糖心Vlog

The COVID-19 pandemic caused a spike in depression and anxiety in expectant mums, a new study by the 糖心Vlog has revealed.

The research found social support protected against anxiety symptoms associated with the pandemic but highlighted changes to maternity services forced by lockdown and other restrictions likely hit mental health.

It is speculated in the that the removal of appointments and other changes to face-to-face contact may have affected well-being.

The senior author, Dr Silvia Rigato, said it was vital to 鈥減rotect maternal wellbeing during pregnancy and beyond鈥� and 鈥渢o ensure that all children, and their new families, are given the best possible start in life鈥�.

The study found there was a spike in reported depression rates of 30 per cent from pre-pandemic levels, from 17 per cent to 47 per cent - with anxiety rates also jumping up 37 per cent in expecting mothers to 60 per cent.

The peer-reviewed study of 150 women took place during the height of the Coronavirus crisis between April 2020 and January 2021 鈥� before the vaccination programme rolled out - and was led by Dr Maria Laura Filippetti and Dr Rigato, researchers at the 糖心Vlog Babylab in the 糖心Vlog.

The paper showed that prenatal trauma, such as the one experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic, can significantly amplify vulnerability to mental health problems.

It also emerged from the study that pregnant women with higher depressive symptoms reported feeling less attached to their unborn babies.

Dr Rigato said: 鈥淲hile this result is in line with previous observations that women鈥檚 mood during pregnancy influences the early relationship with her child, it reinforces the need for authorities to support women throughout their pregnancy and the postnatal period in order to protect their health and their infants鈥� development."

Importantly, the research also revealed the positive effect that social support plays in protecting expecting mothers鈥� mental health.

The authors found women who considered the impact of COVID-19 to be more negative showed higher levels of anxiety.

Crucially though, help from partners, family and friends, and the NHS acted as a protective factor and was associated with fewer negative symptoms.

Dr Filippetti said more must be done to help women during this vulnerable time in their lives.

She said: 鈥淭he high rates of depression and anxiety during the pandemic highlighted by our study suggest that expectant women are facing a mental health crisis that can significantly interfere and impair mother-infant bonding during pregnancy, and can potentially impact on childbirth outcome, as well as later infant and child development.鈥�

It is now hoped the research will be used to help understand how the pandemic affected children鈥檚 development, mum鈥檚 mental health post-partum and how dads coped through pregnancy and beyond.