Implications of antenatal depression and anxiety for obstetric outcome.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the obstetric outcome and health care consumption during pregnancy, delivery, and the early postpartum period in an unselected population-based sample of pregnant women diagnosed with antenatal depressive and/or anxiety disorders, compared with healthy subjects.


METHODS
Participants were 1,495 women attending 2 obstetric clinics in Northern Sweden. The Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders was used to evaluate depressive and anxiety disorders in the second trimester of pregnancy. To assess demographic characteristics, obstetric outcome, and complications, the medical records of the included women were reviewed.


RESULTS
Significant associations were found between depression and/or anxiety and increased nausea and vomiting, prolonged sick leave during pregnancy and increased number of visits to the obstetrician, specifically, visits related to fear of childbirth and those related to contractions. Planned cesarean delivery and epidural analgesia during labor were also significantly more common in women with antenatal depression and/or anxiety.


CONCLUSIONS
There is an association between antenatal depressive and/or anxiety disorders and increased health care use (including cesarean deliveries) during pregnancy and delivery.
Andersson
Liselott
L
Department of Clinical Sciences, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden. liselott.andersson@nll.se
Sundström-Poromaa
Inger
I
Wulff
Marianne
M
Aström
Monica
M
Bixo
Marie
M
D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome