Published: Saturday, February 25, 2012 at 12:01 a.m. Last Modified: Sunday, February 26, 2012 at 12:00 a.m.

WINTER HAVEN | Postpartum depression is far deeper and more dangerous than what’s frequently referred to as “baby blues.”

Facts QUICK CHECK

Is it baby blues, postpartum depression or postpartum psychosis?BABY BLUESMany women have the baby blues in the days after childbirth. Symptoms include:Having mood swings.Feeling sad, anxious or overwhelmed.Having crying spells.Losing your appetite.Having trouble sleeping.The baby blues usually go away within a few days or a week. POSTPARTUM DEPRESSIONSymptoms last longer and are more severe. Postpartum depression can start any time within the first year after childbirth. In addition to symptoms listed under baby blues, you could experience:Thoughts of hurting the baby.Thoughts of hurting yourself.Not having any interest in the baby.Postpartum depression needs to be treated by a doctor. POSTPARTUM PSYCHOSISOccurs in one to four of every 1,000 births, usually starting the first two weeks after childbirth. Women with bipolar disorder or schizoaffective disorder have a higher risk of postpartum psychosis. Symptoms may include:Trying to hurt yourself or your baby.seeing things that aren’t there.Feeling confused.Having rapid mood swings.Postpartum psychosis needs to be treated by a doctor. Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women’s Health

“It is a very devastating disease,” said Dr. George Winny, psychiatrist and medical director of Winter Haven Hospital Center for Behavioral Health. “It is horrible for people to go through.”

Nurses at Regency Center for Women and Infants, where WHH has its childbirth unit, do depression screening with female patients who are there to give birth.

“If the score is high, they call us for ?consulting,” Winny said. “I have seen many cases of postpartum depression over the years.”

Postpartum depression and a much rarer condition, postpartum psychosis, came to Polk County residents’ attention this month with the death of 1-year-old Ishan Patel of Lakeland.

He drowned and had blunt force trauma on his face, according to autopsy results.

His mother, Neha Patel, 32, is charged with first-degree murder. Authorities said she suffered severe postpartum depression and had threatened suicide in the past.

Untreated, Winny said, the condition interferes with a mother’s inability to take care of and bond with her baby.

About 10 percent to 15 percent of women develop that condition after giving birth, said Dr. Latamia White-Green, a psychiatrist at Lakeland Regional Medical Center.

Such women aren’t able to take care of themselves or their babies, leading to feelings of being worthless, irritability, agitation and exhaustion beyond the normal stress of having a newborn. They need treatment by a doctor, White-Green said.

“The stress of caring for a newborn can take a toll,” Winny said. “You may feel overwhelmed and anxious about your ability to take care of the baby.”

In a small number of cases — fewer than 5 of every 1,000 births — the mother’s mental condition goes beyond postpartum depression into postpartum psychosis. Symptoms can include trying to hurt herself or the baby, seeing things that aren’t there, feeling confused and having rapid mood swings.

The difficulty for families and friends, as well as the mother, is determining when feelings are normal baby blues or something more serious.

Anywhere from 55 percent to 85 percent of women are likely to have some short-term baby blues, more accurately called an adjustment disorder, White-Green said.

Mood swings, crying, feeling sad or overwhelmed and other emotional reactions can occur during that period as the body goes through hormonal adjustments, she and Winny agreed.

If women or their family members feel the depression goes beyond baby blues, particularly if it interferes with the mother-child relationship, both psychiatrists advise them to call their doctors before the scheduled six-week check-up.

Too often, they’re reluctant to do that, said Teresa even, mental health therapist with Peace River Center.

“People feel they should be able to control it,” she said. “I spend a lot of time doing education on brain chemicals (and mental disorders).”

Teenage mothers are at greater risk of postpartum depression, as are mothers whose babies are born prematurely or with developmental problems.

In the case of Ishan Patel, the Lakeland baby killed, he was premature and spent months at Tampa General Hospital.

Other mothers at greater risk are those whose pregnancies are unplanned, who lack an adequate support system or who already have depression.

Cultural factors also can play a role.

“In India, women are not very vocal in talking about their feelings,” said Winny, a native of India who practiced there before coming to the United States.

“We used to see a lot of anxiety disorders,” he said, but added that in India there is likely to be more family support.

“Your mother or mother-in-law might help take care of your baby there,” he said. “Here you are living with your husband and child.”

White-Green, who is African-American, said her cultural experience is that “it’s really frowned upon to be out of the house until three or four weeks after the birth.”

