Postpartum depression affects up to 20% of young mothers during the first 12 months after childbirth. Symptoms of this depressive disorder may include sadness, anhedonia, feelings of depression, guilt, mood instability, irritability, sleep and appetite disturbances.
Pre- and postpartum depression can have negative consequences for both the mother and the baby, and therefore diagnosis and appropriate treatment should be a top priority for the health system.
Read the article on estet-portal.com what causes do scientists identify among the provoking factors of development postpartum depression and modern approaches to the prevention of this condition.
Study of vitamin D levels in women with postpartum depression
Recent studies suggest that low levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D are a possible cause of depressive symptoms, which are more pronounced in women than men.
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American scientists have conducted an analysis of studies, the purpose of which is − to evaluate the impact of 25-hydroxyvitamin D deficiency during pregnancy on the incidence of symptoms of postpartum depression.
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Three studies were conducted in the USA, one − in Turkey and one − in Iran. Four of the five studies used the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) to assess depressive symptoms, as well as the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) . Representatives of the International Endocrine Society (The Endocrine Society) determine the deficiency of 25-hydroxyvitamin D with indicators.
Frequency of postpartum depression due to vitamin D deficiency
179 healthy pregnant women participated in the study in Turkey. They measured the level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in the blood between the 24th and 28th week of pregnancy and 6 months after birth. In 11% of pregnant women, the level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D was
Assessed by EPDS at 1, 6 weeks and 6 months postpartum. Depression (EPDS>12) ranged from 21.6% to 23.7% of postpartum women.
Participants with low levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D at 24-28 weeks of gestation had a higher risk of developing postpartum depression.
Scientists from Iran conducted a randomized study. Participants had their serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels measured at 26-28 weeks of gestation and during the first 24 hours postpartum. EPDS was determined 4 times: at 26-28 weeks and 38-40 weeks of pregnancy, 4 and 8 weeks after birth.
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Women who were deficient in 25-hydroxyvitamin D in the second and third trimester of pregnancy were given vitamin D3 2000 IU. Their serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels increased and their EPDS decreased by the end of pregnancy and 2 months postpartum, which prevented the development of postpartum depression.
American scientists conducted a study in which 126 pregnant women participated. The determination of EPDS was carried out at 14 and 32 weeks of pregnancy and 10 weeks after delivery, the level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in the blood − at 14 and 32 weeks of pregnancy and 6 weeks after delivery. The authors found a significant inverse relationship between EPDS >10 and low blood levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D both at 14 and 32 weeks of gestation and postpartum.
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Note that the authors also found lower concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in women who had an emergency caesarean section and in women with postpartum hemorrhage, who had a corresponding increased risk of developing postpartum depression.
Prevention of postpartum depression
High levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in the blood protected women from postpartum depression. Three of the five studies measured serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in the first or second trimester and found an association of 25-hydroxyvitamin D deficiency with postpartum depressive symptoms. The Endocrine Society recommends routine vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy and lactation, as requirements are higher during this period due to the needs of the developing fetus.
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Reference values for vitamin D concentrations during pregnancy should be reviewed in the future. In a recent review of the Cochrane Database, scientists recommended against screening for 25-hydroxyvitamin D, raising concerns about the possible adverse effects of hypervitaminosis.
In this regard, vitamin D should be the subject of further research during pregnancy and the postpartum period, as it plays an important role in both the physical and mental health of women. Vitamin D supplementation is relatively safe and cost effective during pregnancy and may be important in the prevention of postpartum depression.
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