The relationship between maternity blues and thyroid dysfunction.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether there is evidence of thyroid dysfunction in women with maternity blues.


METHODS
Twenty women with maternity blues and 20 age-matched normal controls were enrolled in our study. The serum levels of 6 kinds of thyroid hormones, cortisol, and prolactin (PRL) of the 2 groups were compared, and obstetric variables were recorded for each subject. In addition, significant variables correlating with the development of maternity blues were determined by stepwise regression analysis.


RESULTS
The serum-free triiodothyronine (FT3) level at 5 days puerperium was lower in the maternity blues group (p < 0.05) than in the control group. In the maternity blues group, the FT3 level at 5 days puerperium was lower than that at 37 weeks of pregnancy and at 1 month puerperium (p < 0.05). The reverse T3 levels and TSH levels at 5 days postpartum were higher in women with maternity blues than among the controls (p < 0.05). The proportion of primiparous women was higher in the maternity blues group (p < 0.01). Stepwise regression analysis revealed that the low FT3 level and primiparity were significantly correlated with the development of maternity blues (R2 = 0.281, p < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Thyroid dysfunction might be associated with the development of maternity blues.
Ijuin
T
T
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Kagoshima University, Japan.
Douchi
T
T
Yamamoto
S
S
Ijuin
Y
Y
Nagata
Y
Y
D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D019052:Depression, Postpartum / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D010298:Parity; D049590:Postpartum Period / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000523:psychology; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000523:psychology; D011388:Prolactin / Q000097:blood; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012016:Reference Values; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013963:Thyroid Hormones / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism
D013963:Thyroid Hormones; D011388:Prolactin; D006854:Hydrocortisone