The first two studies highlight the issues we face with regard to taking care of women with perinatal mood and anxiety disorders.  Women who screen positive for postpartum depression often do not seek or are not able to access care.  Thus, we must find innovative approaches to delivering treatment to this vulnerable population.  

Ruta Nonacs, MD PhD


Follow-up of Mothers with Suspected Postpartum Depression from Pediatrics Clinics.

Bauer NS, Ofner S, Pottenger A, Carroll AE, Downs SM.  Front Pediatr. 2017 Oct 3;5:212.   Free Article

The majority of mothers suspected of having PPD during a pediatrics visit recalled receiving a referral for further intervention; yet, less than half took action.


Program In Support of Moms (PRISM): a pilot group randomized controlled trial of two approaches to improving depression among perinatal women.

Byatt N, Moore Simas TA, Biebel K, Sankaran P, Pbert L, Weinreb L, Ziedonis D, Allison J.  J Psychosom Obstet Gynaecol. 2017 Oct 10:1-10.

PRISM was beneficial for patients, clinicians, and support staff. Both PRISM and MCPAP for Moms alone improve depression symptom severity.


Symptoms of depression in Swedish fathers in the postnatal period and development of a screening tool.

Psouni E, Agebjörn J, Linder H.  Scand J Psychol. 2017 Oct 20.

A scale combining items from the EPDS and Gotland Male Depression Scale (GMDS) showed higher sensitivity than the EPDS alone in identifying fathers with elevated depressive symptoms, at equal levels of specificity.


Maternal depressive symptoms linked to reduced fecal Immunoglobulin A concentrations in infants.

Kang LJ, Koleva PT, Field CJ, Giesbrecht GF, Wine E, Becker AB, Mandhane PJ, Turvey SE, Subbarao P, Sears MR, Scott JA, Kozyrskyj AL; CHILD Study Investigators.Brain Behav Immun. 2017 Oct 11.

Infants born to mothers with depressive symptoms appear to have lower fecal sIgA concentrations, predisposing them to higher risk for allergic disease.


A systematic review of cortisol, thyroid-stimulating hormone, and prolactin in peripartum women with major depression.

Szpunar MJ, Parry BL.  Arch Womens Ment Health. 2017 Oct 11.

Morning cortisol is reduced in pregnant and postpartum women with MDD. Evidence did not support changes in TSH as a marker of MDD during the peripartum period, and evidence for changes in prolactin in peripartum MDD was equivocal.


Maternal self-confidence during the first four months postpartum and its association with anxiety and early infant regulatory problems.

Matthies LM, Wallwiener S, Müller M, Doster A, Plewniok K, Feller S, Sohn C, Wallwiener M, Reck C.  Infant Behav Dev. 2017 Oct 5;49:228-237.

High maternal trait anxiety and early infant regulatory problems negatively contributed to the prediction of maternal self-confidence, explaining 31.8% of the variance


Mother-infant bonding in the postpartum period: assessment of the impact of pre-delivery factors in a clinical sample.

Farré-Sender B, Torres A, Gelabert E, Andrés S, Roca A, Lasheras G, Valdés M, Garcia-Esteve L.  Arch Womens Ment Health. 2017 Oct 18.

Emotional abuse in childhood, family psychiatric history, previous psychiatric hospitalization, and anxiety during pregnancy were significant predictors of disturbances in mother-infant bonding, explaining 10.7% of the variance.


Childhood Maltreatment and Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders: A Systematic Review.

Choi KW, Sikkema KJ.  Trauma Violence Abuse. 2016 Dec;17(5):427-453.


Determinants of comorbid depression and anxiety postnatally: A longitudinal cohort study of Chinese-Canadian women.

Dennis CL, Brown HK, Wanigaratne S, Vigod SN, Grigoriadis S, Fung K, Marini F, Brennenstuhl S.  J Affect Disord. 2017 Sep 25;227:24-30.


Perinatal Weight and Risk of Prenatal and Postpartum Depressive Symptoms

Ertel, Karen A. et al.  Annals of Epidemiology (2017).

Perinatal Weight and Risk of Prenatal and Postpartum Depressive Symptoms
Pre-pregnancy obesity (BMI>30 kg/m2) was associated with higher odds of postpartum depressive symptoms (OR=1.69) compared to normal pre-pregnancy weight.


Mindful with Your Baby: Feasibility, Acceptability, and Effects of a Mindful Parenting Group Training for Mothers and Their Babies in a Mental Health Context.

Potharst ES, Aktar E, Rexwinkel M, Rigterink M, Bögels SM.  Mindfulness (N Y). 2017;8(5):1236-1250.  Free Article

Mindful with your baby is a promising intervention for mothers with babies who are referred to mental health care because of elevated stress or mental health problems, infant (regulation) problems, or mother-infant interaction problems.

Related Posts