We found this interesting story via the New York Times about two different studies relating to pregnancy and depression:
The first, published online by the journal Pediatrics, finds that a startling percentage of low-income, urban mothers show symptoms of postpartum depression. Researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center screened 198 mothers of children between the ages of 2 weeks and 14 months who brought their children for checkups at the center’s outpatient pediatric clinic. More than half of those mothers — 56 percent — met the clinical criteria for a diagnosis of some degree of depression.
Postpartum depression is thought to affect 14 percent of new mothers in the United States, and while it is known to be higher in low-income populations, these numbers surprised researchers.
The second study cited in the article looked at acupuncture as a treatment for depression with pregant women:
Researchers at Stanford University tested alternative treatments and antidepressants for pregnant women and found that acupuncture specifically designed to treat depression is a potential substitute. Sixty-three percent of women who received that treatment responded well, compared with only 44 percent who received massage therapy or acupuncture that was not specifically designed for depression.
Link to the original New York Times Article:
