Mouse Model Shows How Abnormal Fight or Flight Mechanism Underpins Baby Blues

Postpartum depression affects nearly 20% of new mothers, with symptoms ranging from low mood, sadness, lack of energy, confidence, appetite and poor self esteem, to significant anxiety, guilt, suicidal thoughts and difficulty bonding with the baby. Scientists at Tufts University School of Medicine have now developed a mouse model of postpartum depression that demonstrates direct involvement of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, a neuroendocrine system that controls the body’s p