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Updated: May 20, 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
Antenatal depressive symptoms increase the likelihood of preterm birth
Heather Straub1, Marci Adams, J Jo Kim
1Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, IL 60201, USA.
Objective:
We evaluated the relationship between antenatal depressive symptoms and preterm birth.
Study Design:
Patients completed the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale between 24-28 weeks of gestation. A score ≥ 12 (or thoughts of self-harm) indicated an at-risk woman. Symptomatic women were compared to risk-negative patients for relevant demography, historical variables, and pregnancy outcome.
Results:
After screening 14,175 women we found a screen positive rate of 9.1% (n = 1298). At-risk women had a significant increase in preterm birth at <37, <34, <32, and <28 weeks of gestation. Multivariable analysis adjusting for maternal age, race/ethnicity, prior preterm delivery, and insurance status revealed a persistent association between antenatal depressive symptoms and preterm birth (adjusted odds ratio, 1.3; 95% confidence interval, 1.09-1.35), which was also observed after multiple gestations were excluded from the analysis (odds ratio, 1.7; 95% confidence interval, 1.38-1.99).
Conclusion:
In this large cohort of prenatally screened women, those with depressive symptoms had an increased likelihood of preterm birth.
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