Postpartum depression (PPD) is a serious condition affecting 10 to 20 percent of new moms. Exact causes aren't known, but it's likely that extreme physical and emotional changes following childbirth may play a role. Doctors have known for some time that severe, long-lasting depression can be harmful to mothers. Now, a new study suggests that postpartum depression may even predispose future generations to suffer PPD, too.
Eurekalert reports on the work of researchers at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. The group wanted to simulate stress-induced postpartum depression in an animal model and look at the long-term effects, so they studied female rats that had just given birth to pups.
Each day for 15 days, researchers put an unfamiliar male rat in the cage with some of the new mothers. The mommy rats responded to the stress of male intruders by developing symptoms often seen in PPD: depressed maternal care, loss of appetite, reduced lactation, and anxiety. Not much surprise there. Most mothers would probably feel stressed and threatened in the presence of an unwelcome stranger.
The real surprise came when the researchers studied the pups. Those little ones were exposed to the conflict between their mother and the male intruder, and they often experienced inferior care because of their mothers' stress. Researchers found that once the female pups matured and mated, they experienced the same kind of PPD symptoms their mothers had shown. Even with no additional stress, the second-generation mothers showed less maternal care, impaired lactation, and anxiety. Their stress hormones were increased and their "maternal hormones" (oxytocin and prolactin) were decreased.
Now, this study was done in rats, so more research is needed to confirm the findings in humans. Yet, the idea is intriguing, and sobering: Can PPD affect not only how a mother parents her children, but also how those children parent their children years down the road?
Dr. Benjamin Nephew, lead author on this study, is hopeful about the implications of the research. "The endocrine and behavioral data are consistent with what has been reported in studies of depressed human mothers. The potential with this animal model is that it can be used to study new preventive measures and treatments for postpartum depression and anxiety, and the adverse effects of these disorders on offspring," Dr. Nephew said.
I had postpartum depression after my first baby. It had been a somewhat traumatic birth, and soon afterward I suddenly found that I couldn't cope with the rigors of motherhood. I struggled to take care of myself and my baby (never mind all the housework!), and daily fought feelings of worthlessness and despair. Those were some dark days.
Luckily, my husband recognized these troubling symptoms in me before they got out of hand. My doctor worked with me on treatments and we vanquished the depression — hopefully before I did permanent damage to my little guy. I know I was certainly a lot happier in my new motherhood experience once the smothering fog of depression lifted.
It's great to see research like this. Perhaps one day we'll understand PPD well enough that no mother will have to suffer through months of darkness during what could be one of the happiest times of her life.
Have you experienced postpartum depression? How did you recognize and treat it? Share your story below!
Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons
3 More Things to Read: