Monthly Archives: December 2008

On experiencing Postnatal Depression with a second child

British novelist Sarah May has a new novel coming out: The Rise and Fall of the Domestic Diva. She also recently opened up about experiencing Postnatal Depression after the birth of her second child. Sarah didn’t experience PND after the birth of her first son, even though she had additional risk factors of being young, still in college, and not having planned the pregnancy. The second pregnancy was planned, her older son was 11 and in school. Yet she found herself in the throes of PND. You can read more about her experience here.

Electronic Guide on Depression & Pregnancy

The Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Library has released a new edition of its resource “Depression During and After Pregnancy:  Knowledge Path.”  This electronic guide includes recent resources about the prevalence and incidence of perinatal depression, identification and treatment, impact on the health and well-being of a new mother and her infant, and implications for service delivery.  The knowledge path, produced by the MCH Library, contains information on Web sites, publications, and databases.  Separate sections present resources for professionals (health professionals, policymakers, program administrators, and researchers) and for women experiencing perinatal depression and their families.  The knowledge path is available at http://mchlibrary.info/KnowledgePaths/kp_postpartum.html.

New Research on Infertility

As you may or may not know, Infertility difficulty can be a risk factor for developing Postpartum or Antepartum Mood Disorders.

A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) examines the issue of infertility in the US.  The publication, titled, “A Public Health Focus on Infertility Prevention, Detection and Management” presents information on the efforts of a CDC-wide working group that found that, “considerable gaps and opportunities exist in surveillance, research, communication and policy development” on infertility.  Researchers from the CDC intend to consult with other federal agencies, professional and consumer organizations, the scientific community, the health care community, industry, and other stakeholders, and participate in the development of a national public health plan for the prevention, detection, and management of infertility.  For more information, go here.