Oxytocin Levels May Play Role in Post-Partum Depression

Postpartum depression has only recently been recognized as a medical condition, and still there is little information out there for those who suffer from it. However, the results of a new study may mark a small step toward identifying possible factors that make some women more susceptible.

The study was based on prior research on the hormone oxytocin, which has been found to play a role in emotional bonding between people, and which has been identified as a possible factor in the development of depression. Because emotional bonding plays a vital role in the mother-child relationship, it seemed logical that oxytocin levels also be examined for their role in the development of postpartum depression.

The study looked at the concentration of oxytocin in the blood samples of 73 women, 14 of whom developed post-partum depression. There was a wide variant in the levels of these women, ranging from 14.4 to 245.7 picograms per mililiter, and findings seemed to indicate that women who developed post-partum depression tended to have lower levels.

Still, Basel Gunther Meinlschmidt, study leader and psychobiologist at the University of Basel in Switzerland, says even though oxytocin may be a factor in postpartum depression, it’s not the only one, and that not every woman with low oxytocin levels will become depressed.

“This is not a yes, no, one-or-zero factor,” he said, noting that oxytocin levels in the blood are not a good indicator of what’s happening in the brain.

More research will also be necessary before it can be decided whether treatment with oxytocin would be effective for instances of postpartum depression.