Antenatal Depression and Risk of Gestational Diabetes, Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes, and Postpartum Quality of Life

Abstract Aims To determine the impact of depressive symptoms on pregnancy outcomes and postpartum quality of life in women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and normal glucose tolerance (NGT). Methods 1843 women from a prospective cohort study received universal GDM screening with an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). The Center for Epidemiologic Studies–Depression questionnaire was completed before GDM diagnosis was communicated and in GDM women in early postpartum. All participants completed the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) health survey postpartum. Results Women who developed GDM (231; 12.5%) had significantly more often depressive symptoms than NGT (1612; 87.5%) women [21.3% (48) vs 15.1% (239), odds ratio (OR) 1.52, 95% confidence interval (CI) (1.08-2.16), P = 0.017]. Compared to GDM women without depressive symptoms, depressed GDM women attended less often the postpartum OGTT [68.7% (33) vs 87.6% (155), P = 0.002], remained more often depressed [37.1% (13) vs 12.4% (19), P