New episodes of depression in expectant dads may significantly increase the risk for a very premature birth, according to a new study published in BJOG: an International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
It is well-established that depression in expectant mothers is tied to low birth weight and increased risk of premature birth. This may be due to extreme stress, the death of a loved one, lack of social support, or a difficult or abusive relationship. However, there has been little research regarding the impact of paternal depression on the health of the mother or the unborn child.
In this study, researchers evaluated more than 350,000 births in Sweden between 2007 and 2012. They looked for cases of parental depression and incidences of either very preterm birth (between 22 and 31 weeks) or moderately preterm birth (32-36 weeks).
In both mothers and fathers, depression was defined as having had a prescription of antidepressant medication, or receiving outpatient/inpatient hospital care, from 12 months before conception to the end of the second trimester of pregnancy.
[For more of this story, written by Traci Pedersen, go to http://psychcentral.com/news/2...erm-birth/98010.html]
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