• Sixto E Sanchez, Gabriella C Puente, Guillermo Atencio, Chungfang Qiu, David Yanez, Bizu Gelaye, and Michelle A Williams.
• Universidad San Martin de Porres, Lima, Peru.
• J Reprod Med. 2013 Jan 1; 58 (1-2): 25-33.

ObjectiveTo examine the risk of preterm birth (PTB) in relation to maternal psychiatric symptoms during pregnancy in Peruvian women.Study DesignThis case-control study included 479 PTB cases and 480 term controls. In-person interviews were conducted to assess women's depressive, anxiety, and stress symptoms using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21). Multivariable logistic regression procedures were used to estimate adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).ResultsCompared with women reporting no or minimal depressive symptoms, the aOR (95% CI) for PTB associated with consecutive severity of depressive symptoms based on the PHQ-9 assessment method were as follows: mild, 2.22 (95% CI 1.64-3.00) and moderate-severe, 3.67 (95% CI 2.09-6.46). The corresponding aORs for normal, mild, and moderate-severe depressive symptoms based on the DASS-21 assessment were 1.00 (reference), 3.82 (95% CI 1.90-7.66), and 2.90 (95% CI 1.66-5.04), respectively. A positive gradient was observed for the odds of PTB with severity of anxiety (Ptrend < 0.001) and stress symptoms (Ptrend < 0.001).ConclusionThe odds of PTB increased in pregnant Peruvian women with psychiatric symptoms. Efforts to screen and treat affected women may modify risks of PTB and possibly other associated disorders.

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