The association between nausea and vomiting of pregnancy and postpartum depression symptoms: a longitudinal study

To investigate the incidence of nausea and vomiting of pregnancy (NVP) and postpartum depression symptoms (PPDS) in Wuhan, and to explore the relationship between different degrees of NVP and PPDS. 3061 pregnant women who underwent admission check-ups, delivery, and postpartum follow-up at the Women and Children's Hospital of Wuhan between October 2016 and October 2019 were selected for this study. NVP in the first trimester was assessed by a single question in the questionnaire. PPDS was assessed using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). Binary logistic regression models were used to estimate the risk of different degrees of NVP and PPDS. (1) The detection rate of NVP in early pregnancy and PPDS was 64.0% and 16.0%. (2) The detection rate of depressive symptoms at 1 and 6 months postpartum was 16.8% and 13.6%, respectively. (3) Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that severe NVP increased the risk of PPDS at 1 and 6 months postpartum. After adjusting for covariates, pregnant women with severe NVP had a 2.39-fold (95% CI 1.18-4.84) and 2.66-fold (95% CI 1.20-5.93) risk of developing PPDS 1 month and 6 months after delivery, respectively, compared with those without NVP. The incidence of NVP in the first trimester and PPDS in Wuhan is consistent with previous literature. Severe NVP in the first trimester is associated with an increased risk of depression at 1 and 6 months postpartum.