Associations between maternal early pregnancy depression and longitudinal fetal growth

The impacts of maternal depression during mid-to-late pregnancy on fetal growth have been extensively investigated. However, the association between maternal depression during early pregnancy and fetal intrauterine growth are less clear.

A prospective study comprised 23,465 eligible pregnant women and their offspring was conducted at a hospital-based center in Shanghai. Prenatal depression was assessed used using Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) before 14 gestational weeks. Differences in fetal growth trajectory of different maternal depressive statuses during three periods (16-23, 24-31, and 32-41 gestational weeks) were compared using a multilevel model with fractional polynomials.

Women with depressive symptoms during early pregnancy had higher longitudinal fetal trajectories, with an estimated increase in fetal weight (β = 0.33; 95 % CI, 0.06-0.61), compared to those without depressive symptoms. Increases in fetal abdominal circumference among women with depressive symptoms were observed before 23 gestational weeks. Offspring born to mothers with early pregnancy depression had a significantly higher birth weight of 14.13 g (95 % CI, 1.33-27.81 g) and an increased risk of severe large size for gestational age (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.64; 95 % CI, 1.32-2.04) and macrosomia (aOR, 1.21; 95 % CI, 1.02-1.43).

Self-rated scale was used to assess depressive symptoms rather than clinical diagnosis. And Long-term effects of early pregnancy depression on offspring were not explored.

The study revealed an association between maternal depression during early pregnancy and increased fetal biometrics, higher birth weight, and an elevated risk of severe large size for gestational age and macrosomia.