Isolation can increase symptoms of depression, she said, encouraging women to ask for help with child care or housework and find ways to take care of themselves. Something as simple as a hairdo or manicure may help improve mood.

Winny offers this advice for significant others of any culture to follow in the days and weeks after a child is born:

“Listen to her without judging her or offering solutions, without trying to fix things. Simply be there.”

Volunteer to help with childcare and housework without waiting for her to ask, he said. Encourage her to exercise.

[ Robin Williams Adams can be reached at or 863-802-7558. Read her blog at robinsrx.blogs.theledger.com. Follow on Twitter @ ledgerROBIN. ]

American Food Service, of Pico Rivera, California, is recalling approximately 3,170 pounds of fresh ground beef patties and other bulk packages of ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 bacteria, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) just announced. the recall is a Class 1, which means that this is a health hazard situation in which there is a reasonable probability that the use of the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death.

FSIS inspection personnel were made aware of the potential food poisoning problem when contacted by another federal regulated establishment that believed it had received suspect product. the following products, produced on Jan. 31, 2011, (with the corresponding case codes) are subject to recall:

• (559002) American Companies 100% Pure Ground Beef 30-lb. case

• (552102) American Companies 2/1 R Ground Beef Patties 80/20 10-lb. case

• (553102) American Companies 3/1 R Ground Beef Patties 80/20 10-lb. case

• (554102) American Companies 4/1 R Ground Beef Patties 80/20 10-lb. case

• (554106) American Companies 4/1 R Ground Beef Patties 80/20 10-lb. case

• (554302) American Companies 4/1 L Ground Beef Patties 80/20 20-lb. case

• (555302) American Companies 5/1 L Ground Beef Patties 80/20 20-lb. case

• (556102) American Companies 6/1 R Ground Beef Patties 80/20 10-lb. case

• (553302) American Companies 3/1 L Ground Beef Patties 80/20 20-lb. case

• (554402) American Companies 4/1 J Ground Beef Patties 80/20 20-lb. case

• (557102) American Companies 7/1 R Ground Beef Patties 80/20 10-lb. case

• (556106) American Companies 6/1 R Ground Beef Patties 80/20 10-lb. case

• (552106) American Companies 2/1 R Ground Beef Patties 80/20 10-lb. case

• (559004) American Companies Ground Beef Bulk 80% Lean Taco Grind 60-lb. case

• (559202) American Companies 100% Pure Ground Beef for Chili (Coarse Grind) 30-lb. case.

The products subject to the recall bear the establishment number “EST. 1913″ inside the USDA mark of inspection. these products were distributed to restaurants throughout southern California. FSIS and the establishment are concerned that some product may be frozen and in restaurant freezers.

E. coli bacteria is a potentially deadly pathogen and E. coli symptoms include bloody diarrhea, Dehydration, Abdominal Cramps, and Vomiting. In the most severe cases, the symptoms of E. coli poisoning can include kidney failure. the very young, seniors, and persons with weak immune systems are the most susceptible to foodborne illnesses.

E. coli infection can lead to other adverse health effects, some long-term and serious, such as Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), which encompasses a group of disorders, including ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, which cause the intestines to become inflamed. IBD can cause Abdominal Cramps and pain, diarrhea, weight loss, and bleeding from the intestines. Victims of E. coli infection are also at risk of developing a form of reactive arthritis called Reiter’s Syndrome, which typically affects large weight-bearing joints such as the knees and the lower back.

Victims of E. coli food poisoning sometimes require kidney transplants and may have scarred intestines that cause lasting digestive difficulty. Even E. coli patients who supposedly recovered can experience long-term health problems later on. for instance, it is estimated that 10 percent of E. coli foodborne illness sufferers develop a life-threatening complication called hemolytic uremic syndrome, or HUS, in which their kidneys and other organs fail.

FSIS advises all consumers to safely prepare their raw meat products, including fresh and frozen, and only consume ground beef that has been cooked to a temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit. the only way to confirm that ground beef is cooked to a temperature high enough to kill harmful bacteria is to use a food thermometer that measures internal temperature.

The company’s Customer Service Supervisor, Mario Hernandez, can be reached at 1.562.801.4100, extension 238. Consumers with food safety questions can “Ask Karen,” the FSIS virtual representative available 24 hours a day at AskKaren.gov. the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline 1.888.MPHotline (1.888.674.6854) is available in English and Spanish and can be reached from l0:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) Monday through Friday. Recorded food safety messages are available 24 hours a day.

