Risk of postnatal depression or suicide after in vitro fertilisation treatment: a nationwide case-control study

Maternal Antibiotic Exposure and the Risk of Developing Antenatal or Postpartum Depressive Symptoms: The Maternal Experience Study Protocol

Limited epidemiological evidence suggests a link between antibiotic use and developing depression. This study seeks to investigate this association in depth, using a cohort of pregnant individuals. The primary aim is to explore any association between the use of antibiotics during pregnancy and the development of antenatal depressive symptoms up to the third trimester, as well as the use of antibiotics during pregnancy and within 12 months postpartum and the development of postpartum depressive symptoms. A national prospective, observational, longitudinal cohort study has been designed to examine these relationships. A sample size of 1500 pregnant individuals has been sought for this study, assuming 10 potential predictor variables (including antibiotic use) in the final multiple logistic regression model and allowing for a 30% drop-out rate. The development of depressive symptoms is considered either a diagnosis by a medical doctor and/or a scoring 13 or higher on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. Data will be collected during the third trimester and at 6 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months postpartum. These surveys include variables previously identified as associated with antenatal and postpartum depression (e.g., level of social support, experience of intimate partner abuse, and obstetric complications), as well as antibiotic and probiotic use. This study will provide an update on the prevalence of the symptoms of depression during pregnancy and postpartum and its associated risk factors. It will also, for the first time, comprehensively explore the potential association between antibiotic use during pregnancy and up to 12 months postpartum and the development of depressive symptoms.

The association between time-to-pregnancy and postpartum depressive symptoms in a North American prospective cohort study

PURPOSE

To prospectively examine the association between time-to-pregnancy (TTP) and postpartum depression (PPD) and determine whether perceived stress during early pregnancy mediated this association.

METHODS

In Pregnancy Study Online, an internet-based preconception cohort study of pregnancy planners, participants completed questionnaires every 8 weeks for up to 12 months or conception, during pregnancy, and at postpartum. A total of 2643 women provided information on sociodemographic factors, reproductive history, and stress (i.e., Perceived Stress Scale [PSS]) during preconception and early pregnancy (completed at ∼4-12 weeks' gestation) and on postpartum depressive symptoms (i.e., Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale [EPDS]) at ∼6 months postpartum. We used multivariable modified Poisson regression models to estimate risk ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the association between TTP (<3, 3-5, 6-11, ≥12 menstrual cycles) and PPD (EPDS score ≥13). Causal mediation analyses assessed the mediating role of early pregnancy PSS scores.

RESULTS

10.6% of women had EPDS scores indicating possible PPD (≥13). Compared with women who took less than 3 cycles to conceive, risk ratios for those who took 3-5, 6-11, and greater than or equal to 12 were 1.06 (95% CI: 0.77, 1.45), 1.24 (95% CI: 0.90, 1.70), and 1.31 (95% CI: 0.87, 1.99), respectively. Approximately 30% of the association between infertility (TTP ≥ 12) and PPD was mediated by early pregnancy PSS.

CONCLUSIONS

There was a modest positive dose-response association between delayed conception and PPD. Perceived stress in early pregnancy explained a small proportion of this association. However, given the width of the CIs, chance cannot be ruled out as an explanation for the observed association.

Progression of depression and anxiety symptoms in pregnancies conceived by assisted reproductive technology in the United States

PURPOSE

Women who utilize assisted-reproductive technology (ART) to achieve pregnancy experience unique circumstances before and during their pregnancy. This study aims to examine the progression of mental health in pregnant women who conceived via various methods of ART to understand gestational time periods of emotional stability or risk specific to these populations.

METHODS

Secondary analysis of the Yale Pink and Blue Study - a prospective cohort involving women from 137 obstetrical practices in the northeastern United States between 2005-2009. Depressive and anxiety symptoms among spontaneous, planned pregnancies were compared to ART pregnancies using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and its anxiety subscale (EPDS-3A), respectively. Generalized Estimating Equations were used to compare group changes (EPDS and EPDS-3A score threshold ≥10) at timepoints of <17 weeks (T1), 28(±2) weeks (T2), and 8(±4) weeks postpartum (T3).

RESULTS

1,466 spontaneous, planned pregnancies were compared to 191 pregnancies conceived via ART. Prevalence of depressive symptoms were similar between conception groups. Change in prevalence over time differed significantly between those groups (from T1 to T3 (β 0.59), as well as between spontaneous pregnancies compared to autologous gamete ART pregnancies (from T1 to T2 (β 0.48) and T1 to T3 (β 0.65). Course of anxiety did not differ between conception groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Women who conceive via ART have different rates of change in depressive symptoms throughout gestation compared to women with spontaneous pregnancies.

The role of personality dimensions and trait anxiety in increasing the likelihood of suicide ideation in women during the perinatal period

INTRODUCTION

Increasing amount of data reveal that suicide risk is a real phenomenon among perinatal women, determined by several other psychopathological conditions with depression being just one of them. This study aimed to investigate the role of personality dimensions on the occurrence of suicide ideation during the perinatal period.

