[Severe mental illness in mothers and congenital malformations in newborns: a meta-analysis].
The risk of congenital malformations appears to be higher in infants of mothers with mental disorders as compared to those of mothers with no history of psychiatric illness. This article presents a meta-analysis of studies on the association between maternal mental illness and congenital malformations. The review consisted of an article search in the MEDLINE, ISIWEB, Scopus, and SciELO databases, using the following key words: "mental disorders" OR "mental health" OR "psychotic disorders" OR "schizophrenia" AND "congenital abnormalities" OR "birth defects". A total of 108 studies were identified, and five articles were selected according to the established criteria. These articles were included in a meta-analysis, involving a total of 4,194 children of mothers with mental illness and 249,548 children of mothers with no such disorders. Pooled relative risk showed a significant association between exposure to mental illness in mothers and risk of malformations in newborns (RR = 2.06, 95%CI: 1.46-2.67). The study highlights the relationship between maternal mental health during pregnancy and its effects on the infant's health.
Instituto de Estudos em Saúde Coletiva, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. priscilakrauss@ig.com.br
Priscila Krauss
PK
Pereira
Lúcia Abelha
LA
Lima
Mônica Maria Ferreira
MM
Magnanini
Leticia Fortes
LF
Legay
Giovanni Marcos
GM
Lovisi
D000013:Congenital Abnormalities / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008429:Maternal Welfare; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000523:psychology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000150:complications*