Postpartum depression is a bane for most women with some high-risk populations reporting 40 to 50 percent of new mothers at risk for the illness. New research indicates depression reducing effects of breast feeding occur only if the experience is just not a nerve-racking event.

“Depression in new mothers is common in many cultures, changing anywhere from 10 percent to 20 percent of postpartum women. In some high risk residents, the percentage can even be as high as 50 percent or 40 percent.

Since depression has devastating effects on both infant and mom, it is vital that it be identified and treated quickly. Blue mothers will also be more inclined to prevent breastfeeding with adverse health effects for each,” said lead author Kathleen Kendall-Tackett, a University of New Hampshire researcher.

According to Kendall Tackett, inflammation, which will be among the top contributors to depression in new mothers is increased by psychological and physical stressors. Most current treatments for depression, for instance, long-chain Omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA, are anti inflammatory.

New mums experience a rise in inflammation due to increased quantities of proinflammatory cytokines. These amounts continue to elevate throughout the postpartum period and dramatically upsurge in the last trimester of pregnancy.

Also, common experiences of new motherhood, for example sleep disturbance, postpartum pain, and previous or current psychological trauma, act as stressors that cause proinflammatory cytokine levels to climb, according to Kendall Tackett.

“Breastfeeding shields maternal mood by lowering stress. When anxiety levels are lower, the mummy’s inflammatory reaction system will not be activated, thus lowering her danger of depression,” she said.

“Yet positive these results, I must issue one caveat: they just use when breastfeeding is going well. Especially if there’s pain, it becomes a trigger to depression rather than something that reduces the risk, as noted earlier, when breastfeeding that’s not going well. Mothers’ mental health is another reason to intervene promptly when breastfeeding difficulties arise.”