Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Maternal Depression Common at 2 Weeks After Delivery

Approximately one mother out of five has post-partum depression at 2-6 weeks after delivery in a study by Karolyn Kabir, reported in Family Practice News in the July 15 issue this summer. This can be a severe condition and must be treated promptly. My belief is that the increased levels of yeast present during pregnancy are compensated for by high levels of sex hormones. Those levels drop after delivery and the resulting yeast overgrowth releases toxins when exposed to carbohydrates. These toxins can cause depression as well as fatigue. I would certainly try a vigorous anti-fungal program before I would jump to high-dose anti-depressant drugs, which is the standard approach.

See familypracticenews.com July 15, 2008, page 25.

No comments: