Is Postpartum Depression Caused by Monoamine Oxidase-A? And What is This Chemical Anyway?

The symptoms of postpartum depression are well known:

? Your house is a mess and you don't care

? You can't find the time, or the energy, to have a shower

? Sadness surrounds you and you sometimes wonder if you are losing it

? You are experiencing guilty feelings because holding your new baby doesn't make you happy

? You feel irritable and short-tempered all the time

? You secretly feel ashamed that you are not ecstatic about the new baby's arrival

About 70% of new mothers experience the so-called postpartum blues for at least a few days. However, a significant number of new mothers experience the symptoms of postpartum depression for much longer than this. The danger is that is that this condition can last for many months.

A recent study - The Archives of General Psychiatry. 2010;67:468-474 - found that postpartum women, after testing, show a dramatic increase in a natural chemical called Monoamine Oxidase A (MAO-A).

The good chemicals that balance our moods, Dopamine and serotonin are degraded by Monoamine Oxidase A.

Therefore, it is a fair assumption that you are more vulnerable towards getting postpartum depression or postpartum blues as a result of such a depletion of the important feel-good and naturally occurring chemicals.

Dr. Meyer, the psychiatrist who conducted the study, found that the Monoamine Oxidase A protein was 43% elevated compared to the control group (these were non-postpartum women, obviously).

"Elevated MAO-A levels in the early postpartum period can be interpreted as a marker of a monoamine-lowering process that contributes to the mood change of postpartum blues," Dr. Meyer and his associates report.

Symptoms of postpartum depression may not be "all in your head" as some inconsiderate people might be telling you.

Dr. Meyer plans to do another, much larger, study to find out if natural dietary supplements will stop the increase of the MAO protein. This should help pregnant women to be better prepared for those postpartum blues which affects such a high percentage of women.

http://www.cleansing-for-depression.com/postpartum-depression-symptoms.html
Author - Richard Barrett
Based on his own personal success with the Body-Mind Connection in helping with depression, Richard has created a website to explore and share this information with others. The website provides information and guidance for detoxification, cleansing, nutrition and other natural ways to alleviate the symptoms of depression. Visit his website at: http://www.cleansing-for-depression.com