Getting pregnant women to eat oily fish or fish oil during pregnancy may help stave off post-natal depression, researchers reported last night.
A small scale study, reported to an American conference, suggests boosting levels in woman’s diet can significantly improve her mood after giving birth.
Researchers called for major trials of the idea to see if it can prevent serious depression.
It comes during Depression Awareness Week in the UK.
Dr Michelle Price Judge, of the University of Connecticut, USA, studied some 52 women, arranging for half of them to take 300 milligrams of omega-3 oils five days a week – equivalent to half a serving of salmon daily.
Pregnant women are advised to take 200 milligrams day but most eat a fraction of this level of fish oil.
She reported her findings to the Experimental Biology 2011 conference in Washington DC.
Dr Judge says docosahexaenoic acid, an omega-3 oil, seems to play a key role.
She writes: "Docosahexaenoic acid consumption during pregnancy – at levels that are reasonably attained from foods – has the potential to decrease symptoms of postpartum depression."
* A second study links a fear of childbirth to general mental health problems.
Finnish researchers studied pregnant women who displayed excessive fear of childbirth – a problem thought to affect up to ten per cent of women during pregnancy.
Comparing 2,400 of these women with another 4,600 women, they found that 54 per cent of those with fear of childbirth had already received care for mental illness.
Their findings are reported in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
Researcher Hanna Rouhe, from Helsinki University Central Hospital, Finland, said women who demanded their babies be born by caesarean operations might be suffering from the problem.
She said: "Overall the study found a surprising number of women of childbearing age who had mental health problems.
"More research and awareness needs to be raised on this issue and clinicians and health workers involved should be aware of the importance of supporting women through the entire process, both before and after birth."
Mental health problems common in women with fear of childbirth. Rouhe H, Salmela-Aro K, Gissler M, Halmesma¨ki E, Saisto T. BJOG 2011; DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.2011.02967.x.
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