title: Relationship of prenatal depression and comorbidities to infant outcomes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to provide information on the effect of prenatal depression and anxiety as assessed in the context of obstetrical care on key infant outcomes (gestational age at birth, birth weight, and APGAR scores), while simultaneously considering interactions with maternal medical conditions among primarily Medicaid enrollees.
  
  
  METHODS
  Obstetrical medical records of 419 women presenting consecutively for prenatal care at a health system serving primarily Medicaid patients were examined. Information on maternal characteristics (age, race, education) and maternal medical health (BMI, high blood pressure, diabetes, and kidney problems), as well as mental health information, was extracted. Depression was assessed as part of routine care using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and any documentation of depression or anxiety by the obstetrics clinician was also used in the analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Approximately one-third of the sample showed some evidence of prenatal depression, either based on PHQ-9 score (≥10) or clinician documentation of depression, and close to 10% showed evidence of anxiety. Multivariate analyses showed significant interactions between depression and anxiety on gestational age and birth weight, between depression and high blood pressure on gestational age, and also between anxiety and kidney problems on gestational age.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Among this sample, the effect of maternal depression and anxiety on birth outcomes was more evident when considered along with maternal chronic medical conditions. This information may be used to assist prenatal care clinicians to develop risk assessment based on knowledge of multiple risk factors that may exert and additive influence on poor birth outcomes.
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Behavioral Sciences and Social Medicine,Florida State University College of Medicine,Tallahassee,Florida,USA.
authors.forename: Heather A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Flynn
authors.affiliation: 2Florida State University,Tallahassee,Florida,USA.
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: McBride
authors.affiliation: 2Florida State University,Tallahassee,Florida,USA.
authors.forename: Aura
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cely
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Behavioral Sciences and Social Medicine,Florida State University College of Medicine,Tallahassee,Florida,USA.
authors.forename: Yuxia
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: 3Obstetrics and Gynecology,Florida State University College of Medicine at Sacred Heart Hospital,Tallahassee,Florida,USA.
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: DeCesare
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001034:Apgar Score; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007232:Infant, Newborn, Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*
keywords: prenatal depression