USA – A clinical trial is exploring the possibility that mothers using calcium supplements during pregnancy could be less prone to postnatal depression (PND).

About 14% of new mothers suffer PND, and researchers at Oregon Health & Science University are looking for a cheap but effective remedy to the condition.

They are initially looking at the benefits of calcium because of another trial recently conducted at the University, which showed that women taking calcium supplements benefited from corresponding lower blood pressure. Researchers noted that fewer women taking calcium reported signs of clinical depression than those on placebos.