Fertility and Sterility
Volume 84, Issue 2 , Pages 426-430, August 2005

Assisted conception is a risk factor for postnatal mood disturbance and early parenting difficulties

  • Jane R.W. Fisher, Ph.D.

      Affiliations

    • Key Centre for Women’s Health in Society, School of Population Health
    • Corresponding Author InformationReprint requests: Jane R. W. Fisher, Ph.D., Key Centre for Women’s Health in Society, School of Population Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 3010 (FAX: 61-3-9347-9824
    • ,
  • Karin Hammarberg, M.W.H.

      Affiliations

    • Key Centre for Women’s Health in Society, School of Population Health
    • ,
  • H.W. Gordon Baker, Ph.D.

      Affiliations

    • Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria
    • Melbourne IVF and Reproductive Services, Royal Women’s Hospital, Carlton, Victoria, Australia

Received 5 May 2004; received in revised form 2 February 2005; accepted 2 February 2005.

Objective

To investigate whether assisted conception is associated with an increased risk of admission to a residential early parenting program for treatment of maternal mood disorder or infant feeding or sleeping disorders in the postpartum year.

Design

Systematic audit of consecutive medical records.

Setting

Masada Private Hospital Mother Baby Unit (MPHMBU), Melbourne, Australia.

Patient(s)

Medical records of all mother-infant dyads admitted to MPHMBU between July 2000 and August 2002.

Intervention(s)

None.

Main Outcome Measure(s)

Modes of conception and delivery of index infant, maternal and infant age on admission, multiplicity of birth, infant birth weight, and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale scores.

Result(s)

A total of 745 records were audited, and mode of conception was recorded in 526 (70.6%) of records. Overall 6% (45/745) of the admitted infants had been conceived through assisted reproductive technologies compared with 1.52% in the general population (relative risk 4.0; 95% confidence interval, 3.0–5.4). Mothers who had conceived with assisted reproductive technologies were older and more likely to have had cesarean and multiple births than those who conceived spontaneously.

Conclusions

Assisted conception appears to be associated with a significantly increased rate of early parenting difficulties. Women who experience assisted conception may require additional support before and after their babies are born.

Key Words:  ART conception , postpartum depression , parenting difficulties

To access this article, please choose from the options below

Login to an existing account or Register a new account.

  • Purchase this article for 31.50 USD (You must login/register to purchase this article)

    Online access for 24 hours. The PDF version can be downloaded as your permanent record.

  • Subscribe to this title

    Get unlimited online access to this article and all other articles in this title 24/7 for one year.

  • Claim access now

    For current subscribers with Society Membership or Account Number.

  • Visit SciVerse ScienceDirect to see if you have access via your institution.
 

 This research was supported by a grant from the Fertility Society of Australia.

PII: S0015-0282(05)00854-X

doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2005.02.016

Fertility and Sterility
Volume 84, Issue 2 , Pages 426-430, August 2005

Article Tools