Low birth weight, preterm birth and small for gestational age association with adult depression: systematic review and meta-analysis
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Published on: February 22, 2018
Christian Loret de Mola1, Giovanny Vinícius Araújo de França1, Luciana de Avila Quevedo1
1Christian Loret de Mola, MD, MSc, Giovanny Vinícius Araújo de França, MSc, Postgraduate Programme in Epidemiology, Federal University of Pelotas; Luciana de Avila Quevedo, PhD, Postgraduate Programme in Health and Behaviour, Catholic University of Pelotas; Bernardo Lessa Horta, MD, PhD, Postgraduate Programme in Epidemiology, Federal University of Pelotas, Brazil.
Background:
There is no consensus on the effects that low birth weight, premature birth and intrauterine growth have on later depression.
Aims:
To review systematically the evidence on the relationship of low birth weight, smallness for gestational age (SGA) and premature birth with adult depression.
Method:
We searched the literature for original studies assessing the effect of low birth weight, premature birth and SGA on adult depression. Separate meta-analyses were carried out for each exposure using random and fixed effects models. We evaluated the contribution of methodological covariates to heterogeneity using meta-regression.
Results:
We identified 14 studies evaluating low birth weight, 9 premature birth and 4 SGA. Low birth weight increased the odds of depression (OR = 1.39, 95% CI 1.21-1.60). Premature birth and SGA were not associated with depression, but publication bias might have underestimated the effect of the former and only four studies evaluated SGA.
Conclusions:
Low birth weight was associated with depression. Future studies evaluating premature birth and SGA are needed.
