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For decades scientists have been trying to solve the mystery of postpartum depression, including why it strikes some women and not others. The illness - marked by intense feelings of sadness and even thoughts of harming a child or oneself - can be devastating to mothers, newborns and entire families. Now, emerging research may hold answers. Although postpartum depression has commonly been linked to the hormonal fluctuations of pregnancy, scientists say that the immune system may play a much larg

<p>Hormonal contraceptives taken by adolescents may influence development of the brain in a way that alters the recognition of risks, a new study in rats suggests.</p>

Hormonal contraceptives taken by adolescents may influence development of the brain in a way that alters the recognition of risks, a new study in rats suggests.

Immune system changes in the pregnant body that protect the fetus appear to extend to the brain, where a decrease in immune cells late in gestation may factor into the onset of maternal behavior, new research in rats suggests.

Reproductive health experts consider hormonal contraceptives good choices for adolescents because they're safe and highly effective at preventing pregnancy, but one aspect of their effect on the teenage body remains a mystery – whether and how they modify the developing brain.