New Mothers at the Grip of Severe Depression in U.S. not Getting Proper Care

A significant number of American mothers struggle with the sudden onset of depression after giving birth. However, the condition is often not identified or treated properly, a team of researchers from the Northwestern University reveal. The trend can prove to be risky, according to them, as the mother's mental health is crucial for the healthy growth of her child.

Postpartum depression (PPD) or postnatal depression is moderate-to-severe depression that affects a woman after she gives birth to a child.

To examine the prevalence of postpartum depression, Katherine L. Wisner and colleagues organized depression screening and a complete psychiatric assessment for 10,000 new mothers.

One in every seven women who underwent the screening had severe depressive symptoms, including suicidal tendencies. Nearly 14 percent of the women had depression, before (30 percent) or during pregnancy (30 percent) and after giving birth (40 percent). About 22 percent were diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder is a condition in which the patient experiences disruptive mood swings and depression.

Concerned with the findings, researchers urge for better screening facilities and to spread more awareness among new mothers about the hidden risks associated with this condition.

"In the U.S., the vast majority of postpartum women with depression are not identified or treated even though they are at higher risk for psychiatric disorders," lead author of the study Wisner said in a news release.  "It's a huge public health problem. A woman's mental health has a profound effect on fetal development as well as her child's physical and emotional development.

"A lot of women do not understand what is happening to them," Wisner added. "They think they're just stressed or they believe it is how having a baby is supposed to feel."

The study is published in JAMA Psychiatry.

Experiencing depression during and after birth can lead to a wide range of health problems like poor weight gain, preeclampsia, premature labor and trouble bonding with the new born. Apart from that, previous research has shown some symptoms associated with depression, like loss of appetite negatively affecting the nature of food provided to the children as well as feeding practices. Insomnia that comes along with depression can sometimes make the mother neglect the child, thus negatively affecting the child's food and sleep routine.

Though antidepressants are available to treat depression during and after pregnancy, many prefer to avoid them to ensure safety. For such women, previous studies put forward a safe solution - yoga. In August 2012, a team of researchers from the University of Michigan, after examining pregnant women with symptoms of depression, found mindfulness yoga, a combination of meditative focus with physical poses, to be the right option to overcome mood disorders.