Emily Anthes reported November 4, 2010 in Slate that “dads get blue too.”

Still, PPD for dads remains understudied, under-recognized, and controversial. Even among scientists who research the baby blues in new fathers, there’s debate about whether “postpartum depression” is the right term. One researcher told me that when talking about men, he prefers “depression during the postnatal period.” Whatever you call it, distress after a baby is born is much easier to explain among moms. Pregnancy and childbirth, of course, are hugely taxing and exhausting for women. And, of course, these processes can wreak havoc with a woman’s hormones and, thereby, her psychological wellbeing.

One of the reasons that postpartum depression has garnered so much attention is because it can have serious consequences for children. The AAP’s new report lists the many ways in which kids of depressed moms may be worse-off: They are more likely to have developmental delays, social and emotional difficulties, cognitive and language problems, and more.

In a pilot program launched at a hospital in Essex, England, the nurses and midwives in the maternity ward screen new dads, as well as moms, for signs of mood problems, both during pregnancy and after childbirth. Experienced dads have also been trained to run a fathers-only telephone helpline. It’s a simple intervention and a good place to start.

I blogged on post partum depression in men last May.