The Treatment of Postpartum Depression: Minimizing Infant Exposures

The first 3 postpartum months represent a high-risk period for psychiatric illnesses. This articlereviews the prevalence and diagnostic criteria for postpartum illnesses, including the “maternalblues,” postpartum depression, and postpartum psychosis. Pharmacologic treatment of these disordersis often complicated by a patient’s desire to breast-feed, yet there are no controlled trials of antidepressanttreatment during lactation. Infant exposure and limitations to monitoring infant sera arereviewed. Lastly, a model and guide for reducing fetal and infant exposures is presented.