Researchers identified a group of 15 biological indicators present in blood that could predict and detect severe depression in pregnancy with 83% accuracy.

According to a new study, blood markers for inflammation reliably predict whether pregnant women may experience significant depressive symptoms. The findings might provide doctors with a crucial tool for spotting pregnant women at depression risk and better adjusting their care during pregnancy.

An estimated 14% of new moms have suicidal thoughts, and nearly one in five have severe depression during or after their pregnancies. Pregnancy is a significant inflammatory event that can contribute to increased depression symptoms.

The study was the first of its kind and was published in Translational Psychiatry. Researchers evaluated 114 volunteers throughout their pregnancies and collected blood samples. The participants underwent clinical examinations of depressed symptoms during each trimester and the postpartum period.

According to experts, predicting pregnancy-related depression and its severity would be a game-changer for safeguarding the health of women and their unborn children. The technique was a simple and effective approach for identifying pregnant women who might experience depression.

They concluded that the findings should be reproduced to confirm cut-offs for depression risks and are an exciting development and a crucial first step in using these kinds of techniques more generally to aid patients.

(Source: https://health.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/diagnostics/study-blood-markers-can-predict-depression-in-pregnancy/95465680)