Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

October 15, 2008 10:25:12 PM CDT

Learn about Newser Points »

« Back to the grid | Next story »

Depression Causes Preemies

Posted Apr 4, 07 8:40 AM CDT in World,  Science & Health 

(Newser) – Most new mothers with post-partum depression are ill long before their babies are born, the first study of clinical depression during pregnancy has found. The research, conducted at the Institute of Psychiatry in London, shows that depression, triggered by a natural increase in stress hormones during pregnancy, is a "hidden" cause of infant mortality, the FT reports.

Thousands of infants could be saved each year by treating pregnant women with antidepressants, the researchers say, but  the stigma of using drugs during pregnancy makes doctors reluctant to prescribe them. “It is thought wrongly that, if the woman can struggle through the pregnancy without medication, this will be good for the baby,” said one of the authors, Veronica O’Keane.

Source Financial Times (UK)

0 comments | Print E-mail | Digg Seed this on Newsvine Add this link to Del.icio.us StumbleUpon

Related Newser Stories

  • Bacteria Battle Depression

    Apr 6, 07 8:55 AM CDT
    Bacteria Battle Depression Clinical depression may be treatable with bacteria, doctors at Bristol University posit. They got the idea when they observed lung cancer patients inoculated with harmless Mycobacterium vaccae who showed reduced symptoms and improved mental health. The brain produces serotonin as an immune response, the docs hypothesized, raising the low serotonin levels associated with depression and resulting in a sunnier outlook. More »

  • Docs Too Quick to Cry Depression

    Apr 3, 07 6:58 AM CDT
    Shrinks are too quick to term patients clinically depressed, says a new study reported in the Washington Post. Researchers argue that a quarter of "acute grief reactions," the standard symptom of depression, may in fact constitute normal responses to stress; they blame the bloated psychopharmaceutical industry, in part, for the inaccurate triage. More »

Premature babies ward. Treatments given to a new-born in an incubator. Service des prtur Soins donnn nouveau-nn couveuse. (PAR158788)   (Magnum Photos)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

Threads (
1
 of 2)

Tags

health  • children  • medicine  • pregnancy  • depression  • baby  • stress  • antidepressant  • psychiatry  • infant mortality  • prescription  • post partum depression


Loading...

Premium Articles from HighBeam

Find more articles like this

Today's Most Popular

Loading...

Other Home Stories

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Newser gives you more news in less time. We search for the best and most important stories all over the web, read them for you, and deliver concise and sharp summaries—along with links to the full text. Newser provides a way to stay on top of an ever-expanding horizon of news and opinion—politics, sports, business, trends, technology, personalities, crimes, and controversies. Newser keeps you not just better informed, but, with our signature graphic interface and smart condensed format, more enjoyably informed.

Learn more »