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Depression risk for tiny babies

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Depression risk for tiny babies

 

Events while in the womb may be important

Babies with small birthweights are at an increased risk of depression

in later life, research suggests.

 

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4639083.stm

Newborns weighing less than 5.5lbs were 50% more likely to have

anxiety and depression as adults, a British Journal of Psychiatry study

found.

 

Small babies are known to be prone to certain diseases and learning

difficulties, and mounting evidence now suggests they risk mood disorders

too.

 

The Bristol University team believe harm while in the womb may be a

factor.

 

Small babies

 

Taking factors such as the individual's IQ, and whether or not they

had behavioural problems as a child into account did not alter the findings.

 

Nor did factors such as social class, or how old their mother had been

when they had given birth to them.

 

Lead researcher Dr Nicola Wiles said: " It was a direct effect, so we

think early factors happening before birth might be important. "

 

We do not want to spread panic with mothers who fear they may

give birth to a smaller child

 

Lead researcher Dr Nicola Wiles

 

Her team at Bristol, working with colleagues at the London School of

Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, used information from over 5,572 participants

from the Aberdeen 'Children of the 1950s' study.

 

They compared rates of depression when the participants had reached

the ages of 45 to 51 with birthweight, plus their mental and behavioural

development as children.

 

Dr Wiles said that the trend between low birth rate and depression in

adulthood might be down to restricted growth in the womb impairing brain

development in some way.

 

She said: " What we need to do is understand what is going on in terms

of the biological mechanism.

 

Critical period

 

" We know that a lot of the brain growth occurs in the womb. It may be

a delayed effect that we are seeing. "

 

However, she emphasised that people should not be alarmed by the

findings and that there were many other causes of depression and this was

merely another factor to consider.

 

" We do not want to spread panic with mothers who fear they may give

birth to a smaller child, " she said.

 

There have been previous reports that birthweight is linked with

depression in later life.

 

A study the Medical Research Council, published in 2004 and which

involved over 5,000 participants, found a similar trend.

 

The authors of MRC study also suggested that it might be related to

stunted growth in the womb.

 

They said: " Stress at a critical time during foetal development may

increase susceptibility to this condition. "

 

They said animal studies showed exposure to various stressors during

pregnancy results in lower birth weights and physiological features that

were very similar to those seen in people with depression.

 

A spokesman from BLISS, the preamture baby charity, said they were not

surprised by the findings.

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