Could Brooke Shields Have Avoided Postpartum Depression?

Hormone levels may predict who's at risk of developing depression after pregnancy.

By Rebecca Reyes, MD

Doctors may soon have a new weapon in the fight against postpartum depression, a condition affecting as many as one in ten new moms. According to a new study published in this month's Archives of General Psychiatry, women with increased levels of placental corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) are most at risk for developing depression after birth. This new screening may be able to reduce the impact of postpartum depression by identifying women in need of extra treatment and support.

If this screening had been available back in 2002, Brooke Shields might have been able to avoid her personal - and very public - battle with postpartum depression. Brooke shared her struggle in a book called Down Came the Rain, which chronicled her battle with this common, yet debilitating disorder. Her account depicts the challenges and frustrations endured by many women who spend their pregnancies awaiting their new arrival only to be plagued with grief once the baby appears.

While many new moms experience some sadness after giving birth, postpartum depression is more than just a simple case of "baby blues". Women suffering from the disorder may experience symptoms such as crying jags, sleep disturbance, thoughts of suicide and self harm, decreased energy, lack of interest in caring for the new baby, and feelings of guilt.

Sometimes, new moms may experience psychosis, characterized by hallucinations, delusions and obsessive thoughts about the baby. In extreme cases, women may act upon obsessional delusions and harm their babies. Because it is difficult to predict when depression will lead to psychosis, all cases of postpartum depression should be taken seriously. Unfortunately, many of these cases go untreated. Often, women with postpartum depression have feelings of embarrassment and inadequacy, which leads to isolation from family and friends and results in deepening depression.

Combining screening placental CRH levels with careful history taking may result in not only greater ability to identify women at risk, but may also help facilitate communication between doctors and patients who are suffering. Once recognized, at-risk women can take steps before the baby is born to minimize the possibility of developing serious depression upon its birth. Adding counseling, stress-reducing exercise, meditation, patient and family education, and medication where indicated may improve the chances of avoiding serious depression once the baby arrives.

Being able to predict, with greater certainty, which women are at risk may ultimately lead to prevention of the disorder. Measuring placental CRH appears to be one important step towards preventing the kind of emotional trauma suffered by moms like Brooke Shields.

Related Links:

Video: Postpartum Depression - Pregnancy Health Guru

Postpartum Depression -Mayo Clinic

Brooke Shields on Postpartum Depression - PsychCentral

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