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Article: System changes blamed for surge in postnatal depression
- Article from:
- The Press
- Article date:
- April 22, 2005
CopyrightCopyright 2005 The Press. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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An apparent upsurge in postnatal depression is being blamed on the
exodus of GPs from maternity care.
Writing in the latest edition of College of GPs magazine GP Pulse,
Auckland GP obstetrician William Ferguson said "a big upsurge" in
postnatal depression had occurred, with women not being properly
diagnosed and ending up in secondary care.
He said this was due to changes in the maternity system during the
1990s, which had seen fewer GPs providing antenatal care.
A doctor who did not already know a new mother would struggle to
diagnose the early signs of postnatal depression.
"Every woman is tired at six weeks but normally a woman is just
getting her head above water and starting to ...