Objective: To evaluate associations between early pregnancy 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) concentrations and antepartum depression and anxiety symptoms and potential modifiers thereof. Materials and Methods: In a pregnancy cohort (N = 498), we examined cross-sectional associations of early pregnancy (mean = 15.4 weeks gestation) serum 25[OH]D concentrations and depression and anxiety symptoms. Symptoms were measured using Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales (DASS-21) and Patient Health Questionnaire Depression Module (PHQ-9) instruments. Regression models were fit and effect modification by prepregnancy body mass index and leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) were assessed using interaction terms and stratified analyses. ( < 28.9 ng/mL) had 1.11 higher PHQ-9 scores than those in the highest quartile ( ‡ 39.5 ng/mL, p < 0.05). However, associations were attenuated and statistically insignificant in fully adjusted models. Inverse associations of 25[OH]D with depression symptoms were significant among participants who reported no LTPA, but not among women who reported any LTPA (interaction p = 0.018). Conclusions: Our study provides modest evidence for inverse cross-sectional associations of early pregnancy maternal vitamin D concentrations with antepartum depression symptoms. We also observed that these associations may be modified by physical activity.

BackgroundTelomere length is a marker of cumulative damage to the cell, and has been associated with cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and diabetes.FindingsThe association of telomere length with pre-eclampsia and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) was examined in a nested case-control study. Circulating leukocyte telomere length was measured by Quantitative-PCR. Mean and median telomere length among cases and controls was compared, and logistic regression was used to model the outcomes as a function of tertile telomere length, with control for effects of potential confounders. Mean telomere length in pre-eclampsia cases was 0.77 (SD 0.14), in GDM cases was 0.73 (SD 0.10), and in controls was 0.74 (SD 0.14). The adjusted odds ratio comparing the highest tertile to the lowest for pre-eclampsia was 0.92 (0.15-5.46), and for gestational diabetes was 0.65 (0.13-3.34).ConclusionsFurther study is necessary to determine if telomere length is associated with these pregnancy complications.

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