Brooke Shields suffered from PPD in Sept 2003 and brought this disorder to the fore

• Ability to define perinatal depression
• Ability to differentiate between postpartum and perinatal depression
• Causes of depression
• Symptoms of depression
• Ability to differentiate between baby blues and depression
• Knowledge of the percentages of pregnancies that are affected by perinatal depression

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What is perinatal depression?
It is depression that occurs either during pregnancy or within a year after pregnancy.
(U.S. Dept of health and Human Services Government Guide - Dictionary)

"PPD is characterized by profound and persistent feelings of sadness, irritability and anxiety. Patients show unexplained abnormalities in brain chemistry."  ("Brooke Shields: The Truth about New Moms And Depression"  USA Weekend Sept 16-18 2005    http://usaweekend.com/ by Jennifer Mendelsohn, page 18)

How does postpartum (or peripartum) depression differ from perinatal depression?
Postpartum depression that occurs after pregnancy but not during pregnancy
(U.S. Dept of health and Human Services Government Guide - Dictionary)

What causes this depression?
There are numerous known causes from hormone and chemical chemical, stress, lack of sleep or disrupted sleep, life circumstances, anxiety, financial or marital problems, age, drug use,  personal or family history of depression, feeling alone or overwhelmed....

What are common symptoms of depression?
Sleeping too much or too little; eating too much or too little; being over or under active; watching too much television; withdrawing from previous activities, places, or people one used to love; varied physical illnesses like headaches or heart palpitations.

What is the difference between baby blues and depression?
With baby blues "Symptoms are not severe and treatment isn’t needed" (governmentguide.com 4/6/06)

Approximately what percentage of pregnancies result in PPD?
Figures vary from 10 to 20%.
Approximately 10% of pregnancies result in postpartum depression. This can occur with days or even months later
Source Postpartum Depression Fact Sheet: NWHIC  retrieved from Curteresearch.com

The North Carolina State Department for Health statistics reports 10 to 15% suffer from PPD.

Postpartum.net  reports, " Approximately 15-20 percent of pregnant women experience depression. Of these, about 15 percent are so severely depressed that they attempt suicide." (Beyond The Blues—A Guide to Understanding and Treating Prenatal and Postpartum by by Shoshana S. Bennett, Ph.D. and Pec Indman, Ed.D., MFT Moodswings Press, 2003  Postpartum.net )

What percentage of women get treatment?
Less than 20 because women feel too ashamed or guilty to admit they are unwell. (Mendelsohn page 18)

Which President's wife wanted her PPD hidden from the public
Jacqueline Kennedy suffered PPD after the birth of John Kennedy, Jr. in 1960.

PPD Links:
    postpartum.net
    ppdhope.com.