METHODS

A longitudinal prospective study was performed in pregnant women who were monitored at university-based obstetrical care units in our county. Recruited women were reassessed between 6 and 8 weeks into their postnatal period. Trait and state anxiety, five-factor based dimensions of personality, and depressive symptoms were assessed using established psychometric measures. Appropriate statistical analyses were conducted, depending on the distribution of variables.

RESULTS

Significant levels of state anxiety (33.7% vs. 15.5%), depressive symptoms (19.8% vs. 8.5%), and suicide risk (13.9% vs. 6.3%) have halved in the postnatal period compared to the antenatal assessment. A lower level of education was associated with the presence of postnatal suicide ideation (p = .041), while an unemployed professional status was more frequent in pregnant women presenting antenatal suicide ideation (p = .021). Trait anxiety was predictive for the appearance of suicide ideation within the entire perinatal period assessed (p < .001 and p = .007, respectively). Agreeableness and conscientiousness predicted antenatal suicide ideation (p = .033 and p = .032, respectively).

DISCUSSIONS

Different dimensions of personality may play a contributing role in the development of suicide ideation in perinatal women. Consequently, personality dimensions and trait anxiety, not only depressive symptoms, should be investigated when attempting to identify perinatal women at risk of suicide.

The association between antidepressant use and assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatment in Danish women: A national registry-based cohort study

OBJECTIVE

To investigate (1) if antidepressant use among women in assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatment and among women without ART treatment influences cumulative live birth rates (CLBR) and number of initiated treatment cycles per woman, (2) whether women undergoing ART treatment are at higher risk of initiating use of antidepressants compared to women not having undergone ART, (3) if mothers after ART treatment have higher risk for postpartum use of antidepressants after ART treatment compared to mothers not having used ART treatment.

STUDY DESIGN

A Danish nation-wide register-based cohort study including all women in ART treatment between 1995 through 2009 and an age-matched comparison group of women not having initiated ART treatment. In both groups, women had no previous children before study entry. The women were followed from time of initiating first ART treatment until time of permanent emigration (> 6 months), date of death, or end of follow-up by 31st of December 2009. Chi-square test was used to assess whether observed differences in CLBR between groups were significant. Adjusted incidence rates (IR) and incidence rate ratio (IRR) with 95 % confidence interval (CI) were calculated using Poisson regression analysis. The main outcome measures were: CLBR, number of initiated ART treatment cycles and IRR of initiating antidepressant use.

RESULTS

Women using antidepressants before, during or after ART treatment were significantly older, had a lower CLBR and a lower mean number of initiated ART treatment cycles compared to women in ART treatment with no use of antidepressants. No significant difference was found in the incidence of initiating antidepressant use between women in ART treatment and the comparison group. However, when comparing only women with a live birth, significantly more women in ART treatment initiated antidepressant use in the postpartum period (adjusted incidence rate ratio (IRR) = 2.56 (95 % CI 1.98-3.30; p < 0.001)).

CONCLUSION

Generally, women undergoing ART treatment are not at higher risk of initiating use of antidepressants compared with an age-matched comparison group not treated with ART. However, women with antidepressant medication use prior to ART initiate fewer ART treatments and have lower CLBR. Even though it has not been possible to adjust for all relevant confounders and our follow-up period only runs until the end of 2009, we still believe the results of this study to be highly relevant. According to our study, clinicians should be aware that women conceiving after ART treatment might experience an increased level of psychological strain during the postpartum period compared to mothers who conceived without ART.

Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders in Women Undergoing Medically Assisted Reproduction

Background: Women taking advantage of medically assisted reproduction (MAR) techniques may differ from spontaneously conceiving women (nonMAR) in risk of depression and/or anxiety. We aimed to investigate possible differences between MAR and nonMAR through the use of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale in a sample of Italian-speaking women at their third trimester of pregnancy. Methods: We administered the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) to two groups of pregnant women, MAR and nonMAR, at the third trimester of pregnancy (T0), one month after delivery (T1), and three months after delivery (T2) from February 2013 to December 2019. EPDS total scores cutoffs were ≥9 for risk of depression, 9–11 mild depression, ≥12 major depression, and the EPDS-3A cluster ≥4 was a proxy for anxiety. Results: Included were 1303 nonMAR women and 92 MAR, an expected disproportion. NonMAR and MAR women did not differ on depression or anxiety at any assessment timepoint. MAR women were older than nonMAR, consumed more alcohol and medical drugs, and displayed more complications during pregnancy. Scoring over the threshold on depression risk was associated with foreign nationality, unemployment, psychiatric history of the patient, family or partner, psychiatric problems in past pregnancies, hyperemesis, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), and stressful life events in the last year at baseline, and, for some of them, at other timepoints. In contrast, MAR past or current was associated with having suprathreshold depression at the first-month postpartum follow-up. Conclusions: Taken together, our data show that women opting for MAR do not differ from spontaneously conceiving women regarding psychiatric outcomes but do differ on some sociodemographic and clinical variables.

