Moms’ mental health needs attention during and after pregnancy

Media Inquiries - news [a] uwhealth (p) org - Related Information - Community and Public Health Department of Population Health Sciences - Stay Connected - Madison, Wisconsin - Poor mental health before and during pregnancy are "giant red flags" predicting which new mothers are more likely to suffer postpartum mood disorders, a new nationwide survey reveals. While between 10 and 20 percent of new mothers suffer mood disorders within the first year after giving birth, it wasn't obvious which mothers were most at risk. But scientists at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health found a pattern that predicts which new moms are likely to have trouble: Those who had mental health problems before pregnancy were nearly two times more likely to have postpartum problems and those who suffer during pregnancy are over 11 times more likely to suffer mood disorders after their babies are born, after adjusting for other factors. Notably, over 50 percent of women with poor postpartum mental health reported having some history of poor mental health. "This finding is striking because we've identified a giant red flag for postpartum mental health problems," says Dr. Whitney Witt , the study's lead author and assistant professor in the Department of Population Health Sciences. "If providers look at this as a warning sign, they may be able to do more to help these women before their mental health problems progress." - Postpartum depression in mothers can affect children, as well, leading to impaired attachment, behavior problems, social and cognitive limitations and low self-esteem in children.