Abu Dhabi conference to focus on postnatal depression

The Bright Start conference will aim to educate parents on topics relating to their parenting style and children next week.

ABU DHABI // The issue of postnatal depression will be among the topics of discussion at a conference next week.

The Bright Start conference’s aim is to educate parents on topics relating to their parenting style and children next week.

Dr Shamsa Al Awar, head of obstetrics and gynaecology at the Medical College of United Arab Emirates University, is one of the speakers.

She will give a public lecture on postnatal depression as well as holding an invitation-only workshop on the repercussions of ignoring the signs of postnatal depression.

She said postnatal depression, which affected mothers after childbirth, was an issue that was often ignored.

“There is an emotional fear within the patient herself, and there is no public awareness of the problem or its size,” she said.

The lecture will focus on defining postnatal depression, its prevalence in new mothers, how to diagnose and treat, and the overall effects it had on the parent and child.

“There are variable ranges in the issue, it could escalate to a week and with someone cooperation around the mother it will fade, but it could also stay for two years,” said Dr Al Awar.

She said almost 1 per cent of postnatal depression sufferers develop postnatal psychosis “which could create a risk for the mother and the child”.

“They are rare cases, of course, but we will not wait for this 1 per cent,” she said.

She said medical staff were sometimes unaware of the topic itself. “Most follow-up treatment involves either a paediatrician for the baby or a general doctor for the mother and both do not ask about the depression,” she said.

Another speaker, Ayesha Al Dhaheri, associate professor and chairwoman of nutrition and health department in UAEU, will talk about the trend of misusing vitamins and supplements.

She said she aimed to explain “safe and ideal use of vitamins and supplements, to define them and to explain their general benefits and how to safely use them”.

“The vitamins are available over the counter and I will compare them to the vitamins found naturally in the food, and then who actually needs it.”

Prof Al Dhaheri said pregnant women and certain people who had medical issues would gain the most from the supplements, however a regular person would not need them.

“Overuse of supplements can have complications such as nausea, ringing in the ears, in some cases, poisoning, so I will describe each vitamin, the natural source of it, and its benefits to encourage the use of the natural source,” she said.

She will also discuss how shoppers could evaluate what was in food by looking at product labels and how to consider the nutrients instead of marketing ploys.

The Bright Start conference takes place from November 16 to 18 November at the Beach Rotana Hotel.