One in 10 fathers get baby blues, shows study
May 20th, 2010 - 7:12 pm ICT by IANSLondon, May 20 (IANS) A recent study has revealed that men are as likely as women to suffer from post-natal depression.
According to the study, done by the Eastern Virginia Medical School, one in 10 fathers - the same ratio as in mothers - were found to suffer from depression before or after birth, reports dailymail.co.uk.
By the time their child reaches 12 weeks, as many as one in four fathers start feeling low.
The findings suggest that the symptoms observed in men are not thought to be hormonal as they are in women and are probably a response to the pressures involved with fatherhood.
In initial weeks of pregnancy or after birth, lack of sleep and extra domestic duties take its toll and later issues like expense of having children, changed relationships with partners and the fear of paternal responsibilities prolong the blues in men, says experts.
The study puts the overall rate of depression among new fathers at 10.4 percent out of which around eight percent were affected in the 12 weeks before or after birth.
The researchers reviewed 43 studies involving 28,000 people. Though most women suffer from a few days of baby blues shortly after birth, postnatal depression can go up to six months in some cases.
Dr. Paulson who led the research said paternal depression was serious because it can have substantial emotional, behavioural and developmental effects on children.
- Pregnancy complications linked to depression in mums - Aug 04, 2010
- Women facing baby blues process negative emotions differently - Sep 20, 2010
- Depression after miscarriage can continue after healthy birth - Mar 03, 2011
- Fathers shouldn't leave parenting and household tasks only to mothers - Jun 14, 2010
- Fathers experience prenatal, postpartum depression too - May 19, 2010
- Health visitors help mothers keep baby blues at bay - Aug 19, 2010
- New mothers in Australia suffer from trauma - Jun 01, 2011
- New Study Shows Dads Get Postpartum Depression Too - May 19, 2010
- Depressed mum kills kids - Jul 30, 2011
- Fish oil in pregnancy doesn't boost baby's brain power - Oct 20, 2010
- Fish oil during pregnancy 'does not cut risk of post-natal depression' - Oct 20, 2010
- Myleene Klass denies post-natal depression reports - Sep 21, 2010
- First-born kids 'more likely to suffer from allergies' - Mar 29, 2011
- Mom cuts son's penis because she wanted a girl - Jan 17, 2012
- No more kids for Billie Piper - Feb 02, 2011
Tags: baby blues, eastern virginia medical, eastern virginia medical school, fatherhood, fear, few days, having children, initial weeks, lack of sleep, london, paulson, post natal depression, relationships, six months, sleep, virginia medical school, weeks of pregnancy