BREAKTHROUGH

FDA Approves First Postpartum Depression Pill

The treatment has been approved as a once-daily pill taken over the course of 14 days.

The Food and Drug Administration announced Friday that it has approved a postpartum depression pill for the first time in the country’s history. It’s a massive breakthrough for mothers nationwide, as the pill, Zuranolone, proved in tests it is able to help women in “coping with extreme, and sometimes life-threatening, feelings,” the FDA said. The pill was approved to be used as a once-daily pill taken over the course of 14 days. In a press release Friday, the FDA said that the pill will be pivotal to curbing postpartum depression, the condition commonly referred to as the “Baby Blues.” These blues can sometimes last months or even years, causing new mothers to become depressed. In rarer cases, moms suffering from the condition have gone as far neglecting themselves and their newborn children. Previously, postpartum depression was treated through therapy and anti-depressants that aren’t tailored to those suffering from the condition specifically.