Parent’s mental health linked with risk of premature birth – survey

Both mother’s and father’s past mental health record has been linked with the chance of their baby being born premature, an Australian study revealed Tuesday.

Men with mental health problems through adolescence and young adulthood, and women with anxiety and depression during pregnancy, were more likely to have premature babies, according to the report led by Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI).

The study followed 398 women and 267 men over 15 years, assessing them for anxiety and depressive symptoms from adolescence to young adulthood and during subsequent pregnancies.

Co-lead author, Dr Elizabeth Spry from MCRI said prior to their research being conducted the impact of maternal and paternal mental health on preterm birth and birth weight was unknown.

Spry said that while mum’s were generally advised to stay fit and healthy throughout their pregnancy, little focus was placed on the role that men play.

“We found that men with persistent mental health symptoms in the decades leading up to pregnancy were more likely to have premature babies,” Spry said.