Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids, Highly Unsaturated Fatty Acids, and Perinatal Depression

Slightly more than 10% of pregnant women experience a major depressive episode (MDE) in pregnancy and slightly less than 10% of women have a MDE in the year postdelivery ( 1 Gavin N. Gaynes B. Lohr K. Meltzer-Brody S. Gartlehner G. Swinson T. Perinatal depression: A systematic review of prevalence and incidence. Obstet Gynecol. 2005; 106: 1071-1083 Crossref PubMed Scopus (1929) Google Scholar , 2 Bayrampour H.H. Trajectories of perinatal depressive and anxiety symptoms in a community cohort. J Clin Psychiatry. 2016; 77: e1467-e1473 Crossref PubMed Scopus (30) Google Scholar ). Many women do not receive treatment because of concerns about the safety of antidepressant medication in pregnancy or while breastfeeding. Others find behavioral approaches too costly or time-consuming and do not access these treatments. Thus, understanding the biology and factors that can trigger an MDE or sustain it among vulnerable women may help women avoid or manage the condition. Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Perinatal Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysisBiological PsychiatryVol. 82Issue 8PreviewOmega-3 (or n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are promising antidepressant treatments for perinatal depression (PND) because of supporting evidence from clinical trials, the advantage in safety, and their anti-inflammatory and neuroplastic effects. Although several observational studies have shown n-3 PUFA deficits in women with PND, the results of individual PUFAs from different studies were inconsistent. Full-Text PDF