Fighting Postpartum Depression with Seafood

BERGEN, NorwayResearchers at the National Institute of Nutrition and Seafood Research (NIFES) are kicking off a study to investigate whether a higher intake of seafood in the diet could lower the incidence of postnatal (postpartum) depression. Previous trials have suggested there is a correlation between seafood intake and mental health, with a lower incidence of postnatal depression in countries where the population consumed the most seafood.

Marian Kjellervold Malde is one of the NIFES researchers heading up the project, directed by the Centre for Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Uni Health. She explained, [Postnatal depression] affects 10 to 15 percent of mothers in Norway. The diet is important both during pregnancy and after giving birth. Norwegian women who are at a reproductive age and pregnant consume little seafood. At the same time, it is perhaps these women who need it the most, since they are carrying a child whose nutrients comes from the mother. In addition, the mother might be breastfeeding which may reduce her nutritional status further.

The new study will investigate how the diet affects the mothers mental health after pregnancy as well as the childs development. Expectant mothers in the municipality of Fjell will be asked to participate in the project, which will map seafood intake in particular. We are aiming to find out whether more seafood in the diet can lead to a better nutritional status and fewer mental disorders among pregnant women, and the significance this can have for the child, Malde said.

The team will examine the nutritional status of the women pre- and post-partum, focusing on vitamin D, vitamin B12, iodine and omega-3 levels. Much docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is needed by the fetus in the last part of pregnancy and in the postnatal period in order to build up the brain, Malde said. The mother gets DHA through her diet, but if this only provides a small amount, where is the child to get this nutrient from? In a situation like this the mothers own DHA may be depleted, and one hypothesis is that this is one of the factors that can result in postnatal depression.