Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Postpartum Depression Outreach Program touches lives of new mothers

Sleep deprivation, fluctuating hormones, high stress and limited mobility all can tax the emotional and mental health of any new mother.

Mixed together, these ingredients can be a formula for depression despite the excitement of a newborn baby. According to the March of Dimes, postpartum depression is the most common complication among women who have just had a baby. In fact, they estimate that about one out of every eight women has postpartum depression.

To combat this very real problem, Sinai Hospital’s Women’s and Children’s staff, along with support from the Department of Psychiatry, developed the hospital’s Postpartum Depression Outreach Program.

Educating mothers and family members to recognize the symptoms of depression is key, says Lisa B. Kelly, program coordinator. This includes differentiating the “baby blues” (mild and brief symptoms of depression or anxiety that emerge in the first two weeks following delivery but dissipate quickly) from postpartum depression, which can occur anywhere from a few weeks to 12 months after giving birth. Postpartum depression is distinguished by a combination of depressive symptoms that persist and can interfere with a woman’s daily functioning.

To read more, click here. For more information about Sinai Hospital’s Postpartum Depression Outreach Program, call 410-601-WELL (9355).

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