Researchers at Tohoku University may have found a way to predict a pregnant woman’s likelihood of experiencing postpartum depression via blood analysis.
A recent study found that women with postpartum depression displayed contrasting changes in their levels of 37 metabolites — which are involved in the body’s metabolism and energy-generating mechanisms — during pregnancy and the month after delivery compared with women who don't have the condition.
Specifically, pregnant women with a high chance of having postpartum depression had decreased levels of cytosine and increased levels of erythrulose during pregnancy compared with those without.