There was big news coming out of the FDA yesterday. For the first time, the FDA approved a pill named Zuranolone ;to be prescribed specifically for the treatment of postpartum depression (PPD). Here are some important things to consider about this development.

Overall, this seems to be really good news for 1 in 7 people who struggle with PPD after giving birth. Although other antidepressants are often used to treat PPD, they can be frustrating because they often take a long time to start working, they don’t work for everyone, and they can have undesirable side effects. The promising thing about Zuranolone is that it seems to make a difference in just a few days, and clinical trials showed that patients taking the drug for just two weeks scored better on depression scales than the placebo group each time they were assessed, even a month after they had stopped taking the drug. This just might be the ray of light that some people need to get back on track after having a baby. We might also hope that the fact that this drug has been specifically designated for PPD will highlight the fact that PPD is a biological disease, and maybe therefore reduce some of the stigma around seeking treatment.

Before we get too excited, there are some details to be aware of. First, the FDA approval was based on a trial run by the drug company itself involving just 150 patients who met all the criteria to be included in the results (76 taking the drug and 74 taking a placebo). So although the data looked promising enough to award FDA approval, we are still working with pretty limited data at this stage. Second, although the drug appears to be well tolerated and safe overall (side effects such as drowsiness, dizziness, and upper respiratory infections were observed by a small number of people in both groups), it has not been tested for safety while breastfeeding. In my opinion, this is one of the most important caveats about using the drug for postpartum depression. Since the drug is only intended to be prescribed for a few weeks, breastfeeding moms may be able to feed their babies by other means during that time, but this may not be compatible with every family’s feeding decisions. Furthermore, we don’t know yet when it will actually become available to the public or how much it will cost. But this is certainly interesting news to keep an eye on, and I hope that it will help a lot of people to feel better and more able to adapt to life with a new baby!

One final note: while Zuranolone appears to have a lot of potential to help reduce depressive symptoms for people suffering from PPD, it did not make them go away completely. It is still recommended to make full use of talk therapy and other forms of support. I say it a lot, but I truly believe that a postpartum doula can be invaluable in this process. Doulas are trained to provide nonjudgmental listening and emotional support (alongside, not to replace, a psychotherapist), practical logistical assistance, and can look out for red flags that additional treatment may still be needed.