Perinatal dietary patterns and symptomatic depression: A prospective cohort study

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Nutritional Psychiatry
• Maternal Mental Health

Background:

• Perinatal depression poses risks to maternal and infant health.
• Dietary patterns require optimization in pregnant women to mitigate depression.
• Taiwanese pregnant women's intake of dairy, vegetables, and fruits often falls below recommendations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between dietary patterns and perinatal depression in pregnant women.
• To identify specific dietary patterns that may reduce the risk of depression during pregnancy and postpartum.

Main Methods:

• Prospective cohort study of 300 women from June 2020 to February 2022.
• Dietary patterns analyzed using factor analysis and a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire.
• Depression assessed using the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS).

Main Results:

• Symptomatic depression affected 31.3% in late pregnancy and 35.7% postpartum.
• Higher scores in the 'Omnivorous' dietary pattern were associated with reduced depression risk.
• For prenatal depression, risk decreased by 38-59% across higher quartiles of the omnivorous pattern; postpartum risk decreased by 68-70%.

Conclusions:

• Dietary patterns are significantly associated with perinatal depression.
• The 'Omnivorous' dietary pattern shows a protective effect against depression in pregnant women.
• Routine nutritional management should be integrated into prenatal care to address maternal mental health.