Deficiency of vitamin D is associated with antenatal depression: A cross-sectional study
Helena Garcia dos Santos, Aline Longoni, Jéssica Puchalski Trettim, Isabela Thurow Lemes, Júlia de Castro Menchaca, Cainá Correa do Amaral, Mariana Bonati de Matos, Luciana de Avila Quevedo, Fernanda Nedel, Gabriele Ghisleni, Diogo Onofre Souza, Ricardo Tavares Pinheiro, Adriano Martimbianco de Assis
Abstract
Objective
Approximately 6 to 13% of women suffer from antenatal depression (AD) around the world. AD can lead to several health problems for mother-baby. Vitamin D is a molecule that appears to have great preventive/therapeutic potential against neuropsychiatric disorders. The present study aimed to analyze the association between deficiency of vitamin D and AD in pregnant women in a city in the south of Brazil (Pelotas, RS). We hypothesize that pregnant women with a positive AD diagnosis have deficient levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D).
Methods
This cross-sectional study was conducted in a cohort study (CEP/UCPEL 47807915.4.0000.5339). From this cohort, 180 pregnant women at up to 24 weeks gestation were selected (130 non-depressed and 50 depressed), and the diagnosis of depression was made using the MINI-Plus. Blood was collected and stored for the later analysis of vitamin D (25(OH)D) by chemiluminescence method. The SPSS program was used for data analysis, and p<0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results
In our study, we showed a significant association between Major Depressive Episode current in the antenatal period and vitamin D deficiency (OR: 0.9; CI 95%: 0.9;1.0, p=0.003).
Conclusion
Our results demonstrate that vitamin D deficiency may be involved in major depressive disorder in the antenatal period, in this way it advised a follow-up of vitamin D levels in the pregnancy-puerperal cycle to minimize mental health problems in women and prevent developmental deficits in children.
