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Long-Chain polyunsaturated fatty acid status during pregnancy and maternal mental health in pregnancy and the postpartum period: results from the GUSTO study

Long-Chain polyunsaturated fatty acid status during pregnancy and maternal mental health in pregnancy and the postpartum period: results from the GUSTO study
Long-Chain polyunsaturated fatty acid status during pregnancy and maternal mental health in pregnancy and the postpartum period: results from the GUSTO study
Objective: studies have demonstrated a relationship between lower omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LC-PUFA) status and anxiety and depression. It is uncertain whether similar associations occur in pregnant women, when anxiety and depression could have long-term effects on the offspring. We examined the associations between plasma LC-PUFA status during pregnancy and perinatal mental health.

Method: at 26-28 weeks’ gestation, plasma LC-PUFAs were measured in mothers of the Growing Up in Singapore Toward healthy Outcomes (GUSTO) mother-offspring cohort study, who were recruited between June 2009 and September 2010. Maternal symptoms of anxiety and depression were assessed with the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) during the same period and at 3 months’ postpartum. The STAI-state subscale was used as a continuous measure of current anxiety, while EPDS scores ≥ 15 during pregnancy or ≥ 13 postpartum were indicative of symptoms of probable depression.

Results: in adjusted regression analyses (n = 698), lower plasma total omega-3 PUFA concentrations (β = −6.49 STAI-state subscale scores/unit increase of omega-3 fatty acid; 95% CI, −11.90 to −1.08) and higher plasma omega-6:omega-3 PUFA ratios (β = 6.58 scores/unit increase of fatty acid ratio; 95% CI, 1.19 to 12.66), specifically higher arachidonic acid (AA):docosahexaenoic acid, AA:eicosapentaenoic acid, and AA:docosapentaenoic acid ratios, were associated with increased antenatal anxiety (P < .05 for all), but not postpartum anxiety. There was no association between plasma PUFAs and perinatal probable depression.

Conclusions: no association was found with probable depression in pregnancy or postpartum. Lower plasma omega-3 fatty acids and higher omega-6:omega-3 fatty acid ratios were associated with higher antenatal anxiety, but not postpartum anxiety. Replication in other studies is needed to confirm the findings and determine the direction of causality.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01174875
0160-6689
e848-e856
Chong, M.F.
817aa809-0368-4e08-a395-1e7fc2e0410f
Ong, Y.L.
c0f6f7fc-3d2e-4aa6-b7e2-1fa66047e681
Calder, P.C.
1797e54f-378e-4dcb-80a4-3e30018f07a6
Colega, M.
222d8007-2da2-4240-b08a-636dd99879e1
Wong, J.X.
9f336646-51aa-458e-8523-1bb707b47d68
Tan, C.S.
d395e487-a4c8-4ee0-b7f1-f326798dfb26
Lim, A.L.
95297b10-ba76-431a-bfd2-cbe1a3e4012e
Fisk, H.L.
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Cai, S
df2e228d-aa42-46f7-8936-50ccce505fab
Pang, W.W.
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Broekman, B.F.
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Saw, S.M.
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Kwek, K.
1a9b6c6e-a5e9-40a2-9bfe-44c2cea62a98
Godfrey, K.M.
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Chong, Y.S.
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Gluckman, P.
dadc86d4-4eaa-4589-b560-413a9e564558
Meaney, M.J.
cb875853-8497-4382-9aff-739714aa49f9
Chen, H.
d30e2017-5be4-4a58-aacd-13fec55ae5f2
Chong, M.F.
817aa809-0368-4e08-a395-1e7fc2e0410f
Ong, Y.L.
c0f6f7fc-3d2e-4aa6-b7e2-1fa66047e681
Calder, P.C.
1797e54f-378e-4dcb-80a4-3e30018f07a6
Colega, M.
222d8007-2da2-4240-b08a-636dd99879e1
Wong, J.X.
9f336646-51aa-458e-8523-1bb707b47d68
Tan, C.S.
d395e487-a4c8-4ee0-b7f1-f326798dfb26
Lim, A.L.
95297b10-ba76-431a-bfd2-cbe1a3e4012e
Fisk, H.L.
2483d346-75dd-41b3-a481-10f8bb39cd9f
Cai, S
df2e228d-aa42-46f7-8936-50ccce505fab
Pang, W.W.
ea58c80d-6316-4143-ad93-113b3b0c2072
Broekman, B.F.
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Saw, S.M.
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Kwek, K.
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Godfrey, K.M.
8151f632-dd3f-4736-a0ae-6908f28f5605
Chong, Y.S.
b50c99c9-4d83-46c5-a1c7-23f9a553ab8a
Gluckman, P.
dadc86d4-4eaa-4589-b560-413a9e564558
Meaney, M.J.
cb875853-8497-4382-9aff-739714aa49f9
Chen, H.
d30e2017-5be4-4a58-aacd-13fec55ae5f2

