Recognizing Depression in New Mothers

May 31, 2007 — -- A mother and her four children were found hanging from a clothes rod Tuesday morning, in what marks Texas' fifth murder of children by their mother over the last six years.

As officials further investigate the tragedy, experts are calling attention to the possibility that this was a result of postpartum depression and the importance of screening for the disorder.

The Houston woman, identified as Gilberta Estrada, was found dead alongside her daughters, the youngest of whom, an 8-month-old baby girl, was alive but in critical condition.

Parker County Sheriff Larry Fowler indicated that reports from her family said that Estrada was suffering from depression, possibly a result of a recent separation from her husband.

These factors could contribute to postpartum depression, according to Dr. Lauren Streicher, a clinical instructor in obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern Medical School.

"Postpartum depression has gone unrecognized in the past," Streicher said. "People really need to identify what it is and what it isn't. … The potential is grave for someone who goes untreated."

Postpartum depression is an illness that has plagued mothers since as early as ancient Greek times.

But only since the 2001 case of Andrea Yates, who drowned her five children in the family's bathtub, has a spotlight been thrown on the disorder.

In fact, postpartum depression affects 10 percent of mothers, according to Streicher.

What triggers this depression remains unknown, but many believe fluctuating hormones before, during and after pregnancy play a part.

During pregnancy, the levels of female hormones estrogen and progesterone boost dramatically, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

After childbirth, these hormones rapidly decrease to their normal pre-pregnancy levels. Because just a small change in hormone levels is known to affect a woman's mood, a number of researchers suspect this phenomenon contributes to depression.

However, the role of hormonal changes as a causative factor remains unclear. "There are other, very specific risk factors for postpartum depression," Streicher said.