Bay Biosciences provides high-quality, fresh frozen, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC’s), with matched fresh frozen sera (serum), plasma, bio-fluids from patients diagnosed with perinatal depression (postpartum depression) patients.
The sera (serum), plasma and PBMC bio-fluid specimens are processed from perinatal depression (postpartum depression) patient’s peripheral whole-blood using customized collection and processing protocols.
Postpartum Depression Overview
Postpartum depression can occur after giving birth. It involves a persistent low mood as well as other depression symptoms.
Having postpartum depression does not mean that a person does not love their baby. It is a mental health condition, and treatment can resolve it. Anyone with symptoms should see a doctor immediately.
Postpartum depression affects 1 in 9 new mothers, the Office on Women’s Health report.
Symptoms may arise within 1 month or 1 year of delivery. They include a persistently low mood that lasts for at least 2 weeks.
Also, according to an older study, 10% of new fathers experience similar depression, the highest rates of which occur 3–6 months after childbirth.
Postpartum depression is different from the “baby blues” that many new parents experience.
Signs and Symptoms of Postpartum Depression
Postpartum depression can affect people differently, following are some some common signs and symptoms:
- A low or sad mood
- Anxiety and irritability
- Fatigue and lethargy
- Feeling guilty, worthless, hopeless, or helpless
- Pain, such as a headache or stomachache
- A lack of appetite
- Difficulty thinking or focusing
- Low motivation and a lack of interest in activities
- Difficulty bonding with the baby
- Feeling unable to care for the baby
- Frequent or long bouts of crying
- Feeling unable to make decisions
- Having no interest in the baby or feeling as if they are another person’s responsibility
- Withdrawing from friends and family
Some patients experience postpartum psychosis , a severe mental health problem that needs immediate medical attention. Symptoms include hallucinations, delusions, mania, paranoia, and confusion.
Others experience baby blues. This is different from postpartum depression. It affects many new parents and usually disappears after 3–5 days.
A healthcare provider can help a person understand the cause of a low mood after childbirth, and they can provide effective treatments and self-care strategies, if necessary.
Postpartum depression can cause people to think about harming their child or themselves, including thoughts of suicide. If anyone has these thoughts, they or someone else should seek immediate help.
Causes of Postpartum Depression
Doctors do not know exactly what causes postpartum depression, but it can affect anyone. Genetic factors may play a role, and environmental factors may also contribute.
The following may increase the risk of developing postpartum depression:
- Added stress at work or at home
- Experiencing preterm birth
- Past trauma
- Having a baby with a low birth weight
- A previous diagnosis or family history of depression or bipolar disorder
- The physical and emotional stress of delivery and childcare
- Added stress at work or at home
- Feeling the need to be a perfect parent but feeling unable to achieve this
- Having breastfeeding difficulties
- Feeling unattractive
- Having a substance use disorder
- Feeling overwhelmed
- Having a baby with special needs
- Hormonal fluctuations
- Having had an unwanted pregnancy
- Being younger than 20
- Having a lack of support from family and friends
- Difficulty sleeping
- Having had complications during delivery
- Not having any free time
- The need for the infant to spend time in the hospital
Causes in Transgender Patients
Some transgender men and other gender-nonconforming people face additional stress during and after pregnancy. This may lead to a higher risk of postpartum depression.
One study lists factors contributing to the added stress, including:
- A lack of understanding and provision from healthcare providers
- Hormonal factors
- Isolation and low access to social support
- Other forms of transphobia
- Violence
Stillbirth and Pregnancy Loss
In the United States, around 1 in 160 pregnancies end in stillbirth, after 20 weeks of pregnancy. This may increase the risk of postpartum depression.
Experts report that 14.8% of people who experience pregnancy loss have postpartum depression, compared with 8.3% of those with regular deliveries.
Diagnosis of Postpartum Depression
If symptoms of depression last 2 weeks or longer within 1 year of giving birth, a person should receive medical attention.
This is also crucial for anyone who is having trouble caring for themselves or their baby.
The doctor will ask questions about symptoms and medical histories. They may also request blood tests to rule out other causes of depression.
Treatment of Postpartum Depression
Treatment for postpartum depression is essential for the well-being of the parent and their newborn. The sooner a person receives it, the sooner they are likely to recover. Treatment is effective in most cases.
Once they have identified the issue, the doctor usually prescribes a combination of psychotherapy and medication.
Tips for helping to support recovery include:
- Acknowledging the problem
- Being open about any feelings
- Getting help from friends and family
- Joining a support group
Support groups can reduce the feelings of isolation and provide tools and helpful strategies.
Medications
These may be antidepressants, which can help manage symptoms and improve the mood. They may take 6–8 weeks to work, however.
