Post-partum depressive symptoms and medically assisted conception: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

STUDY QUESTION: Does medically assisted conception increase the risk of post-partum depressive symptoms? SUMMARY ANSWER: Our literature review and meta-analysis showed no increased risk of post-partum depressive symptoms in women after medically assisted conception. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: Women who conceive with medically assisted conception, which can be considered as a stressful life event, could face an increased risk of depressive symptoms. However, no previous meta-analysis has been performed on the association between medically assisted conception and post-partum depressive symptoms. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: A systematic review with electronic searches of PubMed, ISI Web of Knowledge and PsycINFO databases up to December 2014 was conducted to identify articles evaluating post-partum depressive symptoms in women who had benefited from medically assisted conception compared with those with a spontaneous pregnancy. Meta-analyses were also performed on clinically significant post-partum depressive symptoms according to PRISMA guidelines. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS: From 569 references, 492 were excluded on title, 42 on abstract and 17 others on full-text. Therefore, 18 studies were included in the review and 8 in the meta-analysis (2451 women) on clinically significant post-partum depressive symptoms after medically assisted conception compared with a spontaneous pregnancy. A sensitivity meta-analysis on assisted reproductive technologies and spontaneous pregnancy (6 studies, 1773 women) was also performed. The quality of the studies included in the meta-analyses was evaluated using the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology Statement for observational research. The data were pooled using RevMan software by the Cochrane Collaboration. Heterogeneity between studies was assessed from the results of the χ(2) and I(2) statistics. Biases were assessed with funnel plots and Egger's test. A fixed effects model was used for the meta-analyses because of the low level of heterogeneity between the studies. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: The systematic review of studies examining post-partum depressive symptoms after medically assisted conception compared with spontaneous pregnancy is not in favor of an association. Our meta-analysis on clinically significant post-partum depressive symptoms showed no significant difference between women who used medically assisted conception and those with spontaneous pregnancy: odds ratio (OR) = 0.93 (0.67-1.31), Z = 0.40, P = 0.69. The sensitivity meta-analysis reported no significant difference either: OR = 1.04 (0.71-1.52), Z = 0.18, P = 0.86. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION: The literature on post-partum depressive symptoms and medically assisted conception is sparse. Only eight studies were available for our meta-analysis taking into account the rates of clinically significant post-partum depressive symptoms after medically assisted conception. However, the quality of the studies was high and the heterogeneity between trials was not significant. Whilst post-partum anxiety is more prevalent than depressive states and they can co-occur, it was not considered in these review and meta-analyses. In addition, other risk factors, such as maternal age, socio-demographic data or obstetric factors, are important for the assessment of post-partum depressive symptoms. Our review reported that several of these confounding risk factors were, however, analyzed and controlled for in the studies. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS: Our literature review and meta-analyses showed no increased risk of post-partum depressive symptoms in women after medically assisted conception. Even if the rates of depressive symptoms are the same in the medically assisted conception population as among controls, the risk factors could be different. Though medically assisted conception can be considered as a stressful life event, these women have also lower prevalence of the usual risks. Professionals should also be careful to screen for prenatal and post-partum depressive symptoms, as with all pregnant women. Further studies are needed to clarify the specific features of post-partum depressive symptoms in this population.

Inpatient mother-and-child postpartum psychiatric care: factors associated with improvement in maternal mental health.

PURPOSE: This study assessed the underexplored factors associated with significant improvement in mothers' mental health during postpartum inpatient psychiatric care. METHODS: This study analyzed clinical improvement in a prospective cohort of 869 women jointly admitted with their infant to 13 psychiatric Mother-Baby Units (MBUs) in France between 2001 and 2007. Predictive variables tested were: maternal mental illness (ICD-10), sociodemographic characteristics, mental illness and childhood abuse history, acute or chronic disorder, pregnancy and birth data, characteristics and mental health of the mother's partner, and MBU characteristics. RESULTS: Two thirds of the women improved significantly by discharge. Admission for 25% was for a first acute episode very early after childbirth. Independent factors associated with marked improvement at discharge were bipolar or depressive disorder, a first acute episode or relapse of such an episode. Schizophrenia, a personality disorder, and poor social integration (as measured by occupational status) were all related to poor clinical outcomes. DISCUSSION: Most women improved significantly while under care in MBUs. Our results emphasize the importance of the type of disease but also its chronicity and the social integration when providing postpartum psychiatric care.

[Psychotic women and motherhood: what risks for the child?]. / Femmes psychotiques et maternité: quels risques pour l'enfant?

