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The Impact of Lipid‐Based Nutrient Supplements on Maternal Depression at 6 mo Postpartum in Ghana: A Randomized‐Controlled Trial
Author(s) -
Okronipa Harriet Eyram T.,
AduAfarwuah Seth,
Lartey Anna,
Ashorn Per,
Vosti Steva A.,
Young Rebecca Tree,
Dewey Kathryn G.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.30.1_supplement.1172.11
Subject(s) - medicine , postpartum depression , edinburgh postnatal depression scale , micronutrient , pregnancy , mismatch negativity , depression (economics) , randomized controlled trial , obstetrics , gestation , postpartum period , psychiatry , genetics , macroeconomics , electroencephalography , pathology , economics , biology
Background Maternal postpartum depression (PPD) has been reported to affect 13% of women globally and has been linked to poor child health. Poor maternal nutrition, including low dietary intake of essential fatty acids, may be a risk factor for PPD. Objective We examined the impact on depression at 6 months postpartum of maternal supplementation with lipid‐based nutrient supplement (LNS) compared to supplementation with iron and folic acid (IFA) or multiple micronutrients (MMN). Method In this partially double‐blinded randomized controlled trial, pregnant women ≤20 wk gestation (n=1320) were randomly assigned to receive either 1) LNS during pregnancy and for 6 months postpartum, or 2) IFA during pregnancy only, or 3) MMN during pregnancy and for 6 months postpartum. Maternal depressive symptoms were measured at 6 mo postpartum using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). Women who scored 12 or more on the EPDS were considered to show symptoms of depression. Results 1151 women were included in this analysis (LNS=382, IFA=387 and MMN=382). Characteristics of the three groups were similar at baseline and there were no significant differences between women who were included in the analysis (n=1151) and those who were not (n=169). At 6 months postpartum, 13% of women overall showed symptoms of depression, and this did not differ by group (LNS=13.3%, IFA = 10.6% and MMN = 14.4%. P=0.36). The median (25, 75 percentile) EPDS scores did not differ by group (LNS 4.0 (1.0, 8.0), IFA 4.0 (1.0, 8.0), MMN 5.0 (2.0, 9.0), P transformed =0.13). Season of depression data collection was a significant effect modifier for depression scores (P=0.02): in women assessed during the dry (post‐harvest) season, the LNS group compared to the MMN group had lower EPDS scores (P=0.015). Conclusion Maternal supplementation with LNS compared to MMN or IFA did not affect postnatal depressive symptoms in this sample of Ghanaian women. However the lower depression scores in the LNS group among those evaluated during the dry season warrants further investigation. Support or Funding Information This study was funded by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to the University of California, Davis, USA