title: Vitamin D status during pregnancy and the risk of subsequent postpartum depression: a case-control study.
abstract: Epidemiological studies have provided evidence of an association between vitamin D insufficiency and depression and other mood disorders, and a role for vitamin D in various brain functions has been suggested. We hypothesized that low vitamin D status during pregnancy might increase the risk of postpartum depression (PPD). The objective of the study was thus to determine whether low vitamin D status during pregnancy was associated with postpartum depression. In a case-control study nested in the Danish National Birth Cohort, we measured late pregnancy serum concentrations of 25[OH]D3 in 605 women with PPD and 875 controls. Odds ratios [OR) for PPD were calculated for six levels of 25[OH]D3. Overall, we found no association between vitamin D concentrations and risk of PPD (p = 0.08). Compared with women with vitamin D concentrations between 50 and 79 nmol/L, the adjusted odds ratios for PPD were 1.35 (95% CI: 0.64; 2.85), 0.83 (CI: 0.50; 1.39) and 1.13 (CI: 0.84; 1.51) among women with vitamin D concentrations < 15 nmol/L, 15-24 nmol/L and 25-49 nmol/L, respectively, and 1.53 (CI: 1.04; 2.26) and 1.89 (CI: 1.06; 3.37) among women with vitamin D concentrations of 80-99 nmol/L and ≥ 100 nmol/L, respectively. In an additional analysis among women with sufficient vitamin D (≥ 50 nmol/L), we observed a significant positive association between vitamin D concentrations and PPD. Our results did not support an association between low maternal vitamin D concentrations during pregnancy and risk of PPD. Instead, an increased risk of PPD was found among women with the highest vitamin D concentrations.
authors: Department of Epidemiology Research, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark ; National Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors: Nina O
authors: NO
authors: Nielsen
authors: Marin
authors: M
authors: Strøm
authors: Heather A
authors: HA
authors: Boyd
authors: Elisabeth W
authors: EW
authors: Andersen
authors: Jan
authors: J
authors: Wohlfahrt
authors: Marika
authors: M
authors: Lundqvist
authors: Arieh
authors: A
authors: Cohen
authors: David M
authors: DM
authors: Hougaard
authors: Mads
authors: M
authors: Melbye
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D019052:Depression, Postpartum / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications; D012307:Risk Factors; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000097:blood*; D014808:Vitamin D Deficiency / Q000150:complications; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D