If you've had birth control-related depression, your risk of postpartum depression may be higher

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2023-04-27 01:00

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Women who have had depression associated with their use of hormonal birth control may be more likely to develop postpartum depression when they have children than women whose previous depression was not related to birth control, according to international research. The team looked at Danish health data and identified 5,722 women with a history of birth control-related depression, and 18,431 with a history of depression unrelated to birth control. They say those whose depression was related to birth control were more likely to go on to develop postpartum depression. The researchers say this doesn't mean birth control causes postpartum depression, but does indicate that there may be some women whose mental health is especially sensitive to major hormone changes across their reproductive lifespan.