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Birth weight and later risk of depression in a national birth cohort

Catharine R Gale1, Christopher N Martyn

  • 1MRC Environmental Epidemiology Unit (University of Southampton), Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, UK. crg@mrc.soton.ac.uk

The British Journal of Psychiatry : the Journal of Mental Science
|January 2, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Low birth weight is linked to an increased risk of depression in women and psychological distress in men. This suggests that impaired fetal development may impact long-term mental health susceptibility.

Area of Science:

  • Perinatal health
  • Mental health epidemiology
  • Developmental psychology

Background:

  • Low birth weight is a known risk factor for childhood behavioral issues.
  • The long-term impact of fetal growth on depression susceptibility remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between birth weight and the risk of psychological distress and depression.
  • To explore potential links between fetal development and adult mental health outcomes.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from the 1970 British Cohort Study.
  • Assessed psychological distress at age 16 using the General Health Questionnaire.
  • Evaluated depression and history of depression at age 26 via the Malaise Inventory.

Main Results:

  • Women with birth weight <=3 kg showed increased depression risk at age 26 (OR=1.3).
  • Men weighing <=2.5 kg at birth had higher risks of psychological distress at age 16 (OR=1.6) and depression history at age 26 (OR=1.6).
  • No significant associations were found between birth weight and psychological distress at age 16 in women, or between birth weight and depression history in either sex, except for the specific male subgroup.

Conclusions:

  • Findings suggest impaired neurodevelopment during fetal life may heighten susceptibility to depression.
  • Birth weight may serve as an indicator for long-term mental health risks, particularly depression.
Abstract

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