NSW: World's largest study into baby blues begins in Aust
Eds; Reissuing adding dropped word in 10th par.
By Judy Skatssoon, National Medical Writer
SYDNEY, Aug 6 AAP - The world's largest ever study into postnatal depression beganin Australia today, with the first of almost 100,000 pregnant women quizzed on their feelings.
The National Postnatal Depression Program aims to come up with new ways of identifyingand combating postnatal depression, which affects one in seven women after giving birth.
It will begin by screening pregnant women across Australia and follow their progressover the next three and a half years.
Screening of the first of 4,500 Victorian women began at Werribee Mercy Hospital today.
Victorian project team leader Jeannette Milgrom described it as a historic occasionfor postnatal depression.
"Never before has Australia had a program of this size or scope to determine whetherwe can prevent postnatal depression," she said.
The program's national coordinator, Associate Professor Anne Buist of the Universityof Melbourne, said the study would investigate whether postnatal depression began duringpregnancy.
It also aimed to increase public and professional awareness as well as improving earlyidentification and care.
"It's probably the most important time to try and prevent depression because it's thestart of a child's life," she said.
"We know from a number of studies ... that the children of depressed women may be ata higher risk of poor developmental outcomes."
The national depression initiative beyondblue (beyondblue) is funding the program by$3.6 million.
The CEO of beyond blue, Professor Ian Hickie, said the program would provide a nationalfocus for postnatal depression for the first time, compared to the current ad-hoc approach.
"The program will establish the necessary national collaboration to determine whetherpostnatal depression can be prevented," he said.
Postnatal depression affected up to 15 per cent of women but often went undiagnosed,Prof Buist said.
She said two thirds of women who suffered from postnatal depression may never come to treatment.
Those who did often only got help after a second baby.
Prof Buist said it was necessary to distinguish between "normal" problems adjustingto motherhood and a genuine depressive illness requiring treatment.
"There's a lot of confusion about the 'blues', or normal difficulties with having ababy, and depressive illness," she said.
"It's the number of symptoms, the severity of symptoms and how long they've gone on for."
AAP jjs/mg/bwl
KEYWORD: POSTNATAL (REISSUING)
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