A difficult, mixed year for Delaware’s poultry industry is closing out with new cause for concern as the region’s poultry giants quietly wrestle with rising costs, unsettled markets and a disease outbreak that can decimate flocks if left uncontrolled.

Placements of poultry chicks on grower farms were down by about 5 percent in Delaware, to 247.9 million, while rising 2.6 percent on Delmarva as a whole to 664.5 million for the 12 months ending Nov. 27, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data updated last week.

Although producers say that 2011 should be a better year for the state and region’s most important agricultural industry, some hardships are expected to continue.

Feed prices remain dramatically higher, partly due to upward pressure created by use of corn-based ethanol for motor-vehicle fuel, according to Richard Lobb, spokesman for the National Chicken Council. Export markets continue to be disappointing, particularly in Russian and Chinese markets long seen as a huge opportunity.

“I think the biggest wild card is just the general economic situation and where unemployment is going to go,” Lobb said. “Hopefully, it will go down. When people are out of work, they don’t go out to eat so much. the real pressure over the last couple of years has been on the food-service side, particularly casual dining.”

Over the shorter term, local farmers and industry officials are watching bird health closely.

State officials and representatives of two major poultry processors have confirmed detections of “infectious laryngotracheitis” in Delaware and Delmarva Peninsula flocks.

The outbreak — harmless to humans and unrelated to more deadly avian flu — was confirmed by company officials with Mountaire in Millsboro and Tyson Foods in Temperanceville, Va., as well as state Department of Agriculture officials and individual growers.

“We don’t know why it cycles like it does or it appears to, but some years, you have to deal with it,” said bill Ricken, plant manager for Tyson.

Laryngotracheitis, sometimes called “trake” or LTD, is a fast-spreading respiratory disease in chickens caused by a herpes virus, last seen at serious levels on Delmarva in 2007. Symptoms vary, but when severe, it can cause raspy, violent sneezing and coughing among birds.

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A worldwide problem for decades, poultry death rates from LTD can reach 50 percent to 70 percent in the worst cases, although mortality is often far less severe.

Spinoff costs can be high even for minor outbreaks, after accounting for losses of bird weights in infected houses and expenses for prevention and medication. in Canada, one poultry industry consultant’s online briefing on the disease cites an outbreak on Delmarva in 1998 that led to $1 million in losses for only 200 cases.

Ricken and bill Massey, a senior manager with Mountaire, confirmed that all of the region’s large companies are vaccinating flocks against the disease through poultry house watering systems.

V. George Carey, a retired state lawmaker and one of Perdue’s larger producers in Delaware, said that always-tight “bio-security” precautions have stepped up in recent weeks to prevent the spread of LTD by trucks and people traveling among farms.

Although chicken prices have been up, improving farm income, Carey said expenses have tagged along.

“I’ve noticed that corn has hit $5 a bushel, and I hear that next year’s nitrogen [fertilizer] is going up 20 or 30 percent and potash 40 percent,” Carey said. “Gasoline is up, and it’s going to be a tougher year all the way around. It’s a vicious cycle.”

Sussex County has long ranked as the top poultry producer among all counties nationwide, and Delmarva chicken accounts for a big share of the nation’s poultry production. the 3.46 billion pounds of chicken produced on Delmarva in 2009 represented about 7.3 percent of the total output for the country, or nearly 1 of every 14 pounds sold, with a wholesale value topping $2 billion.

Delaware’s position in the market has plateaued and tapered off more recently, however.

If confirmed in final estimates, total bird production could fall below last year’s 20-year low, although the state’s partial specialization in larger and more meaty birds has offset some of the decline.

Edward Kee, Delaware’s secretary of agriculture, sees positive signs as well.

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Mountaire recently announced plans to spend more than $30 million on a rendering plant for managing processing factory leftovers and dead birds from farms. Mortality often runs about 4 percent for poultry house flocks — a number that adds up quickly in a region that handles nearly 700 million birds a year.

“My impression, anecdotally, is that right now demand has improved since this time last year. Placement of chicks has been increasing, which means the industry is reacting to the market,” Kee said.

Kee said recent company calls for more entrants into the poultry-growing ranks in Virginia’s part of the peninsula also shows promise.

Both Tyson and Perdue said they would encourage development of more broiler houses in the South to better support processing plants in Temperanceville and Accomac, Va.

Ricken said that Tyson’s interest is partly in efficient use of available capacity in the company’s Virginia plant and partly in avoiding extra costs of new broiler farms in Maryland, where more acreage per house is required, and environmental regulation costs are higher.