Pregnant women 'find depression difficult to cope with'

Women who suffer from depression during pregnancy can find it difficult to cope, according to Association of Radical Midwives (ARM).

Its comments follow a new study which shows that acupuncture could help pregnant women suffering from depression.

The research, which was published in the journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, found that two thirds of pregnant women who had acupuncture saw an improvement in their symptoms.

Sarah Montagu, administration secretary at ARM, said the study seems to have been "well-conducted", with "appropriate forms of control".

She added: "Because of the societal image of pregnancy as a time of joy and anticipation it can be difficult for women to cope with feeling depressed."

"They feel even more isolated than they would if they were depressed and not pregnant - feeling as if they're the only person to feel like this, and then often guilt further exacerbates the depression."

Up to 14 per cent of pregnant women are estimated to have probable major depressive disorder, the study claimed.