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PAPERS: KATRI RÄIKKÖNEN, ANU-KATRIINA PESONEN, EERO KAJANTIE, KATI HEINONEN, TOM FORSÉN, DAVID I. W. PHILLIPS, CLIVE OSMOND, DAVID J. P. BARKER, and JOHAN G. ERIKSSON Length of gestation and depressive symptoms at age 60 years The British Journal of Psychiatry 2007; 190: 469-474 [Abstract] [Full text] [PDF]

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Optimistic attempts at linking gestation and future depression

Saddichha Sahoo   (20 June 2007)

Optimistic attempts at linking gestation and future depression 20 June 2007
Saddichha Sahoo, Resident in Psychiatry Central Institute of Psychiatry, Ranchi, India Send letter to journal: Re: Optimistic attempts at linking gestation and future depression saddichha{at}gmail.com Saddichha Sahoo	The study by Raikonnen and colleagues (2007) is an optimistic attempt to link a shorter length of gestation period with future development of depression. Unfortunately, the study only remains optimistic, characterized as it is, with the presence of several confounders which have not been dealt with adequately. Other than social class at birth,age, weight, body mass index or level of education, two very pertinent variables would be the marital status and employment of the subjects. It has also been noted that depression of mothers during pregnancy results in low birth weight (Rahman et al., 2007; Hoffman & Hatch, 2000) and shorter length of gestation (Glynn et al, 2001). Since lower birth weight predicts future depression (Rice et al, 2006; Berle et al., 2006), one could argue that current depressive symptoms have been inherited from mothers and the role of gestational period is only incidental. Also, another confounding factor is the presence of higher BMI during pregnancy which may preclude to development of emotional problems in the mother followed by emotional problems in the infant. References: 1.Berle, J.Ø., Mykletun, A., Daltveit, A.K., Rasmussen, S., Dahl, A.A.(2006). Outcomes in adulthood for children with foetal growth retardation.A linkage study from the Nord-Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT) and the Medical Birth Registry of Norway. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica,113,501–509. 2.Glynn, L.M., Wadhwa, P. D., Dunkel-Schetter,C., et al (2001) When stress happens matters: effects of earthquake timing on stress responsivity in pregnancy. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology,184, 637-642 3.Hoffman, S., Hatch, M.C. (2000). Depressive symptomatology during pregnancy: evidence for an association with decreased fetal growth in pregnancies of lower social class women. Health Psychology,19,535–543 4.Raikkkonen, K., Pesonen, A-K., Kajantie, E., et al (2007). Length of gestation and depressive symptoms at age 60 years. British Journal of Psychiatry,190, 469-474. doi :10.1192/bjp.bp.106.022145 5.Rahman, A., Bunn, J., Lovel, H.., Creed, F. (2007) Association between antenatal depression and low birthweight in a developing country. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 115 (6), 481–486 6.Rice, F.,Harold,G.T. & Thapar, A. (2006) The effect of birth weight with genetic susceptibility on depressive symptoms in childhood and adolescence. European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 15, 383-391.