Omega-3 fatty acids are found in cell membranes throughout the body, including those in the brain's nerve cells. We think this shift is affecting brain chemical receptors and impacting the brain's levels of serotonin, which is thought to be linked to depression. Studies have shown that people with depression have lower levels of Omega-3. Women with post-partum depression experience sleep difficulties, excessive crying, loss of energy and appetite, and a loss of interest in activities. The woman simply cannot enjoy the baby.
Symptoms can be so severe that hospitalization is needed.
Puryear's study will involve 20 pregnant women with documented histories of post-partum depression. Participants will receive fish oil capsules starting in the thirty-fourth week of pregnancy and will continue until four months after delivery. Depression assessments will be made at the start of the study, two weeks after delivery, and then every four weeks. All Rights Reserved.