Authors:
Robinson M, Whitehouse AJO, Newnham JP, Gorman S, Jacoby P, Holt BJ, Serralha M, Tearne JE, Holt PG, Hart PH, Kusel MMH
Authors notes:
Archives of Women's Mental Health 17(3): 213-219.
Keywords:
environmental exposure, perinatal mental health, postnatal depression, postpartum blues, Vitamin D
Abstract:
Pregnancy is a time of vulnerability for vitamin D insufficiency, and there is an emerging literature associating low levels of 25(OH)-vitamin D with depressive symptoms.
However, the link between 25(OH)-vitamin D status in pregnancy and altered risk of postnatal depressive symptoms has not been examined.
We hypothesise that low levels of 25(OH)-vitamin D in maternal serum during pregnancy will be associated with a higher incidence of postpartum depressive symptoms.
We prospectively collected sera at 18 weeks gestation from 796 pregnant women in Perth (1989-1992) who were enrolled in the Western Australian Pregnancy Cohort (Raine) Study and measured levels of 25(OH)-vitamin D.
Women reported postnatal depressive symptoms at 3 days post-delivery.
Women in the lowest quartile for 25(OH)-vitamin D status were more likely to report a higher level of postnatal depression symptoms than women who were in the highest quartile for vitamin D, even after accounting for a range of confounding variables including season of birth, body mass index and sociodemographic factors.
Low vitamin D during pregnancy is a risk factor for the development of postpartum depression symptoms.