Zurzuvae is the first ever oral medication for postpartum depression, a major depressive episode that affects an estimated one in seven mothers.
Here’s some potentially uplifting news for those suffering from postpartum depression (PPD). On August 4, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that they have approved Zurzuvae, as the first ever oral medication for the treatment of postpartum depression.
Postpartum is pronounced like “post part, umm” with “post” meaning “after” and “partum” meaning “childbirth” in Latin. But postpartum depression shouldn’t be an “umm what” condition. It’s a major depressive episode that affects an estimated one in seven women either in their later stages of pregnancy or after they have given birth. Yet, postpartum depression often goes undiagnosed and untreated.
Having such a new and presumably less expensive alternative can be welcome news to many mothers who feel like they have no alternative. A reason why you may suffer postpartum depression in silence is that you could feel some shame. You may be worried that revealing symptoms of depression may somehow reflect badly on your parenting. It could go against the unrealistic narrative that “You just had a baby and are supposed to be happy with lollipops and bunnies wearing sweater vests appearing everywhere so why not just taste the rainbow.” Reality, of course, can be very different. The FDA announcement quoted Tiffany R. Farchione, M.D., director of the Division of Psychiatry in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research as saying, “Postpartum depression is a serious and potentially life-threatening condition in which women experience sadness, guilt, worthlessness—even, in severe cases, thoughts of harming themselves or their child.
