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.
Muzik
Maria
M
Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Rachel Upjohn Building, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA. muzik@med.umich.edu
Marcus
Sheila M
SM
Heringhausen
Julie E
JE
Flynn
Heather
H
D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D019052:Depression, Postpartum / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening; D011181:Postnatal Care; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D011295:Prenatal Care; D014481:United States