Collaborative ECHO research led by Melanie Jacobson, PhD, MPH of the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, investigates the role of prenatal synthetic chemicals in postpartum depression. This research, titled “Prenatal Exposure to Nonpersistent Environmental Chemicals and Postpartum Depression,” is published in JAMA Psychiatry.
Postpartum depression affects up to 20% of new mothers, making it the most common pregnancy complication to occur after delivery. Postpartum depression can impact a mother’s daily functioning, quality of life, and long-term health. Furthermore, it is associated with poor mother-child attachment, which can impact child health and development.
Factors like genetics and stress can make some people more likely to experience postpartum depression, but researchers are still trying to understand how synthetic chemicals might also play a role. Chemicals such as phenols, phthalates, and parabens can be found in plastics and personal care products. While these chemicals are nonpersistent, meaning that they don’t linger in the environment, their presence is widespread due to frequent exposure through diet, absorption through skin, and inhalation.
Researchers used data from 2,174 pregnant individuals across five study sites to examine the extent to which exposure to these chemicals might be associated with postpartum depression symptoms. They measured the concentrations of nonpersistent chemicals in urine samples during pregnancy and collected data using self-reported postnatal depression assessments after delivery completed by the same individuals.
The study found that prenatal phthalate concentrations were associated with increased odds of slightly higher postpartum depression scores. Of the many synthetic chemicals investigated, only phthalate concentrations were associated with increased odds of postpartum depression. This suggests that finding ways to reduce prenatal exposure to phthalates might reduce the frequency of postpartum depression. Researchers also observed that postpartum depression was more likely in people who were Hispanic, had lower educational attainment, and had prenatal depression.
“From a public health perspective, any way to help prevent postpartum depression would be important, since most known risk factors such as genetics, psychiatric history, and stressful life events, cannot be easily changed,” Dr. Jacobson said. “Therefore, focusing on prenatal exposure to these types of chemicals represents a novel interventional target.”
While this is believed to be the largest study to date examining the effects of environmental chemicals on postpartum depression, future studies are needed to replicate this research with larger sample sizes in diverse populations.