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Is essential fatty acid status in late pregnancy predictive of post‐natal depression?
Author(s) -
Parker G.,
Hegarty B.,
GranvilleSmith I.,
Ho J.,
Paterson A.,
Gokiert A.,
HadziPavlovic D.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
acta psychiatrica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.849
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1600-0447
pISSN - 0001-690X
DOI - 10.1111/acps.12321
Subject(s) - depression (economics) , edinburgh postnatal depression scale , pregnancy , docosahexaenoic acid , eicosapentaenoic acid , medicine , polyunsaturated fatty acid , omega 3 fatty acid , history of depression , psychiatry , obstetrics , fatty acid , anxiety , biology , depressive symptoms , biochemistry , genetics , economics , macroeconomics
Objective We tested the hypothesis that abnormal levels of omega‐3 and omega‐6 polyunsaturated fatty acids ( PUFA s) during late pregnancy are associated with antenatal and post‐natal depression. Method We interviewed a sample of more than 900 women in late pregnancy. We assessed whether they met criteria for depression on a standardized measure of post‐natal depression [the Edinburgh Post‐natal Depression Scale ( EPDS )] and met DSM ‐ IV criteria for major depression and/or were in receipt of antidepressant medication. Blood was collected at that time to generate data on nine PUFA variables. Sample members were re‐interviewed post‐natally to determine depressive experience in the 3 months following the birth of their baby. Results Univariate associations were demonstrated between pre‐natal depression categorized using DSM criteria and measures of blood fatty acids including total omega‐3, the ratio of omega‐6 to omega‐3, docosahexaenoic acid ( DHA ) omega‐3 and DHA plus eicosapentaenoic acid ( EPA ) omega‐3. Such associations were not found post‐natally, but different associations were quantified between EPDS ‐diagnosed depression and total omega‐6, total omega‐3 and EPA omega‐3. In multivariate analyses, slight associations were maintained between EPDS and lower omega‐3, lower EPA and higher omega‐6 when neuroticism, stress during pregnancy, a lifetime episode of depression and older age were included in the analysis. Conclusion Findings in such a large sample indicate that PUFA status in late pregnancy is only slightly linked with the risk of post‐natal depression when depression was quantified by the EPDS . There were no associations between post‐natal depression diagnosed by DSM criteria and any fatty acid variables.