting about 1 out of every 1000 births. Postpartum psychosis occurs most frequently in first-time mothers, typically within the first two weeks after delivery. [...]
Nearly a third of postmenopausal women experience vaginal changes, including dryness, itching and pain during sex -- symptoms related to the declining levels of estrogen occurring during the transition to menopause. According to a study [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Sleep disturbance is commonly reported during pregnancy. A recent study looked at the impact of sleep quality on risk for depression.
A recent study examines the relationship between postpartum depression (PPD) and cigarette smoking. The study sample consisted of 29,654 U.S. women who reported smoking in the 3 months prior to pregnancy and for whom data on PPD were available from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS).
Restless legs syndrome (RLS) occurs commonly during pregnancy and can sometimes casues significant sleep disturbance. A new study suggests that RLS may also increase the risk of perinatal depression.
Two recent reports explore the relationship between abuse and risk for perinatal depression. The first is a study which analyzed data from 53,065 pregnant women participating in the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa). [...]
