Postpartum depression is well-known in women who have given birth.  As many as 15 percent of new mothers may experience all the symptoms of major depression in the months following a delivery.  These symptoms can include low mood, low energy, tearfulness, altered sleep patterns, changes in appetite, inability to concentrate, low self-esteem.  They can even include suicidal thinking or bizarre and false beliefs called delusions, which are a form of psychosis. 

Thankfully, awareness of postpartum depression in women has increased dramatically amongst clinicians and the general population. 

What many fewer people realize is that new fathers can fall victim to postpartum depression, too. In my own practice I have seen it happen several times, and research indicates that perhaps 10 percent of men become acutely depressed in the postnatal period.  Their symptoms mimic those of women with the disorder, but they may be even less likely to get help because they believe admitting to their suffering would make them look weak at a time when they want to be seen by others as especially strong.

In the men I have treated, the joys of having a new son or daughter have mingled with complex worries about whether they would be able to support larger families, whether they would lose the affection of their wives and whether they would be equal to the daunting task of being role models for their children.   For some, becoming fathers seemed to bring them uncomfortably in touch with their own mortality, as they contemplated being survived by their offspring.

I have noticed a particular vulnerability to postpartum depression in new fathers who had strained or frankly painful relationships with their own dads.  The recreation of a father-child bond, albeit in a different time and place, with a very new role, can bring a man into unbearably close contact with unresolved conflicts from his own childhood.   “How am I supposed to be a father when I wasn’t fathered at all myself?” one of my patients asked me.

Fortunately, postpartum depression in men responds to the treatments that relieve clinical depression in other settings.  Psychotherapy can be invaluable, as can antidepressant and anti-anxiety medications.  A new technologies, called rTMS (repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation), has also been approved by the FDA. 

Using the tools in our therapeutic armamentarium, psychiatrists can defeat depression in over 90 percent of cases.  That means that recognizing the signs and symptoms of the condition is half the battle. 

So if you know a man struggling with his mood and his energy level weeks or months after his partner gives birth, don’t assume it’s all about staying up with the baby. Share what you now know about postpartum depression:  It doesn’t just affect new mothers.

There’s no doubt that this H1N1 flu, also known as swine flu, has been a real doozy. With more than 1 million people infected in the U.S. alone and approximately 263 deaths, attention must be paid to a potentially worsening condition.

I typically don’t like to scare people into paying attention to health care issues, but I do think that as soon as a vaccine becomes available here in the U.S. for the H1N1 virus, you should get it.

I recently learned of two alarming cases where pregnant women became affected with the H1N1 virus. Any type of flu can be quite devastating for a pregnant patient. The reason for the significant effect in pregnancy is that pregnant women typically have suppressed immune systems and their pulmonary compliance is significantly altered due to the pressure from the pregnant uterus. So when they get the flu, it could very quickly turn into a deadly pneumonia with very high degrees of complication for both the mother and the unborn child.

That was just the case with these two recent reports — one from Australia where a mother fell ill from the swine flu and ultimately the baby died in utero, and in the other case, a woman in Florida had to deliver at 27 weeks of gestation due to the flu, and the infant ultimately died from complications associated with his prematurity.

So the message is loud and clear: This new virus is very contagious. We don’t have natural immunity, and if you have any risk factors — especially if you’re pregnant — get the vaccine as soon as it is available.

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About a month ago, during a routine obstetrical visit with one of my patients, she surprised me by telling me she found out she was having a baby boy. At first, I thought she meant that during an ultrasound, the technician had told her the sex of the child. But she said “No,” that a girlfriend of hers had recommended a new kit she could buy on the Internet — which allegedly is 99.9 percent accurate in determining the sex of the baby, and that for $275, she could test herself at home, and send it off to the company for the results.

At first, I was taken aback because I hadn’t heard of any such kit. But more importantly, I was upset that she did not share this information with me prior to doing the test so that I could advise her on whether or not taking this test was a good idea.

I always have a problem with people worrying too much about the sex of their unborn child. I guess I can understand it to some extent for families who want to plan ahead, who want to know whether or not to paint the room pink or blue, or to think about things like circumcision. But with all the potential problems and challenges women face in creating and carrying a child to term, it’s unfortunate that sometimes people get side-tracked with insignificant details — and it strikes a nerve with me, because it brings up the topic of sex selection.

Today I read a story about six mothers in New York City who are suing Acu-Gen Biolab Inc., makers of the Baby Gender Mentor test, because their test results proved wrong at the birth of their children! I guess they felt the company had committed fraud. I tried to reach the company today to ask them some questions, but no one wanted to speak with me.

