New Research Pinpoints Possible Diagnostic Test for Postpartum Depression

The major life changes that pregnancy and parenthood bring can take a substantial toll on one’s physical and mental well-being. Struggling with postpartum depression (PPD) can make the feelings associated with welcoming a new child feel unbearable. PPD affects around 10 to 15 percent of new moms worldwide. The medical, long-term condition presents itself as persistent sadness, severe anxiety, hopelessness and the feeling that they can’t bond with their baby, which can reap negative consequences on the mother and the child for years to come.

This week, though, the University of Virginia School of Medicine in tandem with Weil Cornell Medicine released the results of a promising new study that could lead to a diagnostic blood test. The test could help pinpoint women who are at a higher risk of developing the condition, revolutionizing the way we handle and treat PPD.

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UVA’s Postpartum Depression Research Finds Potential Biological Indicator for the Condition

Right now, there is no definitive, preventative treatment for PPD, but the research by the University of Virginia School of Medicine provides promising reason to believe that could soon change. The ground-breaking research suggests that women may have “characteristic levels of certain molecules in their blood that can warn that they are at risk of developing postpartum depression (PPD),” the press release for the study explained. The molecules at hand are neuroactive steroids which are derived from progesterone.

Throughout their research, the scientists at the UVA School of Medicine found that measuring these molecules through a simple, noninvasive blood test could allow doctors to diagnose and prescribe treatment for postpartum depression sooner, with a possibility of pinpointing the condition before symptoms even begin. While the research is still in its early stages, “Studying postpartum depression gives us a way to identify biological changes that occur before someone becomes depressed because the timing of postpartum depression is predictable,” researcher Jennifer Payne, MD, affirms.