depression in pregnant and postpartum women

by Christine B. Sieberg, Ed.M., M.A.

Motherhood can and should be a time of great joy. For many, though, the period following birth can be a time of great despair and anguish – those suffering from a condition called postpartum depression.

Hippocrates, the ancient physician and "father of medicine" – and the namesake of the "Hippocratic oath" traditionally taken by doctors – identified a link between mental illness and the “postpartum” period more than 2000 years ago. More recently both significant media attention andsubstantial research identify the first year after birth as the lifetime peak of psychiatric admissionsamong women.

Yet postpartum depression is not specified as a separate disorder by the International Classification of Diseases nor the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. In fact, very few studies address the postpartum period, while research onroutine medical exams has found that postpartum mood disorders often go undetected for both thewoman and her infant.

by Grace M. Rivera

The number of HIV cases among the Hispanic/Latino community is alarmingly rising. In August 2007, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that in 2005 Hispanic/Latinos represented 19% of the 40,608 new diagnoses in the 50 states and the District of Colombia, although they only represent 14% of the U.S. population.

Is this a concern to those of us in New England? It should be: AIDS cases among Latinos are highest in the eastern part of U.S., specifically in the Northeast. In 2005 the proportion of Latinos living with AIDS in the Northeast was 37% and new cases among Latinos were 33%.

The education of the Hispanic/Latino community about HIV/AIDS and the high risk of infection and transmission among its members could lead to early prevention and consequently to saving lives. As healthcare workers, advocates, friends and family, we need to be ready.