A new study suggests that women with symptoms of depression may have nearly twice the risk of preterm delivery as women without. The study came out in Thursday’s online issue of the journal Human Reproduction.

“A healthy pregnancy requires a healthy placenta, which depends on hormones influenced by the brain”, says the study’s lead author, Dr. De-Kun Li, a reproductive and perinatal epidemiologist at Kaiser Permanente’s Division of Research in Oakland, Calif.

“It’s thought that depression during early pregnancy may interfere with the release of endocrine hormone, which affects function in the placenta”, he added.

Once again, strong healthy babies need a strong healthy placenta. If a mother’s depression during pregnancy affects her hormones (which it would), then it would make sense that those hormonal changes would affect the placenta. Our systems are symbiotic, meaning everything depends on everything else working properly. When the placenta can not do its job properly, the baby has to be born before it would otherwise be ready in order to survive.

Very compelling study, and all the more reason to make sure we are taking care of our mamas. I use an herbal hormone balancing supplement, called (appropriately enough) Balance. If a woman’s hormones are out of whack, the herbs in this blend are traditionally used to help restore balance.

Stay healthy, mamas!