Associations Between Maternal Anxiety and Depression During Pregnancy and Obstetric Outcomes: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background Anxiety and depressive symptoms are common during pregnancy, influencing obstetric outcomes. This cross-sectional study primarily aimed to assess the prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms in pregnancy and their association with obstetric outcomes. Another objective of the study was to determine the association of maternity social support and partner support during pregnancy with the final obstetric outcomes. Methods During the first phase (antenatal) of the study, anxiety, depressive symptoms, maternity social support, and partner support were assessed using structures and validated questionnaires, i.e., Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7), Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, Maternity Social Support Scale, and Partner Support Scale, respectively. During phase II (post-partum), details on the mode of delivery, gender of the baby, gestational age at delivery, birth weight, and any complication(s) during delivery were noted. Results Out of a total of 104 study participants, anxiety and depressive symptoms were present in 17.3% (n=18) and 26.0% (n=27), respectively. The risk of low birth weight was increased with clinically significant antenatal anxiety symptoms (χ2 = 7.566, p=0.010) and depressive symptoms (χ2=4.323, p=0.038). A strong association was found between fetal maturity and maternity social support (χ2=26.269, p≤0.001). Conclusions The study results highlight the importance of routine mental health screening during pregnancy and timely interventions to improve maternal and neonatal outcomes.