Postpartum depression is highly prevalent in new mothers that leads severe fatigue, anxiety, and negative thoughts. Very recently, scientists have claimed to unlock the mystery behind this phenomenon. A group of researchers has identified a protein that is involved in the physiological response to stress and augment depression during and after pregnancy. Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is the neuroendocrine system regulates the physiological response to stress. A protein called KCC2 regulate the process and its level and signaling are altered during and after the pregnancy.
This lead to dysregulation of HPA axis resulting in depression. Source: Laverne Camille Melón et al, Inability to suppress the stress-induced activation of the HPA axis during the peripartum period engenders deficits in postpartum behaviors in mice. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 2017. DOI:…
