Postpartum depression could be linked to hormone changes
A team led by University of California, Irvine researchers has found changes in a key pregnancy hormone could be linked to postpartum depression.
The study followed 173 U.S. women with various incomes, education levels, and racial and ethnic backgrounds throughout pregnancy and the year after childbirth. Participants provided blood samples at three prenatal visits: one at eight to 16 weeks’ gestation, one at 20 to 26 weeks’ gestation and one at 30 to 36 weeks’ gestation. They also completed a 10-item questionnaire at one, six and 12 months after giving birth to track the occurrence and degree of depressive symptoms.
Earlier studies have shown levels of placental corticotropin-releasing hormone increase exponentially throughout pregnancy. This study revealed variability in this increase, with some women experiencing moderate, expected increases; some women experiencing low levels of the hormone and the least change across their pregnancy; and some women experiencing the highest levels of the hormone and steepest increase from mid- to late-stage pregnancy.
Nearly 14% of participants reported symptoms of depression one month after giving birth, with women in the last group recording marginally higher depressive symptoms than those in the other two groups.
Read more: Psychoneuroendocrinology
The article presented here is intended to inform you about the broader media perspective on dentistry, regardless of its alignment with the ADA's stance. It is important to note that publication of an article does not imply the ADA's endorsement, agreement, or promotion of its content.