Around 80% of new mothers suffer from 'baby blues' or postpartum depression

Scientists have linked symptoms of depression during pregnancy to a specific brain activity, and hope to develop test for 'baby blues' risk.

Around 80 per cent of women suffer from ‘baby blues’ after the birth of their child.

Normally, this is a brief period of feeling down which disappears in a few days. But around one woman in seven develops postpartum depression, a more serious depression which can affect how mothers bond with their baby and can have long-term consequences. These women seem unable to regulate the negative emotions which can follow giving birth.