Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2020 Jun;13(2):55-61.
doi: 10.1177/1753495X19843015. Epub 2019 Apr 24.

Antenatal depression and offspring health outcomes

Alexandra Smith  1 , Jasna Twynstra  1   2 , Jamie A Seabrook  1   3   4   5   6   7
Affiliations
Review

Antenatal depression and offspring health outcomes

Alexandra Smith et al. Obstet Med. 2020 Jun.

Abstract

Background: Depression is the most common mental disorder during pregnancy, with prevalence rates between 4% and 20%. The objective of this review was to synthesize the literature on the association between antenatal depression and offspring birth outcomes, as well as developmental, behavioral, and psychiatric outcomes.

Methods: A search of PubMed, Cochrane, and Medline databases was conducted for articles published until December 2017. Articles focusing on the effects of antenatal depression on the offspring were selected to be reviewed. Reference lists of all studies were examined for any missed articles. A total of 32 articles were included in this review.

Results: Antenatal depression is associated with preterm birth, excessive infant crying, and offspring mental health problems. Untreated antenatal depression is strongly associated with adverse effects on the infant nervous system.

Conclusion: Antenatal depression increases the likelihood of poor offspring health outcomes. Research should investigate whether medication use confounds this relationship.

Keywords: High-risk pregnancy; maternal–fetal medicine; neonatal medicine; perinatal medicine; stress.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Flow diagram of literature review process.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Ajinkya S, Jadhav PR, Srivastava NN. Depression during pregnancy: prevalence and obstetric risk factors among pregnant women attending a tertiary care hospital in Navi Mumbai. Ind Psychiatry J 2013; 22: 37–40. - PMC - PubMed
    1. American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. 4th ed Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association, 1995.
    1. Waters CS, Hay DF, Simmonds JR, et al. Antenatal depression and children’s developmental outcomes: potential mechanisms and treatment options. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2014; 23: 957–971. - PubMed
    1. Graignic-Philippe R, Dayan J, Chokron S, et al. Effects of antenatal stress on fetal and child development: a critical literature review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2014; 43: 137–162. - PubMed
    1. O'Connor TG, Heron J, Golding J, et al. Maternal antenatal anxiety and children's behavioural/emotional problems at 4 years: report from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. Br J Psychiatry 2002; 180: 502–508. - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources