The HPA axis during the Perinatal Period implications for Perinatal Depression

Molly J Dickens (1) , Jodi L Pawluski (2)

1 Bloomlife [San Francisco, USA]
2 Irset - Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail

The transition to motherhood is characterized by some of the most pronounced endocrine changes a women will experience in her lifetime. Unfortunately matrescence is also a time in a woman's life when she is most susceptible to mental illness such as perinatal depression. A growing body of research has aimed to determine how key endocrine systems, such as the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, are involved in the dysregulation of perinatal mental health. However, very little research has consistently linked perinatal changes in the HPA axis with maternal mental illness. Therefore the aims of this mini review are to 1) clearly summarize the normative changes in the HPA axis that occur during pregnancy and the postpartum period; 2) summarize what we know about the HPA axis in perinatal depression, and 3) propose key areas for future research. Understanding physiological biomarkers that can predict which women are at risk for perinatal mood disorders will lead to better tools for treating and ultimately preventing these debilitating disorders; improving the health of mother, child and family.

Keywords: postpartum depression; Pregnancy; anxiety; cortisol; depression; motherhood; stress

Domains: Life Sciences [q-bio]; Ecology, environment; Health; Life Sciences [q-bio]; Human health and pathology; Endocrinology and metabolism; Life Sciences [q-bio]; Human health and pathology; Psychiatrics and mental health

Molly J Dickens, Jodi L Pawluski. The HPA axis during the Perinatal Period implications for Perinatal Depression. Endocrinology, 2018, 159 (11), pp.3737-3746. ⟨10.1210/en.2018-00677⟩. ⟨hal-01888878⟩