When Depression Complicates Childbearing: Guidelines for Screening and Treatment During Antenatal and Postpartum Obstetric Care
Prevalence studies show that 1 in 5 women experience an episode of major depressive disorder during their lifetime. The peripartum period is a prime time for symptom exacerbation and relapse of depressive episodes. Health care providers, specifically those in obstetric care, should be aware of: (1) the frequency of depression in pregnant and postpartum women; (2) signs, symptoms, and appropriate screening methods; and (3) the health risks for the mother and growing fetus if depression is undetected or untreated. Because management of depressed peripartum women also includes care of a growing fetus or breastfeeding infant, treatment may be complex and requires input from a multidisciplinary team, including an obstetrician, psychiatrist, and pediatrician, to provide optimal care.
aDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Rachel Upjohn Building, 4250 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
bDepartment of Psychiatry, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Rachel Upjohn Building, 4250 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
cMedical School, University of Michigan, 1301 Catherine Street, 5124 MS I, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
Corresponding author.
This is an updated version of the article “Depression in childbearing women: when depression complicates pregnancy,” which appeared in Primary Care: Clinics in Office Practice (Volume 36, Issue 1, March 2009).
ABSTRACT