PEDIATRICS Vol. 91 No. 3 March 1993, pp. 566-571
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Psychological Sequelae of Medical Complications During Pregnancy

JoAnne Burger MD1, Sarah McCue Horwitz PhD2, Brian W.C. Forsyth MB, ChB3, John M. Leventhal MD3, and Philip J. Leaf PhD4

1 From the Department of Pediatrics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
2 From the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
3 From the Department of Pediatrics, Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
4 From the Department of Department of Mental Hygiene, The Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health, Baltimore, MD.

To determine whether mothers with complicated pregnancies are at increased risk of postpartum depression and whether their children are at increased risk of being perceived as vulnerable, the investigators conducted an interview survey of mothers of 1095 children aged 4 to 8 in a community-based sample of primary care pediatric practices. The offspring were viewed as vulnerable by 17% of the women with severe pregnancy complications and 9% of the women without pregnancy complications (relative risk = 1.88; 95% confidence interval = 1.11, 2.63). Women with a severe complication of pregnancy were significantly more likely to report postpartum depression than those without a complication (27% vs 11%; relative risk = 2.45; 95% confidence interval = 1.55, 3.01). These relationships persisted after adjustment for prematurity, neonatal hospitalization, and demographic factors. It is concluded that pregnancy complications may place a woman at increased risk of postpartum depression and may have important effects on a mother's long-term perceptions of her child's vulnerability to illness.

Key Words: pregnancy complications • depression • vulnerability

Submitted on June 23, 1992
Accepted on September 14, 1992




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