Abstract
Perinatal depression has been associated with lower oxytocin (OT) levels. However, few studies have explored this topic in relation to Latinas who are at high risk of perinatal depression. The objective of this study was to explore these associations in Latinas. A total of 108 Latinas in the third trimester of pregnancy participated in the study. Depression and urinary OT levels were assessed in pregnancy and 6 weeks postpartum. Nonparametric tests were implemented to test the proposed associations. Results revealed that 28% of the participants had probable depression in pregnancy, and 23% at 6 weeks postpartum. OT levels significantly decreased from prenatal to postpartum in the whole sample; however, participants with probable prenatal depression did not exhibit a significant change in OT levels. Participants who were depressed or anxious at 6 weeks postpartum exhibited persistently higher mean OT levels over time. A distinct pattern of higher levels of OT in depressed Latinas suggests that OT levels may be an important neuroendocrine factor contributing to depressive and anxious symptoms.
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Acknowledgements
The authors thank the women who participated in the study. The authors also acknowledge Jane Leserman, who co-led the parent study; Cheryl Walker, who conducted the assays; and Melissa Stansbury and Nacire Garcia for their assistance with data collection.
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This study was funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH; MH077838-01A2) awarded to Cort A. Pedersen. The NIMH had no role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.
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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. The study was approved by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Institutional Review Board.
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Lara-Cinisomo, S., D’Anna-Hernandez, K., Fujimoto, E.M. et al. Exploring associations between perinatal depression, anxiety, and urinary oxytocin levels in Latinas. Arch Womens Ment Health 22, 447–455 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-018-0910-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-018-0910-6