Category Archives: Post Natal Depression

Health visitors with training reduce numbers with post natal depression

August 31, 2010

The period following childbirth can be a difficult time for many women and statistics have shown that around one in ten women will experience symptoms of depression after giving birth.

Now a recent study has revealed that women who see a health visitor who has had extra training in mental health are less likely to develop post natal depression in the six months following childbirth.

The study was carried out by researchers at Leicester University, Nottingham University and Sheffield University and involved over 2,000 women who had given birth and who were from the Trent area in England.

These women were followed for a period of a year and half following the birth of their child. Around 1,500 received support from a health visitor who had special training in mental health and a further 767 had their support from a standard health visitor who hadn’t undergone extra mental health training.

The study started six weeks after the birth of the baby and at that time none of the women were experiencing depression reported the BBC.

An analysis of the data at the end of the study showed that the women who received support from health visitors who had extra training in mental health were 30 percent less likely to develop post natal depression in the six months following childbirth than those women seeing a standard health visitor who had no extra training.

Terry Brugha from Leiciester Clinical Division of Psychiatry and who led the study told the BBC:

“This study shows that women are less likely to become depressed in the year after childbirth if they are attended by an NHS health visitor who has undergone additional training in specific mental health assessment and in psychological approaches based on either cognitive behavioural or listening techniques.”

At the moment there is a shortage of NHS health visitors in many parts of the UK and the researchers were unable to replicate their research in other parts of England because of this shortage. There simply weren’t enough health visitors.

“Mothers were fortunate if they receive just one home visit from a health visitor” Professor Brugha told the BBC.

The study also revealed that many health visitors didn’t take the extra mental health training because they couldn’t take the necessary time off work.

The government has said it is committed to increasing the number of health visitors in the country, let’s hope they do this sooner rather than later.

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New Dads Suffer From Post Natal Baby Blues Too Says Study

May 20, 2010

New dads can suffer from postnatal depression after the birth of a baby but their suffering might go undetected says US researchers. Apparently around ten percent of new fathers can have a form of post natal depression and this is a higher figure than what is currently recognised.

It’s true, new fathers’ lives are also turned upside down by a new arrival to the family. They experience sleepless nights but still have to get up for work, they are expected to support their partner in the home, and they also feel the weight of responsibility bearing down on them.

Researchers Dr James Paulson and Sharnail Bazemore at the Eastern Virginian Medical School looked at 43 different studies involving over 28,000 parents from 16 countries around the world.

The trigger period for most fathers to sink into a depression seems to be around three to six months after the birth where up to 25 percent of new dads experienced the baby blues the researchers found. The study also revealed that if the mother had post natal depression the father was more likely to have it too.

They are calling for better screening and referral of fathers considered to be at risk of post natal depression.

“Depression in one parent should prompt clinical attention to the other” said the researchers.

“Likewise, prevention and intervention efforts for depression in parents might be focused on the couple and family rather than the individual” they said.

Bridget O’Connell, from the mental health charity Mind, told the BBC “becoming a parent is one of the biggest changes that both men and women can go through, yet there is still very little understood about how it impacts on mental health, and how many people will experience a perinatal mental health problem”.

“New parents can be faced with sleep deprivation, changes in lifestyle, changes in their relationship and new responsibilities all at once, and we don’t always remember that this is going to be an issue for men as well as for women” added O’Connell.

However, Ellie Lee, a lecturer in social policy at Kent University, believes that emotions shouldn’t be too medicalised.

“It is, of course, essential to diagnose and treat serious clinical depression. But there is a tendency to overuse medical labels” Lee told the BBC, adding that men haven’t given birth and experienced hormonal fluctuations, their problems are different she said.

“It is no longer good enough to just be the bread-winner. They have to be engaged and involved. They are expected to abstain from alcohol, attend every scan and ‘feel the pain’ of birth” she said, adding “This can be a stressful experience.”

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Dealing With Postpartum Depression? (Baby blues)

April 27, 2010

Postpartum depression, also known as postnatal depression or the baby blues affects some women after they have given birth. The symptoms can include:

  • Feeling low and sad for no apparent reason
  • Feeling tired most of the time
  • Tearfulness
  • Irritability
  • Disturbed sleep
  • Disinterested in caring for the baby
  • Lack of appetite or eating too much
  • Feeling worthless and inadequate
  • Anxiety
  • Lack of libido
  • Withdrawal from social activities
  • Excessive worrying

If severe, the effects can be devastating on mother and baby and indeed the rest of the family, and at a time that is supposed to be joyful.

