Effects of depressive and anxiety disorders during pregnancy on gestational age and birth weight: A case-control study

Abstract

Introduction: Depression and anxiety are the most common psychiatric disorders during pregnancy. Several studies suggest that maternal affective state can negatively affect the fetus, leading to worst neonatal outcomes. The aim of this study was to compare the frequency of preterm birth (PTB), low birth weight (LBW), lower 1- and 5-minute Apgar scores and admission to neonatal intensive care unit between newborns of women with anxiety/ /depressive disorders and those of women without mental illness. Material and methods: It was performed a retrospective case-control study with 78 women with anxiety, depression or both, who were followed in Liaison Psychiatry during pregnancy and gave birth between October 2018 and October 2019. The control group was a random sample of women without mental illness who gave birth in the same period and institution. Results: A statistically significant difference (p = 0.039, OR = 2.68) was observed between the frequency of LBW in the newborns of participants (n = 8, 10.26%) and in those of control group (n = 11, 3.83%). The same was observed in the mean of birth weight (p = 0.008) and the frequency of admission to neonatal intensive care unit (p = 0.000, OR = 14.05). Conclusions: This study showed negative effects of maternal depressive and anxiety disorders in birth weight and admission to neonatal intensive care unit