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Post-natal depression … hormonal in origin
According to an American study, pregnant women who have a high level of corticotropin – a hormone found in the placenta – run a greater risk of suffering from post-natal depression. This is a genuine form of depression that occurs four to six weeks after giving birth. According to the researchers, it has nothing to do with the so-called baby blues that generally occur within three days of the birth and are expressed by minor problems that usually do not last for more than a few days.
A team at the University of California measured the levels of corticotropin in 100 pregnant women and were able to establish a clear link between the presence of high levels of this hormone and the occurrence of major depression. “Our work will have real clinical and theoretical implications”, the author of the report points out. “We can already envisage using this hormone measure to identify the possible risk of post-natal depression”.
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