Prenatal maternal depression is associated with low birth weight through shorter gestational age in term infants in Korea

Abstract

Background Maternal prenatal depression is associated with lower offspring birth weight, yet the impact of gestational age on this association remains inadequately understood. Aims We aimed to investigate the effect of prenatal depression on low birth weight, gestational age, and weight for gestational age at term. Study design Prospective cohort study. Subject Data were collected from 691 women in their third trimester of pregnancy who went on to give birth to a singleton at term without perinatal complications. One hundred and fifty-two women had a Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale-10 score ≥10 and were classed as prenatally depressed. Outcome measures Low birth weight (<2500 g), gestational age at birth, and birth weight percentile for gestational age. Results Offspring of prenatally depressed women were more likely to be low birth weight (Odds ratio [OR] 2.94, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.14–7.58) than offspring of prenatally non-depressed women, but the association was attenuated (OR 1.66, 95% CI 0.55–5.02) when adjusted for gestational age. Offspring of prenatally depressed women had lower gestational age in weeks (OR for one week increase in gestational age: 0.66, 95% CI 0.47–0.93) than offspring of prenatally non-depressed women. There was no association between prenatal depression and birth weight percentile for gestational age. Conclusions Prenatal depression was not associated with low birth weight at term, but was associated with gestational age, suggesting that association between maternal depression and birth weight may be a reflection of the impact of depression on offspring gestational age.

Transtornos mentais na gravidez e condições do recém-nascido: estudo longitudinal com gestantes assistidas na atenção básica

“…The presence of symptoms suggesting a diagnosis of probable depressive disorder was verified in 14.4% of the pregnant women evaluated; although this finding is lower than that of other countries, ranging from 22.0% to 34.9%, 17,19 our results are similar to the national studies performed with low socioeconomic pregnant women in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy 6,24 . The association between depression and obstetric outcomes is still poorly understood.…”

“…The high frequency of MD during pregnancy is supported by the literature in national studies with populations of low socioeconomic status 2,5 and attended by PHC 14 . In international research, the prevalence of psychiatric symptoms, particularly anxiety and depression, varies from 11.8% to 34.9% [15][16][17][18][19] , depending not only on the socioeconomic aspects of the period of time investigated, but also on the tool used in the detection.…”

Prevalence of antenatal depressive symptoms and associated factors among pregnant women in Maichew, North Ethiopia: an institution based study

“…The probability of using different psycho-active substances by the mother is increased and has a potential effect on the fetus (3,5–10). In addition, decreased head circumference, low birth weight and decreased reflex response are common effects on the fetus (11–14). Contrary to this, a study from Pakistan concluded that antenatal depression is not associated with low birth weight (15).…”

Maternal depression during pregnancy is associated with increased birth weight in term infants

“…However, birth weight was not examined independently of gestational age in those studies. Others have found that the association between maternal depression and low birth weight is attenuated when adjusted for gestational age (Chang et al., 2014). A recent meta-analysis of antenatal depression and birth outcomes finds depressed pregnant women are at increased risk for both preterm birth and delivering low birth weight newborns (Grote, et al, 2010).…”