Psychological distress in pregnancy and preterm delivery.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate if psychological distress during pregnancy is associated with increased risk of preterm delivery.


METHODS
Prospective, population based, follow up study with repeated measures of psychological distress (general health questionnaire), based on the use of questionnaires.


METHODS
Antenatal care clinic and delivery ward, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark.


METHODS
8719 women with singleton pregnancies attending antenatal care for the initial visit between 1 August 1989 and 30 September 1991; 5872 women (67%) completed all questionnaires.


METHODS
Preterm delivery. Estimation of gestational age at delivery was mainly based on early ultrasound measurements.


RESULTS
In 197 cases (3.6%) the woman delivered prematurely (less than 259 days). A dose-response relation between psychological distress in the 30th week of pregnancy and risk of preterm delivery was found, but distress measured in the 16th week was not related to preterm delivery. Control of confounding was secured by the use of multivariate logistic regression models. Relative risk for preterm delivery was 1.22 (95% confidence interval 0.84 to 1.79) for moderate distress and 1.75 (1.20 to 2.54) for high distress in comparison to low distress.


CONCLUSIONS
Psychological distress later in pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of preterm delivery. Future interventional studies should focus on ways of lowering psychological distress in late pregnancy.
Hedegaard
M
M
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark.
Henriksen
T B
TB
Sabroe
S
S
Secher
N J
NJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D007752:Obstetric Labor, Premature / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications*