Depressive symptoms during late pregnancy and early parenthood following assisted reproductive technology

Objective: To evaluate the relationship between assisted reproduction technology (ART) and depressive symptoms during late pregnancy and parenthood. Design. Case-control longitudinal study. Setting: The Center of Reproductive Medicine, ARcispedale Santa Maria Nuova, Reggio Emilia, Italy. Patient(s): Women who conceived by ART compared with men and comperad with following spontaneous conceptions. Intervention(s): The sample of 87 subjects , 48 ART (25 mothers and 23 father; response rate 30%) and 39 non-ART mothers were evaluated by the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS)n at 30-32 weeks of gestation, and at 1 week and 3 months after delivery. Result(s): The EPDS scores were higher in ART women compared to non-ART women during all assessments and and higher during the third trimester of pregnancy and at 1 weeki postpartum compared with ART men. The prevalence of depressed subjects was significantly higher in ART women compared with non-ART women during the antenatal assessment. Conclusion(s): Assisted reproductive technology pregnancies are more frequently associated with depressive symoptoms that may persist after delivery, suggesting a greater emotional vulnerability of these women. The risk of depression during and following ART pregnancies needs monitoring to avoid adverse effects of postpartum depression on mother-infant relationship and infant's psychologic development.