Women's Health
FDA approves first pill for postpartum depression
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- Reviewed by Toni Golen, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Women's Health Watch; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing; Contributor
The FDA has approved the first pill for postpartum depression, which affects an estimated one in seven new mothers in the months after giving birth and can make it difficult for them to bond with their babies.
The fast-acting drug, zuranolone (Zurzuvae), received approval on Aug. 4, 2023, and is taken for just two weeks. The only other medication approved specifically for postpartum depression is brexanolone (Zulresso), which requires a hospital-based intravenous infusion. Like other forms of depression, postpartum depression includes symptoms such as intense sadness, lethargy, loss of interest in everyday activities, and thinking and memory problems. In severe cases, women may have thoughts of harming themselves or their child.
The pill's introduction should reduce the stigma of postpartum depression, encouraging more women to seek help, according to the FDA.
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About the Author
Maureen Salamon, Executive Editor, Harvard Women's Health Watch
About the Reviewer
Toni Golen, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Women's Health Watch; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing; Contributor
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