Maternal Depression Linked to Childhood Asthma
Anxiety and depression in expecting mothers is associated with an increased risk of respiratory disease in offspring, according to the results of a recent study.
While maternal psychological distress has been shown to be associated with respiratory health in preschool children, whether this relationship persists into older childhood is currently unknown.
For this reason, the researchers conducted a study involving 4231 children which used the Brief Symptom Inventory to measure health during and 3 months after pregnancy, as well as at 2 and 6 months after pregnancy in mothers. Spirometry and questionnaires were used to assess offsprings’ lung function and asthma status at age 10 years.
After adjustment for confounders, overall maternal psychological distress during pregnancy was associated with lower forced vital capacity (FVC), and when using clinical cut-offs, only maternal depressive symptoms during pregnancy were associated with lower forced expiratory volume (FEV1) and FVC. However, overall psychological distress, depressive symptoms, and anxiety symptoms in mothers were all associated with increased risk of asthma.
“Our results suggest a possible intrauterine effect of maternal psychological distress during pregnancy on the risk of asthma and partly lower lung function in children at the age of 10 years. The results were independent of maternal psychological distress after pregnancy and paternal psychological distress during pregnancy and after pregnancy. Further studies are needed to explore underlying mechanisms” the researchers concluded.
—Michael Potts
Reference:
van Meel ER, Saharan G, Jaddoe VWV, et al. Parental psychological distress during pregnancy and the risk of childhood lower lung function and asthma: a population-based prospective cohort study. Published Online October 12, 2020 Thorax. doi:10.1136/thoraxjnl-2019-214099