Researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine are studying the biology behind mental health risks in pregnancy to find better ways to help pregnant women and new moms.
Right now, only about 3% of women with postpartum depression are successfully treated. This number rises to about 5% for those who get depressed during pregnancy.
Dr. Lauren Osborne points out that many pregnancy-related depressions are not detected or treated well, so she started a program to include mental health care in pregnancy check-ups.
Untreated anxiety and depression during pregnancy can harm both the mother and the baby. It's important to find better ways to predict and help those at risk.
While we know that some social and psychological factors increase the risk of mental health issues in pregnancy, scientists are still learning about the biological causes.
Dr. Jonathan Power is looking at changes in the immune system and hormones in pregnant women to understand why some develop mood and anxiety disorders.
Osborne’s research shows that changes in certain immune cell activities might be linked to postpartum depression, which could help create a blood test to predict who is at risk.
New drugs like brexanolone and zuranolone, which target hormone changes during pregnancy, offer new hope for better treatments for postpartum depression.
Power’s studies track hormone levels, mood, and brain activity in women before, during, and after pregnancy to find clues about who might develop mood disorders.
By understanding the biology behind pregnancy-related mental health issues, researchers hope to create better treatments and prevention methods to help mothers and their babies stay healthy.