Exposure to air pollution during pregnancy quadruples risk of postnatal depression by age 3: study

Exposure to air pollution during pregnancy is linked to premature birth, low birth weight and complications such as hypertensive disorders. A recent study shows that the impact extends to mental health, with exposure to pollution increasing the risk of postnatal depression by almost fourfold. This increased risk can last up to three years, a recent study has revealed.

Higher levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and inhalable particulate matter (PM10), especially over long periods of time, are known to augment the risk of various health problems such as asthma, heart attack and stroke. test Published in the journal Science of the Total Environment, these pollutants are also associated with an increased risk of postnatal depression.

“What’s really novel about this work is that we were able to extend the study of depression beyond the first year after delivery and showed a persistent effect of air pollution during pregnancy on depressive symptoms through the three-year period after delivery,” said Tracy Bastain, senior author of the study at press release.

Researchers followed 361 expectant mothers from the beginning of their pregnancy to three years after giving birth. The participants’ depressive symptoms were collected one, two, and three years after giving birth. This data was compared with weekly measurements of air pollution near their homes during pregnancy.

The analysis found that women exposed to higher levels of NO2 between weeks 13 and 29 of pregnancy had a 3.86 times greater risk of postnatal depression for up to three years. Women exposed to higher levels of PM10 between weeks 12 and 28 of pregnancy had a similarly higher risk (3.88 times). After one year, 17.8% of women had depressive symptoms, 17.5% after two years and 13.4% after three years.

“Our study actually found a higher rate of clinically significant depression than the most recent CDC data. That’s very significant — that there are probably more cases of postpartum depression than even our national prevalence data show,” Bastain said.

“Another critical takeaway from our work is that depression can persist well beyond the first 12 months after giving birth, and mothers should talk to their doctors if they continue to have symptoms of depression,” Bastain added.