Last Updated on June 3, 2023
Welcoming a child into the entire world is always a joyous event, right? In reality, the “baby
Doldrums” hit an important number of women — by some estimates, upwards
To 85 percent of mothers feel after their baby is born, some despair. But for 7 to
13 percent of girls, baby blues are more like mood indigo: a diagnosable
Illness called postpartum depression.
If you’re planning a pregnancy, it’s natural to wonder whether you’re at an increased risk for
this type of depression. In reality,
Many researchers and doctors say they wish more women would seriously consider postpartum
depression’s risk factors. This way, new mothers could get help before
depression wreaked havoc on their lives as well as their parenting.
Are You Going To Feel Blue After Your Infant Is Born?
Fortunately, new studies are shedding light on just what those hazard
factors are. A recent review of information from 1,863 new moms (surveyed
as element of the 1996-2006 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey) showed
that more than half the women who’d postpartum depression had a history of
Mental health issues, either during or before pregnancy. Those whose mental
Health problems appeared before pregnancy were twice as likely to have
Postpartum depression, while those who struggled with mental health issues and mental health issues
during pregnancy had an 11-times higher danger of postpartum depression.
“We really demonstrated that a girl’s mental health status before and during pregnancy
is a strong predictor of poor mental health after delivery,” says study author
Whitney Witt, PhD, MPH, assistant professor in the department of
People health sciences at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine
and Public Health in Madison. “We looked at the domino effect: If girls are in
poor mental health before pregnancy, then they’re more likely to own poor
Mental health as well as more likely to possess poor mental health
afterwards.”
Dr.Witt’s study is the first to think about the predictive value of mental health
during pregnancy as a risk factor for postpartum depression. “There are a
substantial quantity of women who’ve poor mental health postpartum who could be
identified earlier,” she says, adding that women should let their doctors know
When they will have issues about their mental health status. Additionally, these
results speak to the need for accessibility to quality health care for girls before
and during pregnancy, she says.
10 More Risk Factors for Postpartum Depression
In Addition to your own mental health status before and during pregnancy, other threat
factors exist — and they change in measure.
- Hormones. After delivery,
a woman’s shift in hormones is frequently blamed for intense mood swings. Nevertheless,
Current research suggests that there can be a subtle interaction between
hormones (even during pregnancy) as well as the risk for postpartum depression. - Race. Women of Asian
Or Pacific Islander
than other women. - Age. Some studies
have found that younger mothers have an increased danger of postpartum
depression (with moms younger than 20 at highest risk, and mothers 20 to 24 next
in line) — but other studies are inconclusive. - Schooling. Women who have
not reached a high school education have now been discovered to have a four fold higher
Hazard. - Stress. Some studies
have shown a link involving the threat of postpartum depression and stressful life
situations, for example challenging relationships with partners, low income, or
Difficulties balancing the wants of kids in the household. - Pregnancy complications. Conditions of pregnancy that correlate with
postpartum depression include anemia, preterm birth, pregnancy-related high
Blood pressure, low lying placenta, diabetes, and toxemia. - Pain after delivery. Severe pain in
the first 36 hours after delivery triples the risk for experiencing postpartum
depression two months after. - Health status.
Normally inferior physical health during pregnancy places a woman in danger for
postpartum depression. - Family history.
Girls using a family history of depression or bipolar disorder are far more likely
to have postpartum depression. - Preceding postpartum depression. Girls who had postpartum depression in
a previous pregnancy are 50 percent more likely to get it a second time.
Researchers are getting a better comprehension of the uncertainty factors for postpartum depression. And as they
Girls and their doctors may have more information
appropriate medical choices — such as whether to consider early
Intervention for a mood disorder or to have pain levels after delivery
monitored more attentively.