PARIS, Mar. 7 (Benin News) –
Despite the use of antidepressants (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), many pregnant women experience persistent symptoms of depression and anxiety during pregnancy and postpartum, according to a new study from Northwestern Medicine, Northwestern University, USA, published in the journal “Psychiatric Research and Clinical Practice”.
The study also found that symptoms of anxiety are common among depressed women treated, and symptoms worsen over time in some women. This is the first study to measure the different trajectories of depression and anxiety in pregnant and postpartum women. Throughout pregnancy, 18% of women had minimal depressive symptoms, 50% mild symptoms, and 32% clinically relevant symptoms.
“This is the first longitudinal data showing that many pregnant women experience symptoms of depression and anxiety during pregnancy and postpartum, even if they choose to continue treatment with antidepressants,” notes the lead author. , Katherine Wisner, PhD, director of the Asher Center for the Study and Treatment of Depressive Disorders and professor of psychiatry and obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine.
“It lets us know that these women need ongoing follow-up during pregnancy and postpartum, so their doctors can tailor their treatment to relieve their symptoms,” she adds.
Co-author Catherine Stika, MD, clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern and gynecologist at Northwestern Medicine, adds, “Psychological and psychosocial factors change rapidly throughout pregnancy. Repeated checks will allow the doctor to adapt the type and/or intensity of the intervention until the symptoms improve”.
Depression also affects a woman’s baby. “This is critical, because children exposed to a depressed mother are at increased risk for developmental disabilities in early childhood,” warns Wisner.
The new research also showed that pregnant women who took selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors to treat their depression experienced suboptimal health, including high body mass index, infertility, migraines, thyroid and asthma. A history of eating disorders predicts high scores in the depression trajectory.
The prospective longitudinal cohort study included 88 pregnant women. They carried out assessments every four weeks between the start of the study and delivery, and then at six and 14 weeks after delivery. Perinatal depression and anxiety are very common, affecting 20% of women during pregnancy and after childbirth.