Infertility-related stress and the risk of antidepressants prescription in women: a 10-year register study

STUDY QUESTION

Is the first-time redeemed prescription of antidepressants predicted by the level of infertility-related stress in women seeking ART treatment?

SUMMARY ANSWER

Infertility-related stress in the personal and marital domains and general physical stress reactions were significant predictors of a first redeemed prescription of antidepressants after ART treatment in this 10-year follow-up cohort study.

WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY

The literature has found inconsistent findings regarding the association between infertility-related stress and later psychological adjustment in fertility patients. The association between infertility-related stress and later prescription of antidepressants had never been explored in long-term cohort studies.

STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION

All women (n = 1169) who participated in the Copenhagen Cohort Multi-centre Psychosocial Infertility (COMPI) cohort study in the year 2000 (questionnaire data) were linked with the register-based Danish National ART-Couple (DANAC) I cohort, which includes women and their partners having received ART treatment from 1 January 1994 to 30 September 2009. The study population were among other national health and sociodemographic registers further linked with the Danish National Prescription Registry.

PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS

Women initiating ART treatment were followed until they had redeemed the first prescription of antidepressants or until 31 December 2009. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to test the association between general physical stress reactions and infertility-related stress in the personal, marital and social domains, respectively, and a future redeemed prescription of antidepressants. Age, education level, marital status, number of fertility treatments prior to study inclusion and female infertility diagnosis were included as covariates in the adjusted analyses. Further, the analysis was stratified according to childbirth or no childbirth during follow-up.

MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE

The final sample consisted of 1009 women with a mean age of 31.8 years. At study inclusion, women had tried to conceive for an average of 3.45 years. At 10-year follow-up, a total of 13.7% of women had a first redeemed prescription of antidepressant medication. The adjusted odds ratio (OR) showed that high general physical stress predicted the later prescription of antidepressants (adjusted (adj) OR = 2.85, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.96–4.16). Regarding infertility-related stress domains, high personal stress (adj OR = 2.14, 95% CI 1.46–3.13) and high marital stress (adj OR = 1.80, 95% CI 1.23–2.64) were significantly associated with the later prescription of antidepressants. Social stress was not significantly associated with the future redeemed prescription of antidepressants (adj OR = 1.10, 95% CI 0.76–1.61). Among women not having achieved childbirth during follow-up, the risk of a first-time prescription of antidepressants associated with infertility-specific stress was higher compared to the risk among women having childbirth during follow-up.

LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION

This study did not account for potential mediating factors, such as negative life events, which could be associated with the prescription of antidepressants. Second, we are not able to know if these women had sought psychological support during follow-up. Additionally, antidepressants might be prescribed for other health conditions than depressive disorders.

WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS

Our results suggest that women presenting high infertility-related stress in the personal and marital domains were at higher risk of redeemed first-time prescription of antidepressants after ART, independently of having delivered a child or not after initiation of ART treatment. Women would benefit from an initial screening specifically for high infertility-related stress. The COMPI Fertility Problem Stress Scales can be used by clinical staff in order to identify women in need of psychological support before starting ART treatments.

STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S)

This study was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under an individual doctoral grant attributed to the first author (SFRH/BD/103234/2014). The establishment of the DANAC I cohort was funded by Rosa Ebba Hansen’s Fund. The COMPI Infertility Cohort project was supported by The Danish Health Insurance Fund (J.nr. 11/097–97), the Else and Mogens Wedell-Wedellsborgs Fund, the manager E. Danielsens and Wife’s Fund, the merchant L.F. Foghts Fund, the Jacob Madsen and Wife Olga Madsens Fund. The authors have no conflicts of interest.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

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Association between infertility treatment and perinatal depressive symptoms: A meta-analysis of observational studies

OBJECTIVE

Recent reports have shown a considerable number of couples received infertility treatment, raising new concerns about the association between infertility treatment and perinatal depressive symptoms. However, the conclusions of existing studies were inconsistent. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis to determine whether infertility treatment increase the risk of developing perinatal depressive symptoms.

METHODS

A systematic literature search was performed in several databases up to July 2018 for relevant articles. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using a random-effects model. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses were performed to explore possible sources of heterogeneity.

RESULTS

Twenty-two studies with a total of 69,201 individuals were included in this study. The pooled OR of the association between infertility treatment and perinatal depressive symptoms was 1.01(95% CI: 0.83, 1.23), with substantial heterogeneity (I² = 63%, P < .001). However, in subgroup analyses, a significantly positive association between infertility treatment and depressive symptoms was observed only in some Asian countries (six studies), and the pooled OR was 1.73 (95% CI:1.07, 2.81). An inverse association was found in 6-12 months after delivery (OR = 0.56, 95% CI:0.33, 0.96). Sensitivity analyses validated evidence of the robustness of the findings.

CONCLUSION

The results show that women who receive infertility treatment do not appear to be at increased risk of significant perinatal depressive symptoms compared with those after spontaneous conception.