Incidence, Prevalence of Peripartum Mental Illness Increased for Mothers With MS

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Medically reviewed by Drugs.com.

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, Jan. 23, 2025 -- Mothers with multiple sclerosis (MS) have an elevated incidence and prevalence of peripartum mental illness, according to a study published online Jan. 22 in Neurology.

Ruth Ann Marrie, M.D., from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and colleagues used linked population-based administrative health data to conduct a cohort study of mothers with MS, epilepsy, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and diabetes, as well as mothers without these diseases (comparators), who had a live birth between 2002 and 2017. The incidence and prevalence of mental illness was estimated during the prenatal period (PN) and three years postpartum.

Data were included for 894,852 mothers (1,745 with MS; 5,954 with epilepsy; 4,924 with IBD; 13,002 with diabetes; and 869,227 comparators). The researchers found that any incident mental illness affected 8.4 and 14.2 percent of mothers with MS prenatally and during the first postpartum year, respectively; the most common incident disorders were depression and anxiety. Compared with the PN period, the first postpartum year was a higher risk period (any mental illness incidence ratio, 1.27). Mothers with MS had an increased incidence of any mental illness during the PN and postpartum periods relative to comparator mothers (incidence ratios, 1.26 and 1.33 [during first postpartum year], respectively). Relative to comparator mothers, mothers with MS had an increased incidence of all specific mental illnesses except suicide attempt during the PN period. Any prevalent mental illness affected 42 and 50.3 percent of mothers with MS prenatally and in the first postpartum year, respectively.

"Given the potential adverse consequences for maternal and child health, clinicians caring for mothers with these diseases should be aware of these risks and ensure that recommended screening occurs, followed by appropriate treatment as needed," the authors write. "Greater attention to preventive interventions is also needed."

Several authors disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

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Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

Source: HealthDay

Posted : 2025-01-24 06:00

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