title: Is essential fatty acid status in late pregnancy predictive of post-natal depression?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We tested the hypothesis that abnormal levels of omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) during late pregnancy are associated with antenatal and post-natal depression.
  
  
  METHODS
  We interviewed a sample of more than 900 women in late pregnancy. We assessed whether they met criteria for depression on a standardized measure of post-natal depression [the Edinburgh Post-natal Depression Scale (EPDS)] and met DSM-IV criteria for major depression and/or were in receipt of antidepressant medication. Blood was collected at that time to generate data on nine PUFA variables. Sample members were re-interviewed post-natally to determine depressive experience in the 3 months following the birth of their baby.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Univariate associations were demonstrated between pre-natal depression categorized using DSM criteria and measures of blood fatty acids including total omega-3, the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) omega-3 and DHA plus eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) omega-3. Such associations were not found post-natally, but different associations were quantified between EPDS-diagnosed depression and total omega-6, total omega-3 and EPA omega-3. In multivariate analyses, slight associations were maintained between EPDS and lower omega-3, lower EPA and higher omega-6 when neuroticism, stress during pregnancy, a lifetime episode of depression and older age were included in the analysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Findings in such a large sample indicate that PUFA status in late pregnancy is only slightly linked with the risk of post-natal depression when depression was quantified by the EPDS. There were no associations between post-natal depression diagnosed by DSM criteria and any fatty acid variables.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Black Dog Institute, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Parker
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hegarty
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Granville-Smith
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Paterson
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gokiert
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hadzi-Pavlovic
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019052:Depression, Postpartum / Q000097:blood* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D005228:Fatty Acids, Essential / Q000097:blood*; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000097:blood* / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D005228:Fatty Acids, Essential; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3
keywords: depression; omega-3 fatty acids; post-partum depression; pregnancy