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Dads Get Postpartum Depression, Too

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Dads get the blues after baby is born, too.

One in 10 fathers, and one in five mothers, experience prenatal or postpartum depression, with the risks peaking when the baby is 3 to 6 months old, a new study reveals.

“Depression affects both parents and both parents should be on the lookout for it,” said lead researcher James Paulson of Eastern Virginia Medical School.

The risk for both parents is highest in the United States, leading researchers to speculate that work and policy conditions – such as standard three-month maternity leaves – might contribute to the rise in parental depression at this time.

And while Dad’s depression may take a different tone, with more irritable and angry behaviors, than Mom’s, it is likely to be just as detrimental to the child, the researchers say.

Full story: Dads Get Postpartum Depression, Too