Depression And Anxiety Raise Risk of C-Section Among Pregnant Women

Mental Health News – Depression and anxiety in pregnant women may be connected to the type of delivery they have, according to a new study.

In a new study, researchers at the University of Michigan examined the national data for 360,225 delivery hospitalizations among commercially insured women aged between 15-44 during 2008-2017 and 24% among them had a c-section delivery for the first time.

According to the study findings, perinatal mood and anxiety disorders may be significantly associated with the higher rates of first-time c-section deliveries among women. The research result showed that women with perinatal anxiety or depression tend to have a 3.5% higher chance of undergoing a c-section delivery compared to women without anxiety or depression.

“There’s been growing recognition that mental health is really important during the time of pregnancy. Maternal suicide risk is especially high the year following delivery,” said Vanessa Dalton, senior author of the study published in the Health Affairs.

She even explained the importance of better identifying and treating perinatal depression and anxiety disorders among pregnant women. According to her, anxiety and depression can adversely affect pregnant women and their newborn babies in different ways, including higher rates of maternal morbidity, negative birth outcomes, and lost earnings. It requires more research to clarify the association between first-time c-section delivery and perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, Dalton later mentioned.

To Know More You May Refer To:

Zochowski, M. K., Kolenic, G. E., Zivin, K., Tilea, A., Admon, L. K., Hall, S. V., Advincula, A., & Dalton, V. K. (2021). Trends in primary cesarean section rates among women with and without perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. Health Affairs, 40(10), 1585-1591. https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2021.00780