Association between iron-deficiency anemia and antenatal depression in a semi-urban population of south India: A cross-sectional study

Introduction: Iron-deficiency anemia (IDA) during pregnancy affects the glial cells of the brain of mother, which results in altered neuronal myelination with dysregulation. Although several factors could lead to antenatal depression, IDA is an emerging etiology. The primary objective of this study is to determine the relationship between IDA and antenatal depression among pregnant women. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at Government Head Quarters and Hospital, in Udhagamandalam. A total of 210 pregnant women in the second trimester were enrolled and categorized into iron-deficient anemia and noniron-deficient anemia groups based on their hematological results. The risk of depression was assessed using the validated Edinburgh Depression Scale (EDS). A Chi-square test for categorical variables and an independent t-test for continuous variables were used. A Pearson's correlation analysis was performed to check the association of EDS scores with participants' demographic characteristics and hematological parameters. Regression analysis was conducted to predict the outcome variable. Results: The distribution of depression was significantly varied between the groups. EDS score was significantly higher in the IDA group in comparison with the non-IDA group (12.78 ± 3.40 vs. 8.82 ± 3.12; P = 0.005; 95% confidence interval 2.94–4.87). The odds of developing antenatal depression are 12 times higher in the iron-deficient group, P < 0.001. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that IDA acts as an independent factor in influencing antenatal depression. The following core competencies are addressed in this article: Medical knowledge, Patient care, Practice-based learning and improvement.