Desire for child in psychotic patients: what risks for the child? Here are two very different questions. When mentally ill patients express the desire to have a child, professionals are apprehensive regarding the child's future and express eugenics temptation. Nevertheless, it is a topical question as neuroleptic drugs efficiency as well as mental health policy encourage them to live as close to normality as possible. Therefore, they have sexual relations, they have children. Since 1975, children born from psychotic mothers have been considered by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to be at high risk. This means they justify close support measures and prevention. The child runs 3 risks: a risk to develop a mental illness partly hereditary, a risk regarding his or her development, risks related to suffering, as these children are confronted with the illness of their parents. The major role played by environmental factors guide prevention behaviours; in particular towards parents-to-be psychotic adult patients and during the pregnancy, a privileged moment for preventive strategies consistent with the Perinatal Plan 2005-2007. A clinical label will provide an example of the difficulty to establish a mother-child link observed with a psychotic woman, because the imaginary child overrides the real baby. To conclude the emphasis should be put on multidisciplinary and evolutionary strategies. These imply some optimism.

[Short- and long-term consequences of prenatal exposure to cannabis]. / Conséquences à court et long terme d'une exposition prénatale au cannabis.

OBJECTIVE: Cannabis is one of the most commonly used drugs by pregnant women. The objective of this review of literature was to examine the association between cannabis use during pregnancy and effects upon growth, cognitive development (memory, attention, executive functions...) and behavior of newborns, children and teenagers. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We searched for articles indexed in the medline database from 1970 to 2005. The following terms were used in the literature search: cannabis/marijuana, pregnancy, fetal development, newborn, prenatal exposure, neurobehavioral deficits, cognitive deficits, executive functions, cannabinoids, reproduction. Most of the articles were published in English. RESULTS: Cannabis use during pregnancy is related to diverse neurobehavioral and cognitive outcomes, including symptoms of inattention, impulsivity, deficits in learning and memory, and a deficiency in aspects of executive functions. It seems difficult to identify complications, such as lower birth weight, only attributable to cannabis as opposed to the multiple perinatal complications associated with tobacco smoking. CONCLUSION: In addition to alcohol and cigarettes, information should be given to women about the potentially harmful effects on fetal development, newborns, children and teenagers of smoking cannabis. Therefore, it seems necessary to develop prevention programs on this subject.

The history of Mother-Baby Units (MBUs) in France and Belgium and of the French version of the Marcé checklist.

Until fairly recently, mentally ill mothers were separated from their new-borns because of the potential danger to the baby. Over the past 50 years, however, we have learned more about the perinatal period, with the development of child psychiatry and interest in maternal postpartum disorders. This knowledge has led psychiatric departments to develop new ways to provide care without separating mentally ill mothers from their babies. Joint full-time admissions began in Great Britain in 1948. The first Mother-Baby Unit (MBU) in France opened in 1979 and in Belgium in 1990. In 2003, there are 17 MBUs in France and 3 in Belgium. From 1995 to 1998, Odile Cazas and Nine Glangeaud, working with a group of child and adult psychiatrists and psychologists, adapted the English Marcé Checklist to the French and Belgian health and child protective systems and added items useful for research.

[The hospitalization of a mother and her infant in an adult psychiatric department]. / L'hospitalisation de la mère et de son nourrisson dans un service de psychiatrie adulte.

In this article, the authors tell of experiences of hospitalizing mothers together with their newborn children in the psychiatric ward for adults in a general hospital in the Paris region since October 1980. They studied 52 cases, 42 of which were related to post-natal depression. This study develops hypotheses leading up to its implementation, describes how it is set up, and specifies the goals of hospitalizing the two together: not automatically separating a child from its mother who develops a psychiatric condition at such a vulnerable age, observing how mother and child interact, evaluating the mother's nurturing skills and how the baby functions, taking therapeutic action for the mother and for the mother-child relationship, and allowing preventive action, a general prevention of mental illness. Over the years indication for this type of treatment was refined: keeping an infant close to it's sick mother cannot be a general rule and it should always be possible to reverse the decision. this is only used as an attempt at keeping the newborn with its mother in acute states and when support from the father or the extended family is available. Birthing and post-partum periods could be good ones for taking preventive action concerning the child. Early identification of an interactive disturbance before it comes out as a medical problem, finding new ways of acting and having a therapeutic effect.

[2 cases of amineptine dependence]. / Deux cas de dépendance à l'amineptine.

We relate two cases of amineptine (Survector) overconsumption by patients cured for atypical depression with asthenia and activities deficit as the prevalent symptoms. Prescription of two tablets a day (0,200 g) was respected in one case during six months, and in the other case during two years, with therapeutic benefit on apragmatism. To no obvious reason, within few months both patients had gradually raised the doses to twenty tablets (2 g) and thirty tablets (3 g) respectively: we observed subexcitation, insomnia, sensorial hyperaesthesia, irritability, tachyphemia with dysarthria, anorexia with weight lost of more than 10 kg and amphetamine-like troubles without confusion or delusion, as a result of which both patients were treated for their addiction, in hospital. Treatment with clorazepate perfusions did not cause any physical dependence problems. However, psychological dependence was strong enough for one of the patients to go out, on the third day, against medical decision. As far as we know, in France, only one such case of addiction use at high doses and in single intakes is mentioned in the existing literature. However, our observations suggest that it might be necessary to re-assess the place of amineptine among new antidepressive molecules with psychostimulant abilities.