Looking at their Web site, I couldn’t gather a lot of information, but I began to understand what the “science” is behind their test kit.

For years, in the medical community, we have known that fetal cells circulate freely in the maternal bloodstream. Many geneticists have looked at the possibility of studying these fetal cells in the maternal circulation for the purpose of testing for genetic disorders like Down syndrome. But none of the data has proven it to be a good alternative for genetic testing. Yet this company has been promoting this technology to patients directly as a “safe, quick and easy way to determine the sex of your baby.”

I don’t know what federal regulation this business has been operating under. It would be nice to see what kind of guidelines they’re using, because the last time I checked, medical laboratories need to be licensed and laboratory tests must be ordered by physicians.

Finally, what are the ethics behind such a business? Are women going to use this alleged test to decide that they might want to terminate a pregnancy because now they know the baby is not the sex they wanted? It sounds like a stretch — but you’d be surprised…

Are mothers who get faulty test results going to think that their babies were switched at birth in the hospital? And what about these women that are suing?

This case is a perfect example of wasted dollars, a perfect example of unsubstantiated medical testing, and a perfect example of the types of businesses that need to be scrutinized in this country if we’re going to see any effective health care reform.

Dear Yvonne,
What should a man do to ensure he and his partner enjoy sex during pregnancy?
—Julio

Dear Julio,
When interviewing men for my book, “Your Orgasmic Pregnancy,” I found that the most critical factor for men is to get over their issues with the pregnant form. Many have trouble seeing pregnant women as sexy. Some feel a sex-guilt for having sex with a pregnant woman, and others are afraid of hurting the baby.

Men need to educate themselves about sex during pregnancy. Unless her doctor says otherwise, she’s good to go —and in many cases, rearing for action — given the increase in hormones and engorgement of blood to her genitals. Men need to let their pregnant partner lead the way when it comes to sex, at the same time taking steps to overcome their issues, from counseling to encouraging intimacy, for example, buying her a baby doll dress to cover up her bulge if it’s an issue. Finally, men need to realize that many women are their most orgasmic — and multiorgasmic — at this time. Keeping that focus can divert your attention and help you to see her more sexual and sensual than ever.

Dr. Yvonne Kristín Fulbright is a sex educator, relationship expert, columnist and founder of Sexuality Source Inc. She is the author of several books including, “Touch Me There! A Hands-On Guide to Your Orgasmic Hot Spots.”

Today I read an incredibly tragic story about a 2-month-old baby in Pennsylvania who died of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) because her parents were allegedly too drunk and high on cocaine to notice.

The parents, Jennifer Nicole Gaster and Daniel Keith Martin II, both 30, stood trial Monday on child endangerment charges alleging that after a night spent snorting cocaine and drinking beer and vodka, the couple was too incapacitated to notice their baby was dying.

This is not the first time we have seen a parents with a history of drug and/or alcohol abuse lose a child to SIDS. In February of 2007, a Michigan woman pleaded guilty to charges that claimed high levels of cocaine in her breast milk had killed her 5-month-old daughter. Although the cause of death was originally thought to be SIDS at the time the baby died, further testing proved otherwise, and at the trial, the mother admitted to using cocaine two or three times the day before the baby died.

Traces of cocaine can remain in breast milk for more than 48 hours after a woman uses it — and the transmission from mother to infant has been linked to respiratory failure, seizures, increased cardiovascular risk, central nervous system damage, irritability and addiction — just to name a few.

Babies are at high risk for SIDS if they:

o          Are born to mothers who smoke or use drugs

o          Have low birth weight or premature infants

o          Are exposed to environmental tobacco smoke

o          Sleep in a crib packed with soft objects and loose bedding

o          Are placed to sleep on their stomachs

o          Are between the ages of 1 and 6 months

Please be advised that most drugs are transmitted through breast milk. If you are abusing any kind of drug – especially cocaine – the effects can be deadly.

Take his medical license away!

I’m referring to a physician in Florida who has been accused along with clinic staff of botching a late-term abortion and throwing out a living infant. This is one of the most horrendous stories that I have ever read ― regarding again ― a severe lack of proper medical care provided to a young woman and her child.

According to published reports, an 18-year-old girl went to a clinic in Florida for a late-term abortion at 23 weeks. Three days later, after receiving medication, the young woman went into labor and gave birth to a live baby girl. Since the doctor failed to show up in time, one of the clinic’s owners who was not even licensed to practice medicine, cut the umbilical cord, placed the baby in a medical waste bag, and threw it in the trash.

According to the autopsy report, the tiny baby later died of complications related to her severe prematurity. And as I’m sure you can imagine, people in the region are shocked and disgusted by the news.

