CEREBRAL PALSY NEWS
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"Study: Depression Leading Cause of Premature Birth"
April 4, 2007
Pregnant women with clinical depression should have their depression treated immediately because depression is the leading cause of premature birth, according to new research by London researchers. Premature birth is one of the leading causes of congenital cerebral palsy and other health conditions.
“There is a myth that depression doesn't happen in pregnancy, but postnatal depression probably started in pregnancy in about 50% of cases, said Dr. Okeane at a meeting at London's Institute of Psychiatry. “I don't think women with a history of depression should discontinue antidepressants but they should go to a specialist.”
Hormones and Pregnancy
Stress hormones, or corticotrophin-releasing hormones (CRH), are highly influential on an unborn baby's development. When women are depressed during pregnancy, CRH levels shoot up, which can lead to the triggering of labor.
“In my opinion, depression is a major cause of pre-term birth because in about 30% of cases there is no known cause but in that group a large proportion suffer from severe psychosocial stress,” said Dr. Okeane at the London's Institute of Psychiatry's meeting.
The Study
London's Institute of Psychiatry researchers found that higher levels of CRH were present in depressed women compared to healthy women.
The small study examined levels of CRH in about 65 pregnant women, 25 of which were diagnosed with clinical depression. The CRH levels were found to be higher in the depressed women. This led to a slightly decreased pregnancy length.
Of the 25 depressed women, three gave birth prematurely. The study found that on average, depression hastened delivery by two days.
O'keane said that the babies born to depressed mothers had lower saliva cortisol responses eight weeks after birth, which may indicate that the babies are less able to react well to stressful situations.
O'Keane also said, “This abnormality in cortisol secretion would seem to be an intergenerational way of transmitting depression without it being genetic.”
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