Complications during pregnancy may lead to depression

Details of the study
4941 pregnant women, all of whom were participants of a multi-ethnic population-based study, were picked up for the current study.

Researchers gathered information detailing each woman’s pregnancy and post-pregnancy feelings.

Information on complications encountered during pregnancy and childbirth was then matched with the risk of postnatal depression for the various complications, including pre-eclampsia (pregnancy induced high blood pressure), deep vein thrombosis, poor fetus growth and fetal distress.

Distressed labour and problems during labour leading to emergency c-section were also tracked.

Information on pregnancy complications was gathered and researchers calculated the risk of postnatal depression for the various complications.

Two months into motherhood, the mothers were assessed for signs of post-natal depression.

Using the Edinburgh scale, the mothers were asked to rate their level of depression - 0 representing no depression, and 30 meaning very depressed.

Women who scored the highest on the Edinburgh scale were the ones who had encountered complications during pregnancy or childbirth, researchers found.

Women who were hospitalised for problems during pregnancy were on average twice as likely to suffer from post-natal depression as those who were hospitalised only during delivery.

The type of complication directly influenced the severity of depression. Women who experienced pre-eclampsia were twice as likely to suffer from post-natal depression those who did not.

Undergoing emergency caesarean increased the risk by 1.5 times. Child health during pregnancy and after childbirth also increased the odds of suffering from post-natal depression.

Post-natal depression
Postnatal depression, commonly called baby blues, is a form of clinical depression which affects women after childbirth.

An estimated 10 percent of the new mothers encounter postnatal depression with most cases surfacing within the first three months of childbirth.

Depressive symptoms may range from mild to severe. They include sadness, fatigue, changes in sleeping and eating patterns, reduced libido, crying episodes, anxiety, and irritability.

"Healthcare practitioners involved in the care for pregnant or postpartum women and their babies should be aware of the substantially increased risk of postpartum depression associated with complicated pregnancies and difficult deliveries," study’s co-author, Pauline Jansen said.

"This increased awareness might contribute to quicker diagnosis of postpartum depression," Jansen added.