In the video: a 28-year-old woman and her toddler son were found without signs of life in a house in Haifa (Photo: Shlomi Gabai, Yoav Itiel)
A 28-year-old woman and her one-year-old son were found this morning (Thursday) without signs of life in a house in Haifa.
The MDA team that arrived at the scene performed medical examinations on them, at the end of which they were forced to pronounce them dead. A preliminary investigation of the case reveals that the father of the family, who returned to the house this morning after night work, found the ten-month-old baby in his bed as well as his wife in the next room, unconscious. Next to the young woman, a letter was found, the contents of which are not yet known, but apparently it is a suicide letter. It is
not yet known, as mentioned, what the circumstances of the death of the two are, but in such cases postpartum depression is often involved.
80 percent of women experience depression
Pregnancy and childbirth are periods of great significance and sensitivity in the life of a woman and her family.
The transition to motherhood involves many physiological, hormonal, physical, emotional and mental changes, and is a complex process.
Most women (80 percent) experience dramatic mood swings and depression in the first few days after giving birth.
The condition is called Postpartum blues, Baby blues.
It is important to understand, "postpartum depression" is not the "baby blues" phenomenon - the same fluctuating, hormonal emotional state that characterizes 70-80 percent of births.
The symptoms of postpartum depression usually appear on the fourth day after birth and weaken on the tenth day.
The explanation lies in the fact that the hormones that raged during pregnancy and childbirth begin to drop.
The emotional burden, lack of sleep and cumulative fatigue accompanied by the stress of caring for the newborn's knee also contribute to the very common condition.
Depression will often include changes and fluctuations in mood, vulnerability and sensitivity, a tendency to cry suddenly for no reason, restlessness, lack of concentration, anger, excessive worry and sometimes a severe feeling of loneliness.
The despondency is sometimes accompanied by feelings of guilt and shame and disturbing questions such as: "Am I a good mother?".
Most women then, one moment they are happy, and the next they are crying, for no apparent reason.
Depression can last from a few hours to about two weeks.
It usually goes away on its own and does not require special treatment, but it is important to raise awareness of the situation, give it an emotional response and provide environmental support.
The scene of the discovery of the body of a mother and her son, Haifa, May 4, 2023 (Photo: Shlomi Gabai)
The typical signs of postpartum depression
A US National Institutes of Health study of 5,000 women and published in the journal Pediatrics found that about 1 in 4 women experienced high levels of depressive symptoms at some point in the three years after giving birth. The rest of the women experienced low levels of depression throughout the three years. The signs can appear in
intensity changes and they include: low mood or sadness for most of the day, loss of interest or pleasure in things that used to be enjoyable, lack of appetite or overeating, sleep problems - from difficulty falling asleep, awakenings and insomnia to excessive and excessive sleeping, a feeling of restlessness and tension or vice versa - Excessive slowness, fatigue and lack of energy (beyond expected due to the care of the baby), low self-esteem or feelings of guilt, difficulty concentrating or making decisions, a feeling of "no way out" and lack of hope, non-stop crying, irritability, anger and rage, lack of interest In sexual relations, in severe cases, will be accompanied by repeated thoughts of death or self-harm.
The situation can also include a feeling of disconnection and distance from the newborn or excessive anxiety for the baby's well-being without sufficient reason.
Sometimes, a flood of negative thoughts towards the baby to the point of thoughts of harming him (although these feelings are threatening, an actual act of harm is almost never carried out).
The condition will often be accompanied by functional decline and the mother will have difficulty taking care of herself or her baby.
At times, she will even be afraid to be left alone with her child.
causes postpartum depression
There are several sources of postpartum depression, starting from biological-medical factors such as sensitivity to hormonal fluctuations, a medical history of depression disorders, anxiety and lack of sleep, through social factors such as the lack of partner support, stress in the relationship with the partner, the lack of social support frameworks and stressful reality, and of course also Personality psychological factors such as perfectionism, low self-esteem and high anxiety levels.
Postpartum depression requires treatment to prevent worsening.
The accepted treatment is combined and includes anti-depressant drug treatment with accompanying psychological treatment: behavioral psychotherapy and crisis support.
In addition, training is required for the partner and the family to provide a supportive, inclusive envelope with intensive help in caring for the newborn.
For lactating women, the anti-depressants are given only after a specific binding approval for the preparation from the Lactation Center.
The chances of recurrence of this type of depression in another birth reach 25 percent.
Without treatment, depression can last for months.
Studies have found that babies born to mothers with postpartum depression suffered damage in their motor and intellectual development and the quality of the bond with the mother was poor.
In rare situations, the depression will be accompanied by postpartum psychosis and then the symptoms of depression are accompanied by symptoms of mixed reality and imagination, without the ability to separate.
These symptoms include delusions or detachment from reality, extreme confusion and restlessness.
In such situations, the risk of injury to the baby or suicide is high.
Published studies show that men can also suffer from postpartum depression with a frequency of up to 10 percent.
These will feel pressured, distressed and distressed as a result of the new responsibility placed on their shoulders.
Sometimes loneliness and rejection will be felt on the part of the mother who turns all her attention to the new baby.
More in Walla!
Postpartum depression can last for years, and even get worse
To the full article
Who is at increased risk?
As mentioned, postpartum depression can appear in any woman - regardless of age, origin, level of income or education.
Still, the following factors can increase the risk of postpartum depression:
When there are medical problems in the mother or the baby.
Mothers who suffer from lack of sleep.
Lack of environmental, family or social support resulting in a feeling of loneliness.
Previous experience of depression in the past, including previous postpartum depression or a similar psychiatric disorder in the family (depression or bipolar disorder).
Difficult life events during pregnancy or after birth (such as death or illness of a close person).
Relationship problems.
Past mental disorder.
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