Prenatal exposure to nicotine and postpartum depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Postpartum Depression (PPD) is the most common mental health complication of childbirth, and has short-term and long-term consequences for mother, child, and the entire family. PPD is a function of several factors. Prenatal exposure to nicotine (PEN) by Active Tobacco Smoking (ATS), Secondhand Smoking (SHS), or Electronic Nicotine Products (ENPs) is a major potential risk factor. This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to summarize and evaluate all evidence regarding the association between PEN and PPD.

We searched the following databases, PubMed, Medline, Cochrane, EMBASE, and CINHAL, for studies published between Jan.1st ,2000&Sep.19th ,2024, with the outcome PPD. Studies quality was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Pooled Prevalence (PP) was calculated using the Freeman-Tukey Double Arcsine Transformation method. Pooled Odds Ratio (pooled-OR) was estimated using a random-effects model. Sensitivity analysis was conducted using the leave-one-out technique.

Of 29 studies in the systematic review, 26 included in the meta-analysis. PP of PPD was 0.15,(95% CI[0.12-0.17]; I² = 99.80%,p < 0.001). Pooled-OR for ATS 1.96,(95%CI[1.59-2.41]; Z = 6.46,p < 0.001), 1.22,(95%CI[0.69-2.18], Z = 0.69,p = 0.49) for SHS, and 1.14,(95%CI[0.82-1.58,Z = 0.78,p = 0.43) for ENPs. While the overall Pooled-OR for all PEN was 1.74,(95%CI[1.44-2.12]; Z = 5.59,p < 0.001), funnel plots and Egger test showed no evidence of publication bias. Sensitivity analysis confirmed the robustness of the findings.

This meta-analysis reveals that the accumulated evidence shows a significant association between prenatal PEN and PPD; though this final finding should be interpreted cautiously due to the high heterogeneity. Therefore, the exposure-stratified estimates represent the principal findings of this meta-analysis. The findings indicates a significant association between prenatal ATS and PPD, but no clear conclusion could be drawn about prenatal SHS or ENPs use due to the limited number of studies. There is a need for future studies that prospectively assess the impact of SHS and ENP on PPD.