Postpartum Depression

Matt Fordham

Postpartum Depression

March 13, 2005

I chose the current event on postpartum depression. Women with ppd may feel restless, anxious, sad, or depressed. They may have feelings of guilt, decreased energy and motivation, and a sense of worthlessness. They may also have sleep difficulties and undergo unexplained weight loss or gain. Some mothers may worry about hurting themselves or their baby.

The research is being conducted in many research institutes including Women's Mental Health Program at NIH's National Institute of Mental Health. News of ppd has been around but became more public when actress Brooke Shield did an interview with Oprah. When actor Tom Cruise publicly criticized her course of treatment psychiatrists seized the opportunity to offset the stigma and misconceptions associated with this illness.

Ppd affects 10-15% of new mothers, and 1% of mothers with ppd are then diagnosed with postpartum psychosis in which they are at high risk of hurting their children. Researchers are coming up with new theories on how chemical imbalances and hormone levels are affecting new moms. With new discoveries they hope to develop better medications for treating postpartum depression by targeting the chemical pathways they are uncovering.

I believe that becoming a mother is a very stressful change in a peoples lives and stress affects people in different ways. I think that if you are a new mom and you are recognizing the symptoms of ppd, you should start immediately talking with your doctor to determine the best method of treatment. The good news with ppd is that in most cases it can be treated with therapy and an antidepressant such as the one Brooke Shield takes, paxil.

http://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2005/December/docs/01features_02.htm