Entrepreneur
The #1 complication of childbirth: The crisis hiding in plain sight
By Dr. Jennifer L. Payne and Alisa Marie Beyer
Postpartum depression (PPD) isn’t just the “baby blues.” It’s the most common complication of childbirth, affecting 1 in 5 new mothers, and yet it remains dangerously underdiagnosed, misunderstood, and too often untreated.
Baby blues vs. postpartum depression
Up to 80 per cent of new moms experience the baby blues: brief emotional shifts, crying, irritability, mood swings, that typically resolve on their own within 1–2 weeks after birth. But PPD is different. It’s a serious medical condition that can begin during pregnancy or emerge weeks or months after delivery. It lasts longer, hits harder, and requires clinical care.
The Impact of PPD:
- 50 per cent of women with PPD receive no treatment
- PPD contributes to nearly 1 in 4 maternal deaths
- It costs the United States US$14+ bn annually in healthcare
Many women don’t recognise what they’re experiencing. Others are too overwhelmed, ashamed, or unsupported to seek help. Meanwhile, our healthcare system is still rooted in reactive models that rely on self-reporting, often when a mother is already in crisis.
A predictive breakthrough: Introducing myLuma
At Dionysus Health, we believe mothers and babies deserve better. That’s why we developed myLuma, the first clinically validated prenatal blood test that predicts a woman’s risk of developing PPD as early as 28 weeks into pregnancy.
Why this matters: A shift from reactive to predictive
Traditionally, PPD is diagnosed after symptoms appear often late, inconsistent, and subjective. myLuma changes the timeline. It gives providers a clear, scientific window into risk before birth so they can prepare personalized support and interventions before a crisis hits.
How it works: The science behind the test
The core of myLuma is epigenetics: the study of how stress and environment affect gene expression without changing the DNA itself. During pregnancy, a woman’s body undergoes massive hormonal, neurological, and emotional changes. These shifts leave molecular fingerprints – biomarkers – in the blood. Using these markers, myLuma predicts PPD with up to 85 per cent accuracy.
Our scientific journey:
- 2014–2020: Discovery of epigenetic biosignatures linked to PPD
- 2020–2022: Patent filings, US$4.5m NIH funding, and clinical validation in 600+ patients
- 2022–2024: Biomarker-brain function mapping, U.S. patent secured, and national accelerator support
- 2025: Awarded US$10m by the Department of Defense to expand clinical trials and pursue FDA approval
So… is this really the first blood test to predict PPD?Yes. Thanks to a decade of innovation in molecular diagnostics, AI-powered analytics, and epigenetic discovery, myLuma offers a new lens into maternal mental health that was never before possible.👉 It’s a third-trimester blood test.
👉 It offers early, personalised insights.
👉 It empowers OBs, midwives, and health systems to intervene before it’s too late.
The solution: Prediction + care coordination
Prediction alone isn’t enough. That’s why Dionysus Health has partnered with Mammha, a leading perinatal mental health platform, to ensure every woman flagged as high risk is met with wraparound support: behavioral health, therapy, doula access, medication planning, and more.
This new model combines biological insight + human support: a proactive care plan tailored to each mother’s unique needs.
What Is a clinical study—and what’s live now?
A clinical study is a carefully designed research trial used to evaluate the safety, effectiveness, and real-world impact of a medical test or treatment. Right now, Dionysus Health is leading two major studies, funded by the U.S. Department of Defense, to validate the clinical utility of our test, myLuma™, the first prenatal blood test that predicts a woman’s risk of PPD.
Study #1: PREVAIL (UVA + Inova Health System) is a 1,000-participant study evaluating how the availability of biological risk information for PPD during pregnancy might influence healthcare decision-making and patient outcomes.
The study follows participants from their third trimester through postpart
Study #2: BRAVE: This observational study follows 1,000 pregnant women using both blood and saliva samples, testing the accuracy of the myLuma biomarkers without sharing results with participants or doctors.
It’s designed to validate the algorithm, strengthen the FDA approval pathway, and expand accessibility—especially for underserved populations or those in rural areas.
Together, these studies are paving the way for myLuma to become the first-ever biological test to predict a mental health condition before symptoms appear, a potential game-changer in maternal care.
Setting the standard in maternal mental health
PPD has long been an invisible crisis. With myLuma, we’re finally changing that. This isn’t just a test, it’s a paradigm shift.
