If you are a woman who has given birth, odds are good that you endured the weepy, anxious, emotional roller coaster known as the "baby blues," which 70 percent of new mothers experience within the first 10 days after childbirth. Yet unlike the baby blues -- which last only one to four days -- postpartum depression continues and deepens. About 10 percent to 15 percent of new mothers can expect to experience it within three to six months after childbirth.

Sleep deprivation, the enormous changes that accompany motherhood, and, possibly fluctuating hormones all seem to have a hand in this. Physical setbacks, such as anemia due to blood loss, a colicky or sick baby, scant social support, and financial hardship may also factor in. While any of the signs of depression may occur in postpartum depression, other signs may include a lack of interest in the baby, severe anxiety about the baby's health and well-being, or outright panic attacks. Coming at a time that our culture dictates should be happy and fulfilling, this type of depression can carry a special stigma that makes some women reluctant to admit to it. Postpartum psychosis, the most serious form of this disorder, affects only about 1 in 500 to 1 in 1,000 women after a birth. When it does occur, a woman loses touch with reality, sometimes suffering from delusions that prompt her to hurt the baby or herself.

If you suffer postpartum depression, seeking help can vastly improve -- or perhaps even save -- two lives.

From the Harvard Health Publications Special Health Report, Depression Report. Copyright 2002 by President and Fellows of Harvard College. All rights reserved.