Blood Test Could Determine Risk for Postpartum Depression

One of the many tough things about postpartum depression is that moms don't realize they have it until they bring the baby home. This might change in the near future, though, thanks to findings from scientists at Warwick Medical School that link genetic variants to postpartum depression (PPD).

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Their study looked at 200 pregnant women and measured their depression levels before giving birth and two to eight weeks after delivery. The women who developed PPD were more likely to have two genetic variants that had a biological effect on the moms' stress levels. If scientists could develop a blood test to detect the gene variants, moms could be treated for PPD symptoms earlier.

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