Depressed Pregnant Women May Deliver Babies With Birth Defects
Congenital anomalies may be one of those that a parent would pray not to happen to his/her child This could be painful especially to the mother who carried the child in her womb for 9 months so. This could cause some women to experience post-partum depression. It is for a fact that women are more likely to be diagnosed with depression and unfortunate events such as birth defects would not be helpful. Women who are depressed prior to pregnancy are more at risk and these birth defects may happen to their babies due to the antidepressants that they should take.
Being Depressed and Pregnant
Pregnancy is believed to be a time of joy for women but this doesnt hold true to some. One out of every 10 women suffers from depression. With quite a number of factors to consider, the pregnant woman is at a very fragile stage of her life. One might wonder about the factors that may predispose a woman to depression. The risk factors below can contribute to depression.
* History of Depression
A womans underlying condition may be exacerbated with pregnancy. Others with minor symptoms of depression may feel that condition has worsened during and after pregnancy.
* Hormonal Changes
Pregnant women were believed to be protected by pregnancy hormones in the past. Experts only suggested that women are susceptible to depression only after giving birth where pregnancy hormones are at low levels. However, it has been observed that the when the hormones are increased during pregnancy, it tends to cause an imbalance in the brain which can lead to depression.
* Stress
Stress is positive in small doses as it can increase ones focus and awareness. However, stress in excess is unhealthy. Pregnancy is deemed to be a risky condition and the addition of stress in the life of a pregnant woman can make her situation more risky than ever. It has also been proven that stress is a factor in mental disorders including depression.
Depression is generally treated with antidepressant medications but physicians are being careful in prescribing these medications as birth defects have been connected with them. The development of birth defects and connection between SSRI use during pregnancy have been shown in recent studies. Zoloft birth defects can be cited as examples as Zoloft belongs to the SSRI drug class.
Being Depressed and Pregnant
Pregnancy is believed to be a time of joy for women but this doesnt hold true to some. One out of every 10 women suffers from depression. With quite a number of factors to consider, the pregnant woman is at a very fragile stage of her life. One might wonder about the factors that may predispose a woman to depression. The risk factors below can contribute to depression.
* History of Depression
A womans underlying condition may be exacerbated with pregnancy. Others with minor symptoms of depression may feel that condition has worsened during and after pregnancy.
* Hormonal Changes
Pregnant women were believed to be protected by pregnancy hormones in the past. Experts only suggested that women are susceptible to depression only after giving birth where pregnancy hormones are at low levels. However, it has been observed that the when the hormones are increased during pregnancy, it tends to cause an imbalance in the brain which can lead to depression.
* Stress
Stress is positive in small doses as it can increase ones focus and awareness. However, stress in excess is unhealthy. Pregnancy is deemed to be a risky condition and the addition of stress in the life of a pregnant woman can make her situation more risky than ever. It has also been proven that stress is a factor in mental disorders including depression.
Depression is generally treated with antidepressant medications but physicians are being careful in prescribing these medications as birth defects have been connected with them. The development of birth defects and connection between SSRI use during pregnancy have been shown in recent studies. Zoloft birth defects can be cited as examples as Zoloft belongs to the SSRI drug class.
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