According to researchers from the Veteran’s Administration at the Puget Sound Health Care System, women with a medical history of pregnancy loss are at increased risk for psychiatric conditions after birth. The study was published in the Journal of Women’s Health.
Researchers collected information from a study pool of 192 women seeking well-care from an urban clinic for first-year infant care. About 50% of the women who participated in the study reported having lost a pregnancy in the past. Of those women, 52% suffered more than one pregnancy loss.
Result: the majority of women who’d lost a pregnancy in the past, no matter the cause of the loss (abortion, stillbirth or miscarriage) were diagnosed with major depression. Women with more than one pregnancy loss were at increased risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). While there was no connection between the type of loss and prevalence of depression, researchers did note the number of losses affected depression and anxiety rates.
Source: Giannandrea SA, Cerulli C, Anson E, Chaudron LH. Increased risk for postpartum psychiatric disorders among women with past pregnancy loss. J Womens Health (Larchmt). 2013 Sep;22(9):760-8. doi: 10.1089/jwh.2012.4011.
