One in eight women will experience postpartum depression (PPD), in which new mothers experience feelings of hopelessness or withdrawal after delivery, sometimes not feeling affection for a new child. In the U.S., suicide is the leading cause of maternal mortality in the first postpartum year.
Despite how common PPD is and the risks it presents, there is only one drug approved to treat it, which must be administered through an IV drip over the course of 60 hours. Known as brexanolone, it was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2019, but the risk of excessive drowsiness or sudden loss of consciousness has made administering it a challenge.
