Mothers who experience depression take longer to respond to their children during a back-and-forth conversation.
Symptoms of postpartum depression usually begin to arise three weeks after the birth of a child and are defined by differences in mood and anxiety levels. PPD can last for a year or longer. Baby blues, by contrast, typically last for two weeks.
Researchers discuss how postnatal depression and psychosis can lead some mothers to commit violent acts against or even murder their young children.
Pregnant women who participated in group wellness classes for eight weeks were half as likely to suffer depression eight years later compared to women who did not attend the classes.
Expectant mothers who took a two-hour perinatal course called "Help, Understanding, Guidance (HUG) Your Baby" had a significantly reduced risk of postpartum depression and an increase in parental confidence once their baby arrived.
Children of mothers who experience more negative moods as a result of postpartum depression during the first two months of their child's life have less mature processing of speech sounds at the age of six months.
Researchers are calling for postnatal depression risk screening for women with persistent depression while they are still pregnant.
Pregnant women with a history of migraines are at greater risk of both prenatal and postnatal complications. A new study found migraine sufferers are at increased risk of hyperlipidemia and gestational diabetes during pregnancy, and postnatal depression following the birth of their child.
Prenatal depression can have a significant influence on a child's brain development and behavior. Greater symptoms of prenatal depression were associated with weaker white matter connections between areas of the brain involved in emotional processing. The weakened white matter connectivity was linked to increased aggression and hyperactivity in male children. The change could lead to dysregulated emotional states in children and explain why children whose mothers experienced PND are more prone to developing depression later in life.
Women who are given a general anesthetic during a cesarean section delivery have a 54% higher risk of developing postpartum depression. The odds of suicidal thoughts or self-inflicting injury increased to 91%. The study points to a potential protective effect on mental health for regional anesthesia during cesarean section compared to general anesthetic.
People are more likely to diagnose symptoms of postnatal depression in women over men, new findings report. When presented with information relating to the mental health of new parents, people associated postnatal depression symptoms in men with stress and tiredness. Researchers state the need for greater awareness of paternal postnatal depression.
A newly developed drug can help combat the effects of postnatal depression.
