Maternal Depression Comorbid with GDM or HDP and the Risk of Infection and Allergic Diseases in Offspring — The Association Specialists
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  3. Maternal Depression Comorbid with GDM or HDP and the Risk of Infection and Allergic Diseases in Offspring

Maternal Depression Comorbid with GDM or HDP and the Risk of Infection and Allergic Diseases in Offspring (24151)

Biruk Abate 1 , Berihun Assefa Dachew 1 , Getinet Yaya Ayano 1 , Kim Betts 1 , Rosa Alati 1
  1. Curtin University, Queens Park, WA, Australia

Background: Maternal depression, gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) are each associated with increased risks of infections and allergic diseases in offspring. However, their combined effects, common in clinical practice, remain poorly characterised. We examined whether maternal depressive symptoms co-occurring with GDM or HDP are associated with increased risks of infections and allergic diseases in offspring.

Methods: In this population-based cohort study, we analysed linked administrative data from the Born in Queensland Study, including all births between 2015 and 2021. The primary exposure was maternal depressive symptoms comorbid with GDM or HDP. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the EEPDS, and GDM and HDP were identified using ICD-10-AM codes. Outcomes were neonatal and early childhood infections and allergic diseases, also ascertained: using ICD-10-AM codes. Adjusted risk ratios (aRRs) were estimated using generalised linear models with a binomial distribution and log link function.

Results: A total of 149,025 mother–child pairs were included in the analysis. Offspring of mothers with comorbid depressive symptoms and HDP had a higher risk of neonatal infections (aRR 1·22, 95% CI 1·07–1·39), as did those exposed to comorbid depressive symptoms and GDM (1·30, 1·19–1·42). Risks of early childhood infections were also elevated for both comorbid exposures (HDP: 1·15, 1·10–1·21; GDM: 1·15, 1·12–1·19). For allergic diseases, comorbid depressive symptoms and GDM were associated with increased risk (1·20, 1·06–1·37), whereas the association with HDP was not statistically significant (1·17, 0·95–1·44). Effect estimates for comorbid exposures were consistently greater than those observed for each condition alone.

Conclusion: Maternal depressive symptoms co-occurring with GDM or HDP are associated with increased risks of infections and allergic diseases in offspring, with stronger effects than individual conditions alone. These findings highlight the importance of integrated antenatal care that simultaneously addresses maternal mental health and cardiometabolic conditions to improve early-life health outcomes.