Postpartum depression and stigmatisation.

Perinatal depression occurs during pregnancy or within the first year of life. It has a negative effect on the quality of life of parents and the relationship with the child. In Denmark perinatal depression affects up to 12% of mothers and 8% of fathers. There is stigmatisation in relation to recognition and referral for symptoms of perinatal depression which may in part be due to insufficient knowledge among professionals. This review presents the main barriers to help-seeking for perinatal depression and the status regarding early detection and possibilities for the reduction of stigmatisation.

Anorexia nervosa in pregnancy and the post-partum period.

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a mental disorder with the greatest incidence amongst women of the childbearing age. The prevalence of AN in pregnancy is marginal, yet the risk of exacerbation or reactivation is significant. Adverse perinatal complications of mental and physical nature pertain to both mother and child and through early diagnosis and monitoring during the perinatal period manageable. This preview describes the importance of enabling optimal perinatal care through a multidisciplinary management team.

The role of central serotonergic markers and estradiol changes in perinatal mental health.

OBJECTIVE: Women have an increased risk for mental distress and depressive symptoms in relation to pregnancy and birth. The serotonin transporter (SERT) may be involved in the emergence of depressive symptoms postpartum and during other sex-hormone transitions. It may be associated with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of the main serotonin metabolite 5-hydroxyindolacetic acid (5-HIAA). In 100 healthy pregnant women, who were scheduled to deliver by cesarean section (C-section), we evaluated 5-HIAA and estradiol contributions to mental distress 5 weeks postpartum. METHODS: Eighty-two women completed the study. CSF collected at C-section was analyzed for 5-HIAA, with high performance liquid chromatography. Serum estradiol concentrations were quantified by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry before C-section and postpartum. Postpartum mental distress was evaluated with the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). Associations between EPDS, 5-HIAA, and Δestradiol were evaluated in linear regression models adjusted for age, parity and SERT genotype. RESULTS: Higher levels of postpartum mental distress symptoms were negatively associated with a large decrease in estradiol concentrations (ßΔE2  = 0.73, p = 0.007) and, on a trend level, positively associated with high antepartum 5-HIAA levels (ß5-HIAA  = 0.002, p = 0.06). CONCLUSION: In a cohort of healthy pregnant women, postpartum mental distress was higher in women with high antepartum 5-HIAA (trend) and lower in women with a large perinatal estradiol decrease. We speculate that high antepartum 5-HIAA is a proxy of SERT levels, that carry over to the postpartum period and convey susceptibility to mental distress. In healthy women, the postpartum return to lower estradiol concentrations may promote mental well-being.

Short-term oestrogen as a strategy to prevent postpartum depression in high-risk women: protocol for the double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled MAMA clinical trial.

INTRODUCTION: Postpartum depression affects 10%-15% of women and has a recurrence rate of 40% in subsequent pregnancies. Women who develop postpartum depression are suspected to be more sensitive to the rapid and large fluctuations in sex steroid hormones, particularly estradiol, during pregnancy and postpartum. This trial aims to evaluate the preventive effect of 3 weeks transdermal estradiol treatment immediately postpartum on depressive episodes in women at high risk for developing postpartum depression. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The Maternal Mental Health Trial is a double-blind, randomised and placebo-controlled clinical trial. The trial involves three departments of obstetrics organised under Copenhagen University Hospital in Denmark. Women who are singleton pregnant with a history of perinatal depression are eligible to participate. Participants will be randomised to receive either transdermal estradiol patches (200 µg/day) or placebo patches for 3 weeks immediately postpartum. The primary outcome is clinical depression, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-V criteria of Major Depressive Disorder with onset at any time between 0 and 6 months postpartum. Secondary outcomes include, but are not limited to, symptoms of depression postpartum, exclusive breastfeeding, cortisol dynamics, maternal distress sensitivity and cognitive function. The primary statistical analysis will be performed based on the intention-to-treat principle. With the inclusion of 220 participants and a 20% expected dropout rate, we anticipate 80% power to detect a 50% reduction in postpartum depressive episodes while controlling the type 1 error at 5%. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The study protocol is approved by the Regional Committees on Health Research Ethics in the Capital Region of Denmark, the Danish Medicines Agency and the Centre for Data Protection Compliance in the Capital Region of Denmark. We will present results at scientific meetings and in peer-reviewed journals and in other formats to engage policymakers and the public. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT04685148.

[Mirror syndrome is a rare complication in pregnancy, characterized by oedema and hydrops fetalis].

We describe a case of mirror syndrome. A 41-year-old woman, para 4, was referred to hospital at 32 weeks of gestational age with excessive oedema. She developed oliguria, mild hypertension and proteinuria. Fetal ultrasound confirmed severe hydrops fetalis. Intrauterine pleural drainage was performed without improvement of the condition. Since maternal symptoms worsened, a caesarean section was performed at 34 weeks with delivery of a live hydropic girl who died after 17 hours. Maternal symptoms decreased four days after delivery with full recovery two weeks post-partum.