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Postpartum Depression: Symptoms
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The onset of postpartum depression frequently begins within 4 weeks after delivery but can occur several months later. Symptoms must be present for at least 2 weeks and must affect the mother's ability to function in order to be so diagnosed. Postpartum depression occurs in 10 to 15 percent of all deliveries and in 26 to 32 percent of adolescent deliveries. The majority of patients still suffer from symptoms 6 months after onset and when untreated up to 25 percent of patients are depressed one year later.
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Postpartum depression... known as PPD, is very real, and affects as many as one in ten women. But what many women don't know is that postpartum thyroid disease is equally as common, and may actually the underlying cause of the PPD in some women. Find out more about the signs symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of postpartum thyroid problems.
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Postpartum depression presents along a continuum, and the type of treatment selected is based on the severity and type of symptoms present. However, before initiating psychiatric treatment, medical causes for mood disturbance (e.g., thyroid dysfunction, anemia) must be excluded. Initial evaluation should include a thorough history, physical examination, and routine laboratory tests.
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Women who suffer from "the blues" for longer than two weeks are at greatly increased risk for postpartum depression (PPD). Estimates are that this disorder affects anywhere from 8% to 15% of all new moms, yet in one 1999 study, only about 3% were correctly diagnosed. PPD can begin anytime within months of delivery. Characteristic symptoms include: crying jags, sadness, emotional lability, guilt, loss of appetite or anorexia, profound sleep disturbances, poor concentration and memory (most likely a consequence of the sleep disturbances), irritability, and feelings of inadequacy to care for the newborn or other children.
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There are times when the symptoms of postpartum blues can progress to postpartum depression. Postpartum depression can occur within the first month after delivery, but may ... occur up to one year after delivery. Unlike postpartum blues, it lasts longer than two weeks. At any given point in time, it can occur in 15 percent of new mothers, with a lifetime risk as high as 10-25 percent. It can be higher in some populations, but may go undetected due to underreporting.
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References to postpartum depression date back as far as the 4th century BC. Despite this early awareness, it has not always been recognized as an illness. As a result, postpartum depression continues to be under-diagnosed. It is an illness that can be effectively treated. The sooner the condition is diagnosed, the more effective the treatment. It is important to recognize and acknowledge the symptoms of postpartum depression in yourself or another as soon as possible.
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