A high proportion (47%–63%) of women who quit smoking during pregnancy relapse during the postpartum period.   Being able to identify those women at highest risk for relapse may help to devise strategies for preventing relapse.
A recent study from McGill University has assessed the prevalence and course of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) following childbirth. The sample included 308 women who were assessed at four time points: 25-40 weeks gestation, 4-6 weeks postpartum, 3 and 6 months postpartum. Current and prior PTSD were assessed using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID-I) and the Modified PTSD Symptom Scale Self-Report (MPSS-SR).
While postpartum depression can affect all women, there are certain populations which appear to be at particularly high risk, including women of lower socioeconomic status. These women have limited access to resources and have multiple stressors including housing problems, financial strain, and being a single parent. Researchers recently piloted an intervention randomized controlled trial involving 540 participants at an inner-city hospital in East Harlem, New York. The primary goal of this psychoeducational intervention was to reduce the risk of postpartum depression among black and Latina mothers.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) occurs in approximately 10% of all women at some point in their lifetime. PTSD tends to occur more commonly in women during their childbearing years, yet we have only recently begun to look more closely at the incidence of PTSD associated with childbirth.Â
Given the prevalence of postpartum OCD and obsessive symptoms in women with postpartum depression, we should devote more time to this topic. This is an informative and well-written article by Alice Wolton on postpartum OCD in Forbes. In this piece, she mentions a recent study from Timpano and colleagues at the University of Miami where cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) was used to prevent postpartum OCD.Â
Wouldn’t it be nice if we could identify women who were at risk for postpartum depression (PPD)? Maybe if we could do that, we could actually prevent the depression from occurring. Or at least, we could intervene in some way so that the depression would not significantly affect the mother and her family.Â
Depression during pregnancy is common and has major health implications for the mother, the fetus and the family. On this website, we have reviewed numerous treatments for affective disorders in pregnancy, including psychotropic medications and several forms of psychotherapy. We have not had much data to support the use of light therapy for antepartum depression, yet I often discuss light therapy as a potential adjunctive treatment for patients with a seasonal component to their depression. A recent study, published by Wirz-Justice and colleagues in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, provides evidence that light therapy may be a useful non-pharmacologic treatment for women who suffer from depression during pregnancy(1).
In the November issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology, The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has issued recommendations to providers regarding efforts to support smoking cessation in pregnant and postpartum women.
While postpartum depression (PPD) 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 pregnancy, new fathers may also suffer from PPD. The most recent study was a meta-analysis published in the May 19th issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
While many women who smoke successfully quit smoking during pregnancy, most of these women return to smoking within 12 months of delivery. Several studies have suggested that certain factors may increase the risk of postpartum relapse, including unwanted pregnancy, multiparity, and stressful life events. Two recent studies indicate that postpartum depressive symptoms may also increase the risk of smoking relapse after delivery.