Because when we see it coming, we can act sooner, intervene smarter, and help moms thrive, not just survive.
The path ahead
myLuma launches commercially in October 2025, with clinical pilots already underway in OB and IVF clinics in California, Florida, and Texas.
Together, we can rewrite the postpartum story for millions of women.
Because when mothers thrive, families flourish, and the entire healthcare system benefits.
About the authors
Dr. Jennifer L. Payne is the chief medical officer at Dionysus Health and a leading psychiatrist and researcher in reproductive mental health. She is the founder of the Women’s Mood Disorders Center at Johns Hopkins, vice chair of research at the University of Virginia, and director of the Reproductive Psychiatry Research Program at UVA.
Alisa Marie Beyer is a healthcare executive, birthing professional, and entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience bridging birth and business. As chief operating officer of Dionysus Health, she leads commercial strategy for myLuma, a pioneering prenatal test predicting postpartum depression risk. She also founded Let’s Talk Birthy, providing childbirth education for first-time moms.
Events
Last chance to save on Women’s Health Week and Women’s Sport Summit: Early Bird pricing ends 11 September
Early bird pricing for W Group’s two flagship October summits – Women’s Health Week Europe 2026 and Women’s Sport Summit Europe 2026 – closes on 11 September.
Both events take place at Emirates Stadium, London, bringing together founders, investors, corporates, and industry leaders shaping the future of women’s health and sport.
Women’s Health Week Europe 2026
7-8 October | Emirates Stadium, London
This year’s edition will be Women’s Health Week Europe biggest one yet: with 700+ attendees, 80+ speakers, and 20+ sponsors, it will also feature two stages – a Global Stage covering market trends and policy, and a Scale Stage focused on company-level growth and commercialisation. WHW takes place across two days of content, business matchmaking, and dealmaking.
Agenda highlights include:
- Where Capital Flows: Funding Trends in Women’s Health – with Merete Clausen (EIF), Ekaterina Gianelli (Calm/Storm), Henriette Hessen (Verdane), Jemma Day (British Business Bank), Ravit Warsha Dor (Telus Global Ventures), Tim Davis (LSEG)
- Six Feet Under-funded: Surviving the Valley of Death in Women’s Health – with Patric Stenberg (Gesynta Pharma), Valentina Milanova (Daye), Amber Vodegel (28x)
- The Women’s Health Label – Gift or Curse? · Live Debate – with Juan Camilo Arjona Ferreira (organon), Marissa Fayer (DeepLook Medical), Christian Lautner (Heal Capital), Annie Theriault (CBIV), Ida Tin (Clue)
- Passport to Scale: Taking Your Women’s Health Business Global – with Vanessa Carpenter (Femtech Across Borders), Annie Theriault (CBIV), Victorine Lançon (Daya Ventures), Dr Mridula Pore (Peppy)
Early bird pricing (ends 11 September):
| Ticket type | Early bird | Standard |
| Startups, Scaleups, Investors, Non-Profits, Government | £599 + VAT | £699 + VAT |
| Corporates, Payors & Providers | £1,799 + VAT | £1,999 + VAT |
| Service Providers & Consultants | £3,299 + VAT | £3,499 + VAT |
Register for Women’s Health Week Europe | See the full agenda for WHW
Women’s Sport Summit Europe 2026
6 October | Emirates Stadium, London
The first-ever Women’s Sport Summit expands W Group’s expertise in connecting key decision-makers to the sports industry.
WSS brings together rights holders, brands, investors, athletes, and media to accelerate commercial growth across the sector.
Agenda highlights include:
- From capital to crowd: the women’s sport cycle at scale – with Omar Shaikh (Arsenal FC), Nicole McWilliams (Google), Kerstin Lutz (Mercury13), Jo Currie (BBC Sport)
- Women’s sport through the investor lens: what gets funded – and why – Hugo Sever (APEX Capital)
- Rethinking ROI: what are we measuring that doesn’t actually matter? – Fi Watherston (Metro Bank), Silvia Keiser (Billie Jean King Cup), Gabriel Akin-Odujobi (Crux Football), Tammy Parlour (WST)
- Beyond the 90 minutes: matchday as a commercial product, not just a fixture – Maggie Murphy (Aston Villa Women FC), Sam Feasey (Diageo/Guinness), Molly Miller (OneFootball), Megan Feringa (The Athletic/The New York Times)
Early bird pricing (ends 11 September):
| Ticket type | Early bird | Standard |
| General Pass | £299 + VAT | £399 + VAT |
| Service Providers & Consultants | £1,799 + VAT | £1,999 + VAT |
Register for Women’s Sport Summit Europe | See the full agenda for WSS
Attending both events?
