Rates of postpartum depression (PPD) have doubled over the last decade, according to a Kaiser Permanente cross-sectional study of 442,308 births from 2010 to 2021, presented in JAMA Network Open. The rate of diagnosis jumped from about 9% to 19% in 2021 (P for trend <.001). In the study, 83.7% of subjects had initiated prenatal care during the first trimester, and authors note that in spite of better screening tools and clinician awareness, PPD continues to be an underdiagnosed and undertreated adverse outcome for mothers. Researchers also found the prevalence of PPD increased with higher prepregnancy body mass index and advanced maternal age, as well as those with substance use during pregnancy and those identifying as non-Hispanic White or non-Hispanic Black race and ethnicity.
Serious health risks for moms: Behavioral health conditions (including deaths from suicide and overdose related to substance use disorder) are now the leading cause of pregnancy-related deaths in the United States, accounting for 23% of such deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Hemorrhage ranks second at 14%.