Blood test detects postpartum depression

• April 24, 2024

Postpartum depression is a psychological disorder that occurs after delivery and alters not only the state of mind of the mother, but the way in which she perceives and responds to the events of her environment.

However, how do you know that you are prone to develop it? Through a blood test, researchers from the John Hopkins University, in the United States , indicate that it is possible to predict if a woman will suffer from this disorder, in any trimester of pregnancy.

With 85% accuracy, this test tracks the chemical alteration of two genes, which are indicative of possible depression.

Published in the magazine Molecular Psychiatry, The study included the participation of 52 pregnant women, in which the changes that occurred in their blood throughout this period and after delivery were observed.

Scientists believe that the symptoms are linked to the substantial drop in estrogen levels in the mother after birth, but studies have shown that both depressed and non-depressed women have similar levels of estrogen.

Although the causes of this psychological problem are still unknown, what is a reality is that in Mexico 20% of the women who give birth suffer from postpartum depression, this according to figures from the Mexican Social Security Institute.

This blood test can offer expectant mothers the most timely medical attention and avoid tragedies.

Video Medicine: How to Detect Feigned Anxiety & Depression (April 2024).