2024
- Avi Choudhary1, Savita Tamaria2, Himani Kaushik3, Muskan Thakur4, Ayushi Srivastava5
- 1Senior Assistant Professor, 3Assistant Professor, Banarsidas Chandiwala Institute of Physiotherapy, New Delhi, India. 2Assistant Professor, Delhi Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research University, Delhi. 4,5Student, Banarsidas Chandiwala Institute of Physiotherapy, Delhi
- GAS Journal of Clinical Medicine and Medical Research (GASJCMMR)
Pregnancy, also known as gestation, is the period during which one or
more offspring develop inside a woman. The stages of pregnancy are divided into
3 trimesters, each lasting 3 months, and are characterized by distinct changes
in mother and foetus (1). In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a form of assisted
reproductive technology (ART) where eggs and sperm are combined in a laboratory
dish before being transferred to the uterus (2).
The transition to
motherhood is a dynamic period in life, characterized by significant
neurobiological and psychosocial changes. These changes can have a profound
impact on the physical and mental well-being of women and their offspring.
Depressive symptoms impact over 25% of women during the peripartum period, with
anxiety and related disorders affecting 10–20% (3). There is evidence
indicating that maternal depression and anxiety symptoms can significantly
impact infant development. Risk for peripartum depression and anxiety may be
linked to some of the physiological changes (Shifts in hormones,
neurobiological changes) that women experience during this period (3). New
mothers’ ability to respond sensitively to their infants may be influenced by
interactions between psychosocial and physiological factors. Research in
rodents and humans has found evidence of reductions in brain volume and
increases in ventricular size during the peripartum period (3).
