Untreated maternal depression increases risk for preterm birth: Meta‐analysis

Does maternal depression cause adverse effects on neonates, or do the antidepressants given to pregnant women with depression cause these effects? One meta‐analysis has attempted to answer this question, and found that untreated depression itself raised the risks of adverse effects to newborns, although the risks were much higher in studies in which authors had conflicts of interest — in other words, were supported by pharmaceutical companies making the antidepressants. But the bottom line is that untreated depression, on its own, does lead to risks to the neonate, and of course also has adverse effects for the mother.