The delivery of a placenta/fetus with high gonadal steroid production contributes to postpartum depressive symptoms.
Depress Anxiety
; 38(4): 422-430, 2021 04.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-33393686
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
A correlation between gonadal steroids and depressive symptoms during the perinatal period has long been suggested; however, the underlying mechanism for this relationship remains unclear.METHODS:
This study was designed to examine the correlation between gonadal steroid concentrations of umbilical cord blood and postpartum depressive symptoms as well as longitudinal alterations in maternal plasma gonadal steroid concentrations among 204 perinatal women. The levels of postpartum depressive state at 1 month postpartum were evaluated using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale.RESULTS:
Umbilical progesterone, estradiol, and testosterone levels were significantly higher in infants delivered by depressed mothers (870.7 ± 281.7 ng/ml, 8607.7 ± 4354.6 pg/ml, and 2.5 ± 0.9 ng/ml, respectively) than those delivered by nondepressed mothers (741.3 ± 324.0 ng/ml, 5221.9 ± 3416.3 pg/ml, and 2.1 ± 0.6 ng/ml, p < .01, p < .05, and p < .05, respectively). Postpartum plasma progesterone levels of depressed mothers (3.5 ± 3.1 ng/ml) measured in the early postpartum period were significantly lower than those of nondepressed mothers (9.1 ± 9.7 ng/ml, p < .01). The decrease in progesterone from mid-pregnancy to the early postpartum period was significantly higher in depressed mothers than in nondepressed mothers. Subgroup analyses specific to primiparas or multiparas indicated that a significant drop of progesterone was seen only in primiparas.CONCLUSION:
The current study suggests that the delivery of a placenta/fetus with high gonadal steroid production may cause a wider range of fluctuations in maternal plasma gonadal steroid concentrations, which may be concurrent with postpartum depressive symptoms.Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Depression, Postpartum
/
Depression
Type of study:
Diagnostic_studies
Limits:
Female
/
Humans
/
Infant
/
Pregnancy
Language:
En
Journal:
Depress Anxiety
Journal subject:
PSIQUIATRIA
Year:
2021
Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Japan