Meanwhile, the hormonal medication brexanolone (Zulresso) can help relieve depression by restoring the hormonal balance.
If psychosis occurs, antipsychotic medications can help.
All medications can have adverse effects, and it is important to work with a doctor closely to find a treatment plan that works.
There is also a small risk that some medications can enter breast milk. The doctor will work with the patient to find one that is likely to be safe and effective.
Psychotherapy
Cognitive behavioral therapy, sometimes called CBT, may help resolve moderate postpartum depression. Its aim is to find new ways to approach and interpret situations and to develop more positive ways of thinking.
Interpersonal therapy may also be a good option. Its goal is to improve communication skills and help develop social networks. This can help a person manage challenges that may otherwise lead to depression.
Treating Severe Postpartum Depression
If symptoms are severe and other strategies are not effective, it may help to spend time in the hospital. In some cases, a doctor may recommend electroconvulsive therapy.
Alternative Therapies
Some people may use the following therapies to help relieve postpartum depression:
- Acupuncture
- Bright light therapy
- Massage
- Omega-3 fatty acid supplements
There is limited evidence that any of these work, however. Check with a doctor first. Anyone interested in acupuncture should be sure to find a qualified practitioner.
Self-care tips for Postpartum Depression Patients
During and after pregnancy, a person can take some steps to help prevent or manage postpartum depression. Strategies include:
- Asking a healthcare professional about local self-help groups
- Following a healthy diet and getting regular exercise
- Keeping all medical appointments and following up about health concerns
- Eating small meals regularly to maintain blood sugar levels
- Getting at least 7–8 hours of sleep each night
- Planning ahead, during pregnancy, to reduce stress after delivery
- Speaking openly to loved ones about feelings and concerns
- Staying in touch with friends and family, especially if parenting alone
- Asking others for help with practical and emotional challenges
- Seeking help for housing, social, and other issues that arise
- Avoiding major changes, such as moving house, soon after delivery
- Resting, rather than doing housework, when the baby sleeps
Outlook
Postpartum depression is a common and potentially serious mental health condition. Without treatment, the symptoms can worsenTrusted Source, making it harder for the person to care for the baby and themselves.
Anyone who experiences a low mood for at least 2 weeks in the first year after delivery should seek medical care. Treatment can help significantly.
Bay Biosciences is a global leader in providing researchers with high quality, clinical grade, fully characterized human tissue samples, bio-specimens, and human bio-fluid collections.
Samples available include cancer (tumor) tissue, cancer serum, cancer plasma, cancer, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). and human tissue samples from most other therapeutic areas and diseases.
Bay Biosciences maintains and manages its own biorepository, the human tissue bank (biobank) consisting of thousands of diseased samples (specimens) and from normal healthy donors available in all formats and types.
Our biobank procures and stores fully consented, deidentified and institutional review boards (IRB) approved human tissue samples and matched controls.
All our human tissue collections, human specimens and human bio-fluids are provided with detailed, samples associated patient’s clinical data.
This critical patient’s clinical data includes information relating to their past and current disease, treatment history, lifestyle choices, biomarkers, and genetic information.
Patient’s data is extremely valuable for researchers and is used to help identify new effective treatments (drug discovery & development) in oncology, and other therapeutic areas and diseases.
Bay Biosciences banks wide variety of human tissue samples and biological samples, including cryogenically preserved at – 80°C.
Including fresh frozen tissue samples, tumor tissue samples, formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE), tissue slides, with matching human bio-fluids, whole blood and blood-derived products such as serum, plasma and PBMC.
Bay Biosciences is a global leader in collecting and providing human tissue samples according to the specified requirements and customized, tailor-made collection protocols.
Please contact us anytime to discuss your special research projects and customized human tissue sample requirements.
Types of Biospecimens
Bay Biosciences provides human tissue samples (human specimens) from diseased and normal healthy donors which includes:
- Peripheral whole-blood
- Amniotic fluid
- Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BAL)
- Sputum
- Pleural effusion
- Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)
- Serum (sera)
- Plasma
- Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC)
- Saliva
- Buffy coat
- Urine
- Stool samples
- Aqueous humor
- Vitreous humor
- Kidney stones (renal calculi)
- Other bodily fluids from most diseases including cancer.
We can also procure most human bio-specimens, special collections and requests for human samples that are difficult to find. All our human tissue samples are procured through IRB-approved clinical protocols and procedures.
In addition to the standard processing protocols, Bay Biosciences can also provide human plasma, serum, and PBMC bio-fluid samples using custom processing protocols; you buy donor-specific collections in higher volumes and specified sample aliquots from us.
Bay Biosciences also provides human samples from normal healthy donors; volunteers, for controls and clinical research, contact us Now.
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