editorial. – U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Approved the first oral drug to treat postpartum depression, a serious mental illness that affects about one in seven new mothers after giving birth.
The drug, zuranolone, is FDA-approved and is taken once daily for 14 days to treat postpartum depression.
It is estimated that more than 400,000 babies are born to depressed mothers in the United States each year. Without any treatment, postpartum depression can linger for months or even years, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.
Postpartum depression is a serious and life-threatening condition in which women experience feelings of sadness, guilt, worthlessness and, in severe cases, thoughts of harming themselves or their children. Experts say that because postpartum depression can disrupt the mother-baby relationship, it can also have an impact on the child’s physical and emotional development.
Women with severe postpartum depression may develop suicidal ideation, and suicide accounts for approximately 20% of all postpartum deaths.
The most common side effects of the drug include drowsiness, dizziness, diarrhea, fatigue, nasopharyngitis (the common cold) and urinary tract infections, the FDA said, and advised women taking the drug not to drive.
Experts see the drug as an important new option that could help address a serious unmet need faced by diverse populations with major and postpartum depression.