- Can depression affect the baby?
- Symptoms of depression in pregnancy
- How is the treatment
- What can cause
Pregnancy depression is characterized by mood swings, anxiety and sadness, which can result in disinterest in the pregnancy and have consequences for the baby. This situation can happen due to the hormonal variations common to happen during pregnancy or result from the fear of being a mother for the first time, for example. Teenage girls are the most likely to suffer from depression during pregnancy, especially if they have had an anxiety attack or depression before.
The diagnosis of depression in pregnancy is made by the doctor based on the observation of the signs and symptoms presented by the woman. From the moment the diagnosis is made, it is possible to start the treatment that is often done through psychotherapy.
Can depression affect the baby?
Pregnancy depression, when not identified and treated, can have consequences for the baby. This is because depressed mothers have greater hormonal changes, less care with food and health, in addition to interacting little with the baby in formation, which impairs fetal development and increases the chances of premature birth and a baby with low weight.
In addition, women with depression in the last trimester of pregnancy have a greater need for an epidural, delivery with forceps and newborns have a greater need for hospitalization in neonatology.
It was also found, in a study by the Institute of Psychiatry and Neuroscience at a University in London, that babies of women who had depression during pregnancy had higher levels of circulating cortisol, which is the stress-related hormone, and that they were more hyperactive and reactive to sound, light and cold than babies of women who did not experience any psychological changes in pregnancy.
Symptoms of depression in pregnancy
Mood swings during pregnancy are normal, as they result from changes in hormone levels that women experience at this stage. However, if these variations persist for weeks or months, the woman should talk to her obstetrician to assess the situation and see if she may be depressed.
To characterize depression, you must have at least 5 of the following symptoms:
- Sadness most days; Anxiety; Crying crises; Loss of interest in daily activities; Irritability; Agitation or slowness almost every day; Fatigue or loss of energy every day, or most of the time; Sleep disorders such as insomnia or exaggerated sleepiness, practically every day; Excess or lack of appetite, lack of concentration and indecision practically every day; Guilt or devaluation feelings most of the time; Thoughts of death or suicide, with or without attempted suicide.
Often, depression in pregnancy leads to withdrawal from work, as the woman is unable to do daily activities and gets tired easily. Symptoms usually appear in the first or last trimester of pregnancy and in the first month after the baby is born.
How is the treatment
Treatment for depression during pregnancy varies depending on the number of symptoms and the presence or absence of signs of severity. Thus, when a woman has between 5 and 6 symptoms, the recommended treatment is psychotherapy, which improves the quality of life and increases women's self-confidence. Alternative therapies, such as acupuncture, are also indicated to treat depression. Physical activity, healthy eating and family support are other indispensable ways to treat depression in pregnancy.
In the case of women presenting between 7 and 9 symptoms, the use of medications is recommended, however there is no antidepressant medication that is indicated for pregnant women and that is completely safe. Therefore, before starting the medication, the doctor needs to assess the risk and the benefit that can be provided by the medication. In addition, it is not advisable to take natural remedies because they can harm the baby, including St. John's wort, usually used against depression, is contraindicated at this stage.
Despite the obstetrician accompanying every pregnancy, the psychiatrist is not expendable, being the doctor most suitable to accompany the woman also during pregnancy.
What can cause
Situations such as lack of emotional support, comfort, affection, and assistance can trigger depression in women during pregnancy. Other factors that also contribute to the development of depression at this stage of life are:
- The woman has already had depression before becoming pregnant or any other psychiatric disorder such as anxiety attacks, for example; Complicated previous pregnancy, previous case of miscarriage or loss of a child; Not being married, not having financial security, being separated or not have planned the pregnancy.
Stressful problems like fights with a partner, history of separation or divorce, serious health problems, kidnapping, history of fire or catastrophe, death of a close person, assault, sexual abuse, physical aggression are factors that can also trigger depression, but it it can also develop in people who have not been exposed to these situations.
