A new DACP-led study has found that women with postpartum depression are at higher risk for retaining extra post-baby pounds. The study was published online in the journal Obesity on March 27th. "This is the first study to evaluate postpartum depression as a potential barrier to shedding pounds after pregnancy," says lead author, DACP Fellow Sharon Herring. Researchers have been searching to better understand obstacles to weight loss after childbirth, since weight retained after childbirth may put women at increased risk for later obesity and cardiovascular disease.
The study team analyzed 850 women enrolled in Project Viva, a long-term study of prenatal and postnatal health. They assessed depression in the moms at mid-pregnancy and six months postpartum using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, a widely-used screening measure. Body weight at one year after giving birth was compared to weight before pregnancy to determine the extra pounds retained. Mothers with new onset postpartum depression were over two times more likely than non-depressed mothers to have kept on at least 11 pounds (5 kg) of weight one year after giving birth, the authors found.
Matthew Gillman, director of the DACP Obesity Prevention Program and senior study author, says: "Childbearing appears to put women at risk for long-term weight gain. Finding ways to help women return to their pre-pregnancy weight is a public health priority." The authors say more work is needed to determine whether better management of postpartum depression helps women shed extra pounds gained during pregnancy. It is estimated that between 10-15% of new mothers suffer from postpartum depression.
"Given recent efforts by states to screen new moms for depression, these findings may be important for the design of treatment programs for depressed mothers. As postpartum depression appears to put women at greater risk for weight related problems, we are hopeful that this work will be followed by interventions designed to prevent both disorders," says Dr. Herring.
DACP researchers Emily Oken, Sheryl Rifas-Shiman, and Ken Kleinman also participated in this study. |
