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Survey study, 2024

Does having PMS or PMDD before pregnancy increase the risk of depression during and after pregnancy?

Yes. Women with PMS or PMDD before pregnancy had a higher risk of depression during pregnancy and in the first month after birth.

Moderate study design 789 pregnant women at a Japanese hospital, 54 of whom had PMS or PMDD before pregnancy

What they did

789 pregnant women at one Japanese hospital were asked about PMS or PMDD symptoms they had before they got pregnant. Doctors measured depression using a screening tool during pregnancy and one month after birth.

What they found

54 women had PMS or PMDD before pregnancy. Women with preconception PMS or PMDD were more likely to have high depression scores during pregnancy and one month after birth than women without it.

What it means for you

Women with PMS or PMDD before getting pregnant are at higher risk of depression during pregnancy and after birth. Doctors should ask about PMS or PMDD at early pregnancy appointments and provide early mental health support to women at risk. The main limit is this was one hospital in Japan, so results may differ elsewhere.

789

pregnant women studied

54

women with preconception PMS or PMDD

About the study

Original title
Association of premenstrual disorders during preconception with perinatal depression: an analysis of the perinatal clinical database of a single Japanese institution
Authors
Ohsuga T, Egawa M, Tsuyuki K et al.
Journal
Research Square
Year
2024
Study design
Survey study
Participants
789
What was tested
None. This was an observational study.
Original abstract

Abstract Background Recent studies have identified premenstrual disorders (PMDs) as a risk factor for postpartum depression. However, routine screening for preconception PMDs is not yet common in Japan. This study investigated the association between preconception PMDs and perinatal depression in a single tertiary care setting. Methods We analyzed data from pregnant women who delivered at Kyoto University Hospital between April 2020 and October 2023. PMDs during preconception was assessed using the Premenstrual Symptoms Screening Tool, whereas perinatal depression was measured using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) during pregnancy and at 1 month postpartum. EPDS cutoff values were set at 12/13 during pregnancy and 8/9 at 1 month postpartum. Results Of 789 women analyzed, 54 had preconception PMDs. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that preconception PMDs was associated with an EPDS score of ≥ 13 during pregnancy, with a crude odds ratio (OR) of 5.64 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.64–11.5) and an adjusted OR of 3.63 (95% CI: 1.51–8.14). For an EPDS score of ≥ 9 at 1 month postpartum, the crude OR was 3.22 (95% CI: 1.72–5.85) and the adjusted OR was 2.10 (95% CI: 1.01–4.20). Conclusions Our findings indicate that preconception PMDs is a significant risk factor for both depression during pregnancy and postpartum depression. These results support the implementation of preconception PMDs screening during antenatal checkups to identify women in need of early mental health care and preventive measures.

Reproduced under CC-BY.

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