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Postpartum Depression
Postpartum depression (PPD), also known as postnatal depression,
is a serious mood disorder. It affects women predominantly but not exclusively.
As many as a quarter of new mothers met criteria for PPD in various studies.
PPD is distinguished from Baby Blues or Maternity Blues, which
are relatively mild, short-lasting, and which affect the majority of new
mothers. Symptoms of Maternity Blues may include insomnia, irritability, loss of
concentration, moodiness, sadness, and headache.
Symptoms of PPD – which may occur within the first 12 months post-partum -
include guilt, hopelessness, low self-esteem, depression, eating disorders,
anhedonia, emptiness, social withdrawal, fatigue, frustration, and helplessness.
A clinician familiar with the difficulty should make the determination.
A number of risk factors have been associated with the onset of
PPD. Of these, the most important are: bottle feeding instead of breast feeding;
a history of depression; and cigarette
smoking. Perhaps surprisingly, hormonal factors often have not been associated
with the onset of PPD in various studies, although there may be a subset of
women whose PPD is triggered by hormonal changes from pregnancy.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy
and antidepressant medication are the most well validated treatment approaches
to date, and they appear to be equally effective. Support groups, medical
evaluation, good nutrition, increased socialization, and getting additional rest
may also be very helpful.
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