For group tickets or to attend both summits this October, contact Callum, W Group’s Client Success Lead, at [email protected].
KOVE Medical has raised €1.7 million to support first-in-human studies of an implantable device designed to reduce preterm birth risk after foetal surgery.
The University of Zurich spin-off is developing a device designed to close defects left by surgical instruments following fetoscopy, a minimally invasive procedure performed inside the womb.
Fetoscopies can treat life-threatening conditions before birth but require surgical instruments to pass through the uterine wall and amniotic sac.
This can weaken the protective membrane, causing fluid leakage or rupture and often leading to preterm birth.
KOVE Medical said in a statement on LinkedIn: “This is a crucial step forward for our company, and we are incredibly grateful for the strong support and trust from our syndicate of visionary angel investors.”
KOVE Medical says its device closes the defect at the end of the procedure, stabilising the membrane and preventing complications. The aim is to make in-utero interventions safe enough to become a standard method of care.
The company plans to use the seed funding to reach first-in-human studies, a key milestone for a medical device seeking regulatory approval.
The CHF1.6m round was backed by a syndicate of angel investors.
The Women’s Health Innovation Summit (WHIS), the event uniting the global women’s health ecosystem, has just announced 18 new speakers joining the agenda for its 2026 summit, taking place October 13–15 at Encore Boston Harbor.
The latest additions bring further depth across pharma, clinical research, health systems, venture, and policy, reinforcing WHIS’s role as the only platform where the full women’s health ecosystem convenes under one roof.
Newly confirmed speakers include:
- Kelle Moley, MD – VP, Women’s Health Early Phase Clinical Development, Cardiometabolic Research, Eli Lilly & Company
- Justine Levin-Allerhand – Executive Partner, Chief Corporate Development Officer & COO, Flagship Labs, Flagship Pioneering
- Sebnem Yildirimoglu, MD, PMP – Executive Director, Women’s Health Strategy, Premier Research
- Terri Stewart – Head of Global Healthcare & Government Affairs, EMD Serono
- Dr. Morag Grassie – Executive Director, Blavatnik Fund for Innovation, Yale
- Sandra Butler – Director, Design Impact, Mass General Brigham
- Zhenya Lindgardt – Chief Executive Officer, Sera Prognostics
- Sadie Morahan – Head of US Revenue, Withings Health Solutions
- Angela Drew, PhD – Vice President, Regulatory Strategy, Premier Research
- Dr. Stephanie Lahr – CMIO, Aqurio
- Michelle Andrews – Contributing Writer, KFF Health News
- Charlotte Williams – CEO, My Bump Hub
- Clint Dart, MS – Director, NIH Women’s Health Data Coordinating Center, Premier Research
- Cass Sanford – US Venture Advisor, FemTech Lab
- Megan Mukuria – Founder & CEO, ZanaAfrica
- Tiffany Inglis, MD, FACOG – Chief Medical Officer, Sera Prognostics
- Angelean Hendrix, PhD – Vice President, Pharmacometrics and MIDD, Premier Research
- Amanda Ducach – CEO & Co-founder, EmaEQ
“WHIS is where the women’s health industry comes together to take action,” said Poppy Howard-Wall, Event Director at WHIS.
“This latest wave of speakers reflects exactly the kind of cross-sector expertise our attendees expect – from global pharma and clinical research leadership to venture, health systems, and grassroots innovation.
“It’s this breadth that makes WHIS the room where things actually move forward.”
Bringing the Full Ecosystem Together
These additions join a growing 2026 agenda spanning four content tracks that reflect the full lifecycle of healthcare innovation, from early-stage research and development through to patient delivery, system transformation, and commercial scale.
Attendees can expect over 1,000 senior decision-makers, 120+ expert speakers, four dedicated stages, and more than 10 hours of curated 1:1 meetings.
Full speaker and agenda details are available at whisusa.com/speakers-2026.
About WHIS
The Women’s Health Innovation Summit is the only platform uniting the full women’s health ecosystem – providers, payers, employers, pharma leaders, investors, and innovators -to increase deal flow, expand reimbursement, improve access, and deliver better outcomes for women at every stage of life.
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