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Antenatal dietary patterns and depressive symptoms during pregnancy and early post-partum
In this 2017 study, Baskin et al. investigated the relationship between diet quality of expecting mothers before giving birth and the occurrence of depression before and after childbirth. Recently the diet during pregnancy has emerged as a possible modifiable factor that can help prevent mental disorders in the women and their offspring. The women participants of this study were assessed on their depressive symptoms twice during gestation (on average at 16.7 weeks and at 32.89 weeks), and again postpartum (13.51 weeks after childbirth on average). A food frequency questionnaire was also administered during pregnancy at the same time as the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. This revealed that an unhealthy dietary pattern (consisting of sweets, refined grains, high‐energy drinks and fast foods) was associated with greater depressive symptoms at 32 weeks gestation. Since this link was only observed at one time point, it is difficult to confidently state the predictive nature of either dietary patterns or depressive symptoms. Larger prospective studies and dietary intervention studies are required. [NPID: postpartum mental health, post-partum mental health, postpartum, post-partum, pregnancy, antenatal depression, postnatal depression, nutrients, micronutrients, maternal depression, depression, perinatal anxiety, perinatal depression, anxiety, depression, gestation, dietary patterns]
Year: 2017
