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Researchers at Warwick Medical School have discovered a way ofidentifying which women are most at risk of postnatal depression (PND) by checking for specific genetic variants. The findingscould lead to the development of a simple, accurate blood testwhich checks for the likelihood of developing the condition. Presenting the research to the International Congress ofEndocrinology/European Congress of Endocrinology, ProfessorDimitris Grammatopoulos, Professor of Molecular Medicine at theUniversity of Warwick, said that approximately one in seven womenwho give birth suffer from PND, which normally starts around twoweeks after childbirth. He explained: "Current screening policies rely on the opportunisticfinding of PND cases using tools such as the Edinburgh PostnatalDepression Score (EPDS), but such tests cannot identify women atrisk, ahead of them developing the condition." The researchers assessed a group of 200 pregnant women for PNDusing the EPDS, once during their first visit to the ante-natalclinic, and again two to eight weeks after they had given birth.They found that the women who developed PND were more likely tohave specific genetic variants of the bcl1 and rs242939 singlenucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs)[2] of the glucocorticoid receptorand the corticotrophin-releasing hormone receptor-1 genes,respectively. These receptors control the activity of the hypothalamo-pituitaryadrenal (HPA) axis - an endocrine system that is activated inresponse to stress. The hypothalamus is part of the brain that monitors many aspectsof the state of the body's systems and is closely linked with thepituitary gland, which releases a number of hormones into the bloodstream that control vital body functions. The finding appears to show that postnatal depression is a specificsubgroup of depression with a distinct genetic element which meansthat some women are genetically more reactive to the environmentalfactors which trigger depression. "Although we knew already that there was an association of the HPAaxis with depression, ours is the first study to show a linkbetween specific elements of this pathway and the particular caseof PND," said Professor Grammatopoulos. "We now intend to conduct further research on other geneticvariants of the HPA axis in a larger, multi-centre study involvingwomen from Coventry, Birmingham, and London. "We think that we have made an important step forward incharacterising the prospective risks and are therefore paving theway for timely, appropriate medical treatment for women who arelikely to develop PND." PND is a serious condition, the researchers say, and quitedifferent from the 'baby blues', which is milder and shorter-lived.Symptoms include sadness, changes in eating and sleeping patterns,crying episodes, reduced libido, anxiety and irritability. Effects on children can be significant; for example, depressedmothers are less likely to be affectionate towards and to play withtheir children and they may use less 'baby talk' which is designedto engage the child's attention. This may lead to learning andemotional difficulties for the children in later life. Although it may seem evident that PND is caused by some kind ofhormonal upheaval but the role of the HPA axis in this form ofdepression has not been proved until now. "We believe that we have made a discovery with important clinicaland social implications. If we can identify women likely to sufferfrom PND in advance so that they can be treated appropriately andat an early stage, we will have improved the lives not just of theparents, but also of their children," Professor Grammatopoulosconcluded. Additional References Citations. We are high quality suppliers, our products such as China Wound Plaster Dressing , Waterproof Adhesive Tape Manufacturer for oversee buyer. To know more, please visits Pain Relief Sleeve.
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