The most acute form of post-natal depression, which bedevils new mothers, could be due to nature and not nurture, a new study has suggested.
Post-natal depression is a more severe form of "baby blues" which many mothers experience after giving birth.
Previous studies claimed the serious mood disorder was caused by women’s circumstances, personality and hormonal changes.
Now, researchers in Britain have found that the severe version of the mental disorder, known as postpartum psychosis, which is linked to suicide and infanticide in new mothers can be genetic.
And, according to the researchers, work has begun to isolate the gene to enable doctors to identify and treat women at risk from postpartum psychosis before they are affected.
"Postpartum psychosis is classed as among the most severe episodes of illness seen in clinical practice. The consequences for the mother, infant and family are so serious that such episodes require close attention, often including hospitalisation.
"We have identified chromosomal regions that’re likely to harbour genes that predispose individuals to (postpartum psychosis)," lead researcher Dr Ian Jones was quoted by ‘The Daily Telegraph’ as saying.
Dr Jones of Cardiff University and his colleagues at Birmingham University and Trinity College, Dublin, analysed the DNA of families in which at least one woman experienced postpartum psychosis, to come to the conclusion.
The study is to be published in the upcoming issue of the ‘American Journal of Psychiatry’.
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