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.

“Our study joins growing evidence of the important role that fathers play in the health and development of their children, and suggests that these links begin well before babies are conceived.”

According to Dr Claire Wilson from King’s College in London, the direct link between adolescent mental health issues and preterm births is not known, however a better understanding could help with preventing the potentially deadly outcome.

“Pre-term birth is common and is a leading cause of infant deaths worldwide, but the underlying causes have been largely unknown,” Wilson said.

“Mental health may affect parental reproductive biology and antenatal pathways and can have an impact on genetic and environmental influences such as substance use and nutrition, which could be linked to a baby’s development.”

The team hoped to encourage mental health support for parents during their pregnancies and beforehand, with an aim of reducing premature birth rates.

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Source: Xinhua