Now let’s dissect this case a little bit …

Late-term abortions are quite dangerous, and free-standing abortion clinics like this one have become hazardous to women all over the country. As details of this case clearly illustrate, unlicensed personnel, lack of proper sanitary conditions and untrained physicians can all lead to horrific outcomes.

This particular physician already had a restricted license, permitting him only to perform abortions when another physician was present, and his track record of malpractice was quite extensive.

The state board of medicine of Florida is going to look at this case and determine whether or not to strip this physician of his license completely.

Let me make it easy for them: Burn his license and shut down that clinic!

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Today, millions of people across the country are making a date with history. To the millions of Americans looking for change, the inauguration of President Barack Obama marks a new beginning, bringing forth a universal feeling of patriotism, hope, and excitement. On this day, students are wearing T-shirts with Obama pictures to school, vendors are flooding the city streets, selling everything from flags to buttons, and millions of people are glued to their television sets, the Internet and radio stations — all to be a part of this monumental event in our nation’s history.

This morning, here at Hackensack University Medical Center, I met a couple who I think will remember this day for the rest of their lives — not only because of its distinguished place in American history — but because of its place in their hearts, as the birthday of their new baby girl. After the delivery, I asked the proud parents why they scheduled the birth (a C-section) for this day and they told me that — as African Americans — they wanted to give their child a gift she would remember for the rest of her life — a gift that would honor and empower her as a symbol of the hope and change that became reality when the first African American man became the new leader of the free world.

I am sure that of all the things that President Obama has received congratulating him on his well-deserved victory, nothing will match the gift of a life that represents a generational change and a belief that hope will continue to keep America strong and prosperous.

It is always sad to hear about the loss of a child. Today I read a story about Christ Hospital in New Jersey, where an investigation is being conducted to determine whether a mother’s stillborn baby was thrown out with the hospital’s garbage. Of course, the family is devastated.

Unfortunately, this is not the first time I have heard a story like this. There have been other stories of infants “thrown out” or “misplaced.” These babies have died from premature birth or other medical conditions and have been misplaced in a hospital setting, creating an unimaginable scenario for a family that is already in a devastating position.

Many American hospitals continue to pay little attention to the fact that a fetal loss is something that a mother and family never forget. That infant, over the course of the pregnancy, became part of the family and proper respect must always be given.

The bereavement procedure in hospitals has to ensure proper support for the mother. If it cannot, it must provide alternative social service counseling. It must give resources to the family to talk about their grief and provide all possible outlets. A stillborn baby is a human being – even if the law doesn’t acknowledge it as such — that is part of a family.

I have tried to talk to the hospital, to the Hudson County Prosecutor’s office, as well as the Jersey City Police Department, to try to understand how a baby’s corpse could have possibly been thrown out with the hospital trash, but no proper answers were given, since everybody is hiding behind rules and regulations.

A mother’s child must always be respected – whether alive or dead. And I am truly sorry for what has happened to this family. I just hope that this hospital will learn so that this will never happen again.

Last week, I hosted a charity art auction in the Hamptons to benefit United Cerebral Palsy.  In addition to raising funds, this event helped spread the word about what can be done to prevent birth defects.  As the father of three, I know there is nothing more wonderful than a healthy new baby, but unfortunately, not all babies are born that way.   

The good news is that today, there are things that pregnant moms can do to increase their chances for a normal, healthy little one and that means carrying their baby to term.  Pre-term, low-weight babies (PLWB) who are born before their time are at much higher risk for a wide variety of mild to severe health problems because they have not had time to fully mature.  These include everything from minor developmental and motor disorders to cerebral palsy and other problems, some of which can be fatal. 

Most pregnant women know that smoking, alcohol consumption and drug use are risk factors that science has shown contributes to PLWB.  Recently researchers have cited a new culprit –periodontal disease.   Studies show that pregnant women with this condition (which is the technical name for gum disease) are seven times more likely to have a baby that is born too early.   It is thought that periodontal disease

1) Stop using any oral care products that contain harmful chemicals or are alcohol and/or detergent based.

2) Eat healthy with an emphasis on natural foods that have alkalizing, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant-rich properties like salmon, blueberries and other fruits and vegetables.

3) Reduce stress, which can negatively impact both the mouth and body.

4) Exercise regularly, which will help improve circulation, strengthen the 

Her parents were told she was stillborn, but less than a day later, a baby girl born in Bombay was heard making gurgling noises at the cemetary where her family had brought her to be buried.

Is it a miracle? Or is it malpractice? The hospital where the infant was birthed has launched an investigation to see if medical staff erred when they pronounced the baby dead.