Baby joy not enough for sorrowful

Thursday March 3rd, 2011

Having a healthy baby may not to solve the emotional problems and worry faced by a woman who has lost a child during pregnancy, researchers warn today.

Symptoms are likely to continue for "several years" after a bereaved mother successfully gives birth, the researchers say.

The experts say professionals should realise these women face a high risk of developing post-natal depression - and will continue to need support.

The study of more than 13,000 pregnant women in the south-west of England found those who had suffered loss through stillbirth or miscarriage showed "significantly higher" levels of anxiety and depression during pregnancy.

This continued for nearly three years after a healthy baby was born for up to a fifth of these mothers, according to the report in the British Journal of Psychiatry.

Professor Jean Golding, of Bristol University, UK, said: "This study is important to the families of women who have lost a baby, since it is so often assumed that they get over the event quickly, yet as shown here, many do not.

"This has implications for the medical profession as well as the woman and her family."

And fellow researcher Dr Emma Robertson Blackmore, of the University of Rochester Medical Center, Minnesota, USA, said: "Our study clearly shows that the birth of a healthy baby does not resolve the mental health problems that many women experience after a miscarriage or stillbirth.

"This finding is important. If we offer targeted support during pregnancy to women who have previously lost a baby, we may be able to improve health outcomes for both the women and their children."

The findings were welcomed by the Royal College of Midwives in the UK.

Louise Silverton, of the college, said: "It underlines the need for midwives to be able to spend time with women to discuss their pregnancy and their worries and fears.

"This is so that they can spot signs of depression when it is happening, offer timely advice and give these women the best possible care."

Robertson Blackmore E, Côté-Arsenault D, Tang W, Glover V, Evans J, Golding J and O'Connor TG. Previous prenatal loss as a predictor of perinatal depression and anxiety. British Journal of Psychiatry, March 3 2011, doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.110.083105

Tags: Childbirth and Pregnancy | Mental Health | North America | UK News | Women’s Health & Gynaecology

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