predicting post natal depression

[squirrel]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...others-be.html

[Sheila]

OMG, this is disgusting. Faulty genes now?! Or, yeah, ADs, that’s a great idea.

There’s a lot of research suggesting that mother’s Omega-3 blood level predicts PND. Pregnancy uses a lot of Omega-3. It's simple to do something about that.

[squirrel]

So the chemical imbalance theory is ????????????????

[hermi]

I was wondering about the 'treatment' part. I can't see Dr's starting A/D's on a whim during pregnancy...maybe I'm wrong I don't know.
I would like to know what sort of 'help' families will get if this so called test 'predicts' PND.
I would think that community midwives and health visitors will be taught to look for signs of PND in woman that have been identified as 'at risk' if indeed this blood test can identify those women.
When I had PND even when they suspected puerperal psychosis the health visitors were not quick in suggesting medication to me. However, neither were they quick in offering other forms of support - this is where things need to change.
Saying that the so called mental health midwife who saw me in the hours after having my 2nd son were very quick in getting the Dr to prescribe A/D's based on my sudden symptoms and past history of PND.

I also like (sarcasm) how they call it the baby blues. PND is NOT the baby blues...the baby blues I would have been happy to suffer in place of what I did suffer. This also send the wrong message that women who go through the normal hormonal ups and downs after giving birth are suffering more than is 'normal'. It also undermines the severity of PND by calling it the wrong name.

Also, how does his test predict difficult births, lack of support at home, abusive relationships, illness of baby/mother post birth all of which could equally lead to PND?

[Luc]

"The test, a world first, could be in widespread use within five years". Looks like they are in full swing with it - pre-conditioning the populace to treat the whole idea as a norm soon. Their PR agencies are working on the last details as we speak.

[hermi]

They are preying on vulnerable people and it's wrong. There will be lots of women scared into thinking they will have PND before they have even given birth who will be making decisions about what type of support/treatment they want before they even know if PND is going to affect them.
The problem then being that as soon as they hit the baby blues they go running to there G.P. saying that they feel a bit down, tearful, and hormonal and oh by the way my PND 'test' told me I was at risk so it must be PND! So the G.P. says "here you go have some A/D's" or hopefully if G.P.s have any brain they will say "lets see if it settles down in a week or 2 and lets get the health visitors to come out and support you a bit more whilst you are feeling poorly" I wonder who gets the £10 for the test...must be the local primary care trusts??

The drug companies are laughing...they can already feel there wallets bulging. 'Preventative' management...

[Iggy131313]

I had antinatal depression, I was severely depressed during pregnancy, then it all went away when I had the baby, its the only time in my life I have felt what was definitly clinical depression, it was awful, nothing compared to this of course but horrible at the time...

i think this shows that I am extremely sensitive to hormonal changes, which could be why I am having such a difficult withdrawal.