Fetal sex and maternal postpartum depressive symptoms: findings from two prospective pregnancy cohorts

Abstract

Background Fetal sex is known to modify the course and complications of pregnancy, with recent evidence of sex-differential fetal influences on the maternal immune and endocrine systems. In turn, heightened inflammation and surges in reproductive hormone levels associated with pregnancy and parturition have been linked with the development of perinatal depression. Here, we examined whether there is an association between fetal sex and maternal depression assessed during the prenatal and postnatal periods. Methods The study included two multi-ethnic, prospective pregnancy cohorts that enrolled women from prenatal clinics in the Northeastern United States between 2001 and 2018. Maternal depressive symptoms were measured during the prenatal and postnatal periods using the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS), and newborn sex was reported by the mother following delivery. We used logistic regression to examine associations between fetal sex and maternal depressive symptoms (EPDS > 10) during the prenatal period only, postnatal period only, or both periods versus no depressive symptoms during either period. We considered both unadjusted models and models adjusted for a core set of sociodemographic and lifestyle variables. Results In adjusted models using PRISM data (N = 528), women pregnant with a male versus female fetus had significantly greater odds of depressive symptoms during the postnatal period compared to women without depressive symptoms during either period (odds ratio [OR] = 5.24, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.93, 14.21). The direction of results was consistent in the ACCESS cohort, although the findings did not reach statistical significance (OR = 2.05, 95% CI = 0.86, 4.93). Significant associations were not observed in either cohort among women with prenatal symptoms only or women with prenatal and postnatal symptoms. Conclusions Male fetal sex was associated with the onset of depressive symptoms during the postnatal period.

Relationship between the value of child and postpartum depression in women referring to Bam healthcare centers

“…another study believed that the delivery method, such as the use of labor induction, delivery with forceps, epidural analgesia and cesarean section, is associated with an increase in the prevalence of postpartum depression [32], which is consistent with the present study.…”

Fetal sex-specific epigenetic associations with prenatal maternal depressive symptoms

“…Importantly, this association is apparent in female, but not male offspring. This female-specific sensitivity appears to be linked to prenatal conditions, as others observed that male offspring are significantly associated with high postnatal, but not prenatal, maternal depressive symptoms (Cowell et al, 2021;Myers and Johns, 2019;Quarini et al, 2016). Likewise, the association between antenatal maternal depressive symptoms and child socio-emotional problems, which predict the later risk for depression, is consistently stronger in females compared with male offsprings (see Meaney, 2018 for a systematic review).…”

A review on postpartum depression and its homoeopathic management

“… Unconscious Intrapsychic conflicts concerning pregnancy, labour and motherhood [23]  Birth of a female child, where a she was expecting a male child [5,6,14,19,24,25] . One study says the contrary, that male child is associated with PPD [26] .  Physical exhaustion: Caused by painful squeals of pelvic injuries.…”