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. Â Over the last few [...]
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 [...]
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. Â The data regarding childhood sexual abuse (CSA) in particular have been less consistent. Â A recent review of the literature [...]
Over the last few years, we have reported on several studies which have suggested an increased risk of certain types of cardiovascular malformations among children exposed to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) during pregnancy. The first reports [...]
Katherine Stone, the founder of Postpartum Progress, 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 2015 – willl take place on June 20th.
While we have observed in multiple studies that about 15% of women suffer from depression during pregnancy and the postpartum period, we know much less about the course of depressive illness in this patient population.. Â Clinically we observe that many women recover relatively quickly, while others have a much more persistent course of illness.
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). [...]
About 10% to 15% of women experience clinically significant depressive symptoms during pregnancy. Furthermore, women with a history of major depression appear to be at high risk for recurrent illness during pregnancy particularly in the [...]
