New research from Rutgers reveals that women exhibiting depressive symptoms immediately after childbirth face a significantly higher risk of infant death within the first year, underscoring the importance of early detection and treatment.
Researchers at Rutgers say depressive symptoms recorded immediately after childbirth were linked to a markedly higher risk of infant death in New Jersey, based on analysis of more than 414,000 births between 2016 and 2020. The findings, published in JAMA Network Open, suggest that babies born to mothers who screened positive for depressive symptoms had a far higher mortality rate in the first year of life than those whose mothers did not.
According to the study, the infant mortality rate was 7.2 deaths per 1,000 births among mothers who reported depressive symptoms, compared with 2.0 per 1,000 births among mothers who did not. After researchers adjusted for demographic and socioeconomic factors, the relative risk of death before age one was nearly three times higher in the affected group. The pattern held across racial and ethnic groups, education levels, insurance status and for both full-term and preterm babies.
The work took advantage of New Jersey’s universal hospital screening for postnatal depressive symptoms, which uses the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale before mothers leave hospital. That matters, the researchers said, because many women with depressive symptoms never receive a formal diagnosis. The study relied on screening records rather than clinical diagnoses, linking birth data with infant death records through 2021.
Rebecca Woofter, the study’s lead author and a postdoctoral associate at Rutgers School of Public Health, said the consistency of the association across different groups was striking. She stressed that the research does not prove depression causes infant deaths, only that the two appear to be closely connected. Slawa Rokicki, the principal investigator, said screening is only the first step and must be followed by referrals and access to treatment.
The study also found higher risks of death tied to prematurity, perinatal conditions, congenital malformations, chromosomal abnormalities and sudden infant death syndrome. Researchers said the explanation is still unclear, but they pointed to a web of possible influences, including changes in health behaviour, gaps in care and broader social and economic stress. Rutgers said the work was supported by the New Jersey Integrated Population Health Data Project.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
