The Relationship Between Postpartum Depression and Perinatal Cigarette Smoking: An Analysis of PRAMS Data

This study examines the relationship between postpartum depression (PPD) and cigarette smoking from prior to pregnancy to postpartum.

The study sample consisted of 29,654 U.S. women who reported smoking in the 3months prior to pregnancy and for whom data on PPD were available from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS). Two sets of analyses were conducted. The first compared smoking at 2 time points (prior to pregnancy and postpartum) and the second at 3 time points (prior to pregnancy, during pregnancy, and postpartum). PPD was defined as responses of "often" or "always" to 2 questions: "Since your baby was born, how often have you felt down, depressed, or sad?" and "Since your new baby was born, how often have you had little interest or little pleasure in doing things?"

Overall, 22% of the sample endorsed PPD symptoms. In the 2 time-point analysis, controlling for known confounders, participants whose smoking was reduced or unchanged postpartum were about 30% more likely to have PPD compared to those who quit (OR: 1.34; 95% CI=1.10-1.60, p=0.001; OR:1.32; 95% CI: 1.10-1.50, p<0.001 respectively). Participants who increased smoking postpartum were 80% more likely to have PPD compared those who quit (OR: 1.80; 95% CI: 1.50-2.30, p<0.001). In the 3 time-point analysis, participants who continued smoking at any level during pregnancy and postpartum had 1.48 times the odds of reporting PPD (95% CI: 1.26, 1.73) compared to those who quit during pregnancy and remained quit postpartum. Participants who quit during pregnancy but resumed postpartum had 1.28 times the odds of reporting PPD (95% CI: 1.06, 1.53) compared to those who quit during pregnancy and remained quit postpartum.

Results suggest an association among women who smoke cigarettes prior to pregnancy between PPD and continued smoking during pregnancy and postpartum.