By Umiemah Farrukh (Class of 2023)
Maternal mental health during pregnancy and postpartum has been the subject of much scientific research over the past couple of decades. Studies have shown that the mental health of the mother directly impacts infant outcomes. These outcomes include cognitive development, emotional and behavioral health, and the overall trajectory of the child’s life. These studies highlight the importance of mental health in pregnant women during and after giving birth. Although this process is complicated by many contributing factors here, proper research and application can help mothers and their babies stay healthy and happy.
According to research done by Dr. Aktar and associates, mothers who experience depression and anxiety during pregnancy are more likely to give birth to infants with low birth weight. Specifically, exposure to mental illness during pregnancy and the first year of life through the mother has a negative psychological impact that goes beyond childhood, showing effects even in adulthood. It can cause behavioral problems, externalizing and internalizing symptoms, and higher negative emotionality. In addition, mental disorders including anxiety and depression in the mother are shown to increase the risk of psychopathology, or the emergence of mental disorders, in the child’s own life (Aktar et al. 2019).
However, there is a hope of minimizing these effects if the mother pursues one or more of the many avenues of help that are available to pregnant women. The best and the first line of defense should be consulting with one's doctor, whether that is a gynecologist or primary care physician. The doctor will know the context of the individual's pregnancy best and be able to identify potential stressors, thus being able to give valuable advice. The importance of doctors in maternal health has been widely documented, with about ⅓ of expecting mothers seeking medical care (Weigers et al. 2003). These doctors help with family planning, prenatal and postnatal care, provide access or referrals to midwives and other specialists if needed, and provide emotional and mental support. That is why access to a good physician during pregnancy can help the mother physically and emotionally.
Secondly, there are hotlines and shelters for mothers in dire conditions such as homelessness, both of which can be of great help when it comes to changing the physical environment of the mother in order to positively impact their mental and emotional health. A study conducted by Clark et al in 2020, showed that pregnant women experiencing homelessness were more at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders and opioid abuse, and shows that it is important to have stability in the physical environment and that this is directly connected to mental health found. Lastly, family members, specifically the domestic partner, can provide a great deal of support to the mother. When fathers are involved in pregnancy, the risk of maternal depressive symptoms as well as lower birth weight for the child becomes minimized. These are just two examples of the great impact social and familial support has on maternal wellbeing, as outlined in novel research done by Dr. Alio and associates in 2013.
In conclusion, maternal mental health is crucial not only to the mother's wellbeing but to the child's development and life outcomes in the womb and throughout their whole life. It is important to understand the mental, social, physical, and emotional consequences of mental disorders like anxiety and depression during pregnancy. By doing so, we can develop and utilize effective intervention methods which include the family of the mother, her healthcare team, and other external resources in addition to internal coping mechanisms. The goal is to increase positive mental health, minimize disorders in the mother, and in turn, all of this will positively impact the growth and development of the child.
References:
Aktar, E., Qu, J., Lawrence, P. J., Tollenaar, M. S., Elzinga, B. M., & Bögels, S. M. (2019). Fetal and Infant Outcomes in the Offspring of Parents With Perinatal Mental Disorders: Earliest Influences. Frontiers in psychiatry, 10, 391. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00391.
Alio, A.P., Lewis, C.A., Scarborough, K. et al. A community perspective on the role of fathers during pregnancy: a qualitative study. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 13, 60 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2393-13-60.
Dunkel Schetter, C., & Tanner, L. (2012). Anxiety, depression and stress in pregnancy: implications for mothers, children, research, and practice. Current opinion in psychiatry, 25(2), 141–148. https://doi.org/10.1097/YCO.0b013e3283503680
Evans, K., Spiby, H. & Morrell, C.J. Developing a complex intervention to support pregnant women with mild to moderate anxiety: application of the Medical Research Council framework. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 20, 777 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-020-03469-8
Kozhimannil, K. B., & Fontaine, P. (2013). Care from family physicians reported by pregnant women in the United States. Annals of family medicine, 11(4), 350–354. https://doi.org/10.1370/afm.1510
Robin E. Clark, Linda Weinreb, Julie M. Flahive, and Robert W. Seifert. Homelessness Contributes To Pregnancy Complications. Health Affairs 2019. 38(1), 139-146. https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/full/10.1377/hlthaff.2018.05156
Wiegers T. A. (2003). General practitioners and their role in maternity care. Health policy (Amsterdam, Netherlands), 66(1), 51–59. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0168-8510(03)00025-3.
