Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 22, 2026

Using a Murine Model of Psychosocial Stress in Pregnancy as a Translationally Relevant Paradigm for Psychiatric Disorders in Mothers and Infants
Published on: June 13, 2021
Implications of antenatal depression and anxiety for obstetric outcome
Liselott Andersson1, Inger Sundström-Poromaa, Marianne Wulff
1Department of Clinical Sciences, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden. liselott.andersson@nll.se
Objective:
To investigate the obstetric outcome and health care consumption during pregnancy, delivery, and the early postpartum period in an unselected population-based sample of pregnant women diagnosed with antenatal depressive and/or anxiety disorders, compared with healthy subjects.
Methods:
Participants were 1,495 women attending 2 obstetric clinics in Northern Sweden. The Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders was used to evaluate depressive and anxiety disorders in the second trimester of pregnancy. To assess demographic characteristics, obstetric outcome, and complications, the medical records of the included women were reviewed.
Results:
Significant associations were found between depression and/or anxiety and increased nausea and vomiting, prolonged sick leave during pregnancy and increased number of visits to the obstetrician, specifically, visits related to fear of childbirth and those related to contractions. Planned cesarean delivery and epidural analgesia during labor were also significantly more common in women with antenatal depression and/or anxiety.
Conclusion:
There is an association between antenatal depressive and/or anxiety disorders and increased health care use (including cesarean deliveries) during pregnancy and delivery.
Related Concept Videos
Depression: Overview
Depressive Disorders: Etiology
Biological Factors in Depression
Biological predispositions significantly influence the risk of developing depressive disorders. Genetic studies highlight the role of variations in the serotonin transporter...
Stress and Mental Health
Individuals with depression often experience challenges in both their personal and professional...
Socioemotional Development during Infancy
Primary Temperament Types
Stella Chess...
Theory of Romantic Attachment in Adulthood
Development of the Oral Microbiota
