Association of Postpartum Depression With Weight Retention 1 Year After Childbirth
Open accessAbstract
OBJECTIVE: To examine the extent to which early postpartum depression is associated with weight retention 1 year after childbirth. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: In a prospective cohort study of 850 women enrolled in Project Viva, mothers reported depressive symptoms on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) at midpregnancy and 6 months postpartum. A score >12 indicated probable depression. We assessed associations of antenatal and postpartum depression with risk of substantial weight retention (at least 5 kg) 1 year after childbirth. RESULTS: Seven-hundred thirty-six women (87%) were not depressed during or after pregnancy, 55 (6%) experienced antenatal depression only, 22 (3%) experienced both antenatal and postpartum depression, and 37 (4%) experienced postpartum depression only. At 1 year, participants retained a mean of 0.6 kg (range -16.4 to 25.5), and 12% retained at least 5 kg. In multivariate logistic regression analyses, after adjustment for weight-related covariates, maternal sociodemographics, and parity, new-onset postpartum depression was associated with more than a doubling of risk of retaining at least 5 kg (odds ratio (OR): 2.54, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.06, 6.09). Antenatal depression, either alone or in combination with postpartum depression, was not associated with substantial weight retention. DISCUSSION: New-onset postpartum depression was associated with substantial weight retention in the first postpartum year. Interventions to manage depressive symptoms may help reduce excess weight retained postpartum and