Prelude to Parenthood: The Impact of Anxiety and Depression During Pregnancy

Abstract

This chapter will provide an overview of the literature on depression and anxiety during pregnancy, including prevalence of symptoms and syndromes, studies on the impact of depression, anxiety, and stress on birth outcomes and child development, the mechanisms by which these effects may operate, approaches to treatment of anxiety and depression during pregnancy, and the evidence available on the efficacy of these treatments. Implications for health and public policy, clinical treatment, and research will be discussed. Prevalence of emotional disorders during pregnancyHistorically, it was thought that women were protected against psychiatric disorder during pregnancy (Cohen et al., 2006); however, epidemiological data collected over the last decade has not supported that view. The question of whether childbearing confers extra risk for www.intechopen.com Perinatal Depression