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Maternal depression and inflammation during pregnancy

Marius Lahti-Pulkkinen1,2,3, Polina Girchenko1, Rachel Robinson1

  • 1Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.

Psychological Medicine
|August 24, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Maternal depression during pregnancy is linked to increased inflammation, a process mediated by body mass index (BMI). Depressive symptoms worsen obesity-related inflammation, impacting child development.

Area of Science:

  • Reproductive Health
  • Perinatal Psychiatry
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Maternal depression during pregnancy poses risks for adverse child developmental outcomes.
  • The biological mechanisms linking maternal depression to these risks are not fully understood.
  • Inflammation is a potential biological pathway requiring investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between maternal depression and inflammatory markers during pregnancy.
  • To determine if early pregnancy overweight/obesity or pregnancy disorders mediate these associations.
  • To examine if depression exacerbates inflammation in women with these conditions.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of plasma high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and glycoprotein acetyls at three pregnancy stages.
  • Assessment of depression history via healthcare records and self-reports.
  • Measurement of depressive symptoms using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale.
  • Inclusion of data on early pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and pregnancy disorders from medical records.

Main Results:

  • History of depression and higher depressive symptoms predicted elevated hsCRP levels.
  • History of depression also predicted higher glycoprotein acetyls.
  • These associations were mediated by early pregnancy BMI, not explained by diabetes/hypertensive disorders.
  • In obese women, depressive symptoms during pregnancy intensified hsCRP levels.

Conclusions:

  • Maternal depression is associated with a proinflammatory state during pregnancy.
  • Early pregnancy BMI mediates the link between depression and inflammation.
  • Depressive symptoms during pregnancy exacerbate obesity-related inflammation.
Abstract

Keywords:
Antenataldepressiondepressive disorderdepressive symptomsfetal programmingglycoproteinhsCRPinflammation

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