According to research done by Dr. Aktar and associates, mothers who experience depression and anxiety during pregnancy are more likely to give birth to infants with low birth weight. Specifically, exposure to mental illness during pregnancy and the first year of life through the mother has a negative psychological impact that goes beyond childhood, showing effects even in adulthood. It can cause behavioral problems, externalizing and internalizing symptoms, and higher negative emotionality. In addition, mental disorders including anxiety and depression in the mother are shown to increase the risk of psychopathology, or the emergence of mental disorders, in the child’s own life (Aktar et al. 2019).
However, there is a hope of minimizing these effects if the mother pursues one or more of the many avenues of help that are available to pregnant women. The best and the first line of defense should be consulting with one's doctor, whether that is a gynecologist or primary care physician. The doctor will know the context of the individual's pregnancy best and be able to identify potential stressors, thus being able to give valuable advice. The importance of doctors in maternal health has been widely documented, with about ⅓ of expecting mothers seeking medical care (Weigers et al. 2003). These doctors help with family planning, prenatal and postnatal care, provide access or referrals to midwives and other specialists if needed, and provide emotional and mental support. That is why access to a good physician during pregnancy can help the mother physically and emotionally.
Secondly, there are hotlines and shelters for mothers in dire conditions such as homelessness, both of which can be of great help when it comes to changing the physical environment of the mother in order to positively impact their mental and emotional health. A study conducted by Clark et al in 2020, showed that pregnant women experiencing homelessness were more at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders and opioid abuse, and shows that it is important to have stability in the physical environment and that this is directly connected to mental health found. Lastly, family members, specifically the domestic partner, can provide a great deal of support to the mother. When fathers are involved in pregnancy, the risk of maternal depressive symptoms as well as lower birth weight for the child becomes minimized. These are just two examples of the great impact social and familial support has on maternal wellbeing, as outlined in novel research done by Dr. Alio and associates in 2013.
In conclusion, maternal mental health is crucial not only to the mother's wellbeing but to the child's development and life outcomes in the womb and throughout their whole life. It is important to understand the mental, social, physical, and emotional consequences of mental disorders like anxiety and depression during pregnancy. By doing so, we can develop and utilize effective intervention methods which include the family of the mother, her healthcare team, and other external resources in addition to internal coping mechanisms. The goal is to increase positive mental health, minimize disorders in the mother, and in turn, all of this will positively impact the growth and development of the child.
References:
Aktar, E., Qu, J., Lawrence, P. J., Tollenaar, M. S., Elzinga, B. M., & Bögels, S. M. (2019). Fetal and Infant Outcomes in the Offspring of Parents With Perinatal Mental Disorders: Earliest Influences. Frontiers in psychiatry, 10, 391. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00391.
Alio, A.P., Lewis, C.A., Scarborough, K. et al. A community perspective on the role of fathers during pregnancy: a qualitative study. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 13, 60 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2393-13-60.
Dunkel Schetter, C., & Tanner, L. (2012). Anxiety, depression and stress in pregnancy: implications for mothers, children, research, and practice. Current opinion in psychiatry, 25(2), 141–148. https://doi.org/10.1097/YCO.0b013e3283503680
Evans, K., Spiby, H. & Morrell, C.J. Developing a complex intervention to support pregnant women with mild to moderate anxiety: application of the Medical Research Council framework. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 20, 777 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-020-03469-8
Kozhimannil, K. B., & Fontaine, P. (2013). Care from family physicians reported by pregnant women in the United States. Annals of family medicine, 11(4), 350–354. https://doi.org/10.1370/afm.1510
Robin E. Clark, Linda Weinreb, Julie M. Flahive, and Robert W. Seifert. Homelessness Contributes To Pregnancy Complications. Health Affairs 2019. 38(1), 139-146. https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/full/10.1377/hlthaff.2018.05156
Wiegers T. A. (2003). General practitioners and their role in maternity care. Health policy (Amsterdam, Netherlands), 66(1), 51–59. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0168-8510(03)00025-3.
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