Having a new baby to care for can be a daunting experience so it is perfectly natural to feel tired and a little anxious. You are suddenly responsible for a new life and along with this there are sleepless nights to deal with, and then your days are taken up caring for the new baby with feeds and nappy changes and routines to settle in to. There’s no doubt about it, having a new baby involves a great deal of adjustment in the home and this is inevitably going to be stressful and tiring.

However, the difference between normal feelings of fatigue and worry, and postpartum depression, is that with postpartum depression the symptoms are more severe and they persist.

What causes Postpartum Depression?

There is no single clear cut reason why some women develop postpartum depression and not others but research has shown that nutritional deficiencies can be involved so it’s important to make sure that your diet is good before, during and after pregnancy.

One nutrient in particular that has been found to play quite an important role during and after pregnancy is Omega 3. The Omega 3 fatty acids Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) are vital during pregnancy and indeed where EPA is concerned each and every one of us need adequate supplies for the whole of our lives whether we are pregnant or not. DHA is needed for healthy growth and development of the brain and eyesight and EPA is needed for efficient functioning of the brain on an ongoing basis.

It stands to reason that if the mother is not getting all the nutrients she needs whilst the baby is taking what little she has, then the mother will find her supplies of nutrients severely depleted.

It’s an interesting point that people suffering from depression, and not just postpartum depression but indeed any mental health problem tend to have lower than normal levels of EPA in their blood.

Self help techniques for postpartum depression

  • If your diet has been less than adequate it may be worth considering an Omega 3 fish oil supplement, speak to your doctor for more advice
  • Get as much rest as you can, try to sleep when baby sleeps
  • Try to avoid any extra stresses, this wouldn’t be a good time to move house for example
  • If you find yourself with a spare moment, indulge. Read a book, watch television, have a relaxing bath, don’t spend these precious moments rushing around trying to do chores and be perfect, that little space can be a life saver
  • Talk to your family and your care professionals about how you are feeling
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Postpartum Depression Risks, Symptoms, And Treatment

December 9, 2008

Postpartum depression is a form of depression that can affect new mothers within the first several months of birth.  It is a form of depression that strikes just as a new baby needs to be taken care of and when bonding between mother and baby begins.

It is not the natural sadness that some mothers feel following the birth of a baby.  This natural sadness is often mixed with feelings of joy and resolves itself within several weeks.  This postpartum disorder is something more.

Risk Factors

Any new mother can experience the postpartum symptoms of depression, but there are certain factors that seem to make this experience more likely to occur.  Previous bouts of depression mean an increased likelihood of depression postpartum.  As stated previously, this does not make the postpartum form of depression a certainty, but it does increase the chances of depression occurring.

Poor support from friends and family may contribute to the likelihood.  A sick baby could introduce an added element of stress that could increase your likelihood of depression postpartum, as could having a very stressful life in general.

Symptoms

Often depression symptoms are thought of as affecting an adult and those surrounding him or her, but in the case of postpartum disorders there can be a profound impact on the child, too.

The general symptoms include feeling sad, empty, and hopeless.  Anxiety may present itself in addition to these.  A loss of interest in life may occur.  Changes in appetite or sleep patterns may manifest.  An inability to concentrate is common as well.  All these symptoms interfere with the mother’s ability to provide care for and bond with the new baby.

Treatment

The most common treatment is counselling services and antidepressant medication, much in the way that other types of depression are treated.  A mother who is considering taking antidepressants will want to discuss the effect that such medication might have on the possibility of breast feeding for the child.

The main thing a mother can do is to get professional help and to maintain her own health.  This means eating well, getting enough sleep, and getting regular exercise.  All can help facilitate recovery.

Postpartum depression strikes at an inopportune time to say the least.  There is no good time to be depressed, but the interference with caring for and parenting the new baby can be hard on both the baby and the mother.  By seeking professional help, this depression can be treated and life, both lives, can go on as planned.

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