A woman's life is significantly impacted by both pregnancy and childbirth. A woman's tasks and obligations undergo abrupt and significant adjustments as a result of having a child. As a result, the postpartum period is when a new mother is most likely to develop postpartum depression. It frequently has serious detrimental effects on the infant. Similar signs and risk factors can also be seen in non-postpartum depression. The main difference is that postpartum-specific factors, including biological and psychosocial ones, are what lead to postpartum depression. Among biological processes, inflammatory processes and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal dysfunction are the best indicators of postpartum depression risk. Many biomarkers have also been discovered using the cutting-edge multi-omics approach. Psychotherapy and antidepressants are frequently used to treat postpartum depression, although there has been much worry about the drugs' potential negative effects, such as decreased appetite, dizziness, headaches, and drowsiness. To prevent the negative effects of postpartum depression on both mother and child, it is crucial to correctly identify and treat it during the postnatal period as soon as feasible.
Keywords: biomarkers; depression; hpa axis; mother and child health; postnatal depression; postpartum care; postpartum depression; postpartum women; psychotherapy; women's mental health.
Copyright © 2022, Rathi et al.