Chong, M.F., Ong, Y.L., Calder, P.C., Colega, M., Wong, J.X., Tan, C.S., Lim, A.L., Fisk, H.L., Cai, S, Pang, W.W., Broekman, B.F., Saw, S.M., Kwek, K., Godfrey, K.M., Chong, Y.S., Gluckman, P., Meaney, M.J. and Chen, H. (2015) Long-Chain polyunsaturated fatty acid status during pregnancy and maternal mental health in pregnancy and the postpartum period: results from the GUSTO study. The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 76 (7), e848-e856. (doi:10.4088/JCP.14m09191). (PMID:26231011)

Record type: Article

Abstract

Objective: studies have demonstrated a relationship between lower omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LC-PUFA) status and anxiety and depression. It is uncertain whether similar associations occur in pregnant women, when anxiety and depression could have long-term effects on the offspring. We examined the associations between plasma LC-PUFA status during pregnancy and perinatal mental health.

Method: at 26-28 weeks’ gestation, plasma LC-PUFAs were measured in mothers of the Growing Up in Singapore Toward healthy Outcomes (GUSTO) mother-offspring cohort study, who were recruited between June 2009 and September 2010. Maternal symptoms of anxiety and depression were assessed with the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) during the same period and at 3 months’ postpartum. The STAI-state subscale was used as a continuous measure of current anxiety, while EPDS scores ≥ 15 during pregnancy or ≥ 13 postpartum were indicative of symptoms of probable depression.

Results: in adjusted regression analyses (n = 698), lower plasma total omega-3 PUFA concentrations (β = −6.49 STAI-state subscale scores/unit increase of omega-3 fatty acid; 95% CI, −11.90 to −1.08) and higher plasma omega-6:omega-3 PUFA ratios (β = 6.58 scores/unit increase of fatty acid ratio; 95% CI, 1.19 to 12.66), specifically higher arachidonic acid (AA):docosahexaenoic acid, AA:eicosapentaenoic acid, and AA:docosapentaenoic acid ratios, were associated with increased antenatal anxiety (P < .05 for all), but not postpartum anxiety. There was no association between plasma PUFAs and perinatal probable depression.

Conclusions: no association was found with probable depression in pregnancy or postpartum. Lower plasma omega-3 fatty acids and higher omega-6:omega-3 fatty acid ratios were associated with higher antenatal anxiety, but not postpartum anxiety. Replication in other studies is needed to confirm the findings and determine the direction of causality.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01174875

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More information

Published date: 22 July 2015
Organisations: Human Development & Health

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 379986
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/379986
ISSN: 0160-6689
PURE UUID: 73f01870-6477-4030-bdea-4fc12db7ce8f
ORCID for P.C. Calder: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-6038-710X
ORCID for H.L. Fisk: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-9534-3246

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Date deposited: 27 Aug 2015 13:56
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 03:45

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Contributors

Author: M.F. Chong
Author: Y.L. Ong
Author: P.C. Calder ORCID iD
Author: M. Colega
Author: J.X. Wong
Author: C.S. Tan
Author: A.L. Lim
Author: H.L. Fisk ORCID iD
Author: S Cai
Author: W.W. Pang
Author: B.F. Broekman
Author: S.M. Saw
Author: K. Kwek
Author: K.M. Godfrey
Author: Y.S. Chong
Author: P. Gluckman
Author: M.J. Meaney
Author: H. Chen

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