January 2007
		Dear Colleague, We are pleased to announce the launch of our new Web site, MedEdPPD.org! Funded through the NIMH, this educational resource provides healthcare professionals with credible, convenient, and up-to-date materials to help screen, diagnose, treat, and refer women with postpartum depression (PPD). Its numerous features -- including interactive presentations/case studies, expert panel discussions, diagnostic tools, video vignettes of patients, and a comprehensive slide library -- are easy to use and available at all times. The site also enables healthcare providers including physicians, nurses, and social workers to earn continuing education credit through the completion of instructive modules and enter our online provider network. The patient section of the site contains helpful materials for women with PPD and information for friends and family members in both English and Spanish. "Mothers and Others" debunks common myths and offers reference tools such as checklists and glossaries to increase patient understanding and awareness. Links and contact information for a variety of resources are available for those in immediate need. Don't miss the opportunity to bolster your knowledge and confidence in this crucial area of women's health! Please take the time to visit our multifaceted Web site -- and be sure to spread the word to your colleagues. MedEdPPD.org appreciates all questions, comments, and suggestions for content. Please contact us at PPD_eZine@MediSpin.com.

MedicalUpdates
The role of exercise in treating postpartum depression: a review of the literature.
Daley AJ, Macarthur C, Winter H.
J Midwifery Womens Health. 2007 Jan-Feb;52(1):56-62.
There is now evidence to support the antidepressant effects of exercise in general and in clinical populations. This article reviews the evidence regarding the potential role of exercise, particularly pram walking, as an adjunctive treatment for postpartum depression.

Immune, health and endocrine characteristics of depressed postpartum mothers.
Groer MW, Morgan K.
Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2007 Jan 2; [Epub ahead of print]
The purpose of the study was to examine demographic, immune, endocrine, stress and health characteristics of depressed mothers, measured between 4 and 6 weeks postpartum, and compare them to non-depressed mothers. The top decile (N=25) of Profile of Mood States depression scores was used to categorize mothers as depressed and these data were then compared to means of the remaining mothers (N=175) in a study of stress and immunity during the postpartum.

Legal and ethical considerations: risks and benefits of postpartum depression screening at well-child visits.
Chaudron LH, Szilagyi PG, Campbell AT, Mounts KO, McInerny TK
Pediatrics. 2007 Jan;119(1):123-8.
Pediatric professionals are being asked to provide an increasing array of services during well-child visits, including screening for psychosocial and family issues that may directly or indirectly affect their pediatric patients. One such service is routine screening for postpartum depression at pediatric visits. Postpartum depression is an example of a parental condition that can have serious negative effects for the child.

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InTheNews
Mrs. Canada wants to help other women
Caledon Citizen, January 3, 2007
Mrs. Canada Irene Serra-Sellitto's platform is helping women with postpartum depression. "I could speak to other mothers because I had it myself," she said. "It’s not their fault. I want women to know there is help out there."

Interview: Beating the baby blues
United Press International.com, December 27, 2006
For some new mothers, what they expect will be a time of elation and joy becomes instead a crippling case of "baby blues." Dr. Dorothy K.Y. Sit talked to United Press International about this issue.

Study spotlights severe postpartum mental disorders
LA Times, December 6, 2006
Within the first three months after giving birth to their first baby, one of 1,000 women experience some mental illness severe enough for them to be hospitalized, a major Danish study has found.

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