Depression and Anxiety Risk for Tiny Babies
Babies with low birthweights may be at greater risk of suffering symptoms of depression later in life, according to new research published in the British Journal of Psychiatry. Newborns weighing less than 5.5 lbs were 50 percent more likely to have anxiety and depression as adults.
The BBC reports on a study published in the British Journal of Psychiatry indicating a strong correlation between low birthweight and the incidence of symptoms of depression and anxiety in later life (specifically, at 45-51 years).
Lead researcher Dr Nicola Wiles believes the effect may be directly related to factors occurring before birth, including brain development while still in the womb. According to the BBC article:
“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.
The Medical Research Council found a similar trend in a 2004 study involving 5,000 participants, and animal studies have also shown that exposure to various stressors during pregnancy results in lower birth weights and physiological features that are very similar to those seen in people with depression.
