Could taking probiotics help the post-baby blues?

New study reveals taking a live bacteria tablet during pregnancy could HALVE a mother's risk of post-natal depression

• New research reveals the benefits of taking probiotics during pregnancy
• Probiotics are a live 'bacteria' that can be found in fermented foods
• Study points to a simple way mothers could manage their mental health
• The outcome of this trial suggests an alternative to traditional medications

Women at risk of depression while pregnant, or after giving birth, could benefit from increasing their intake of probiotics during pregnancy, according to a recent New Zealand study.

In Australia, figures show that depression can affect up to one in ten women while they are pregnant, and almost one in seven are affected during the first year after birth.

Researchers from the University of Auckland and the University of Otago surveyed a sample group of 423 women who were between 14 and 16 weeks pregnant.

Taking a probiotic tablet once a day during pregnancy and in the first six-months after birth halved a mother's risk of clinically significant anxiety, the research found. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-4990842/Taking-probiotics-pregnancy-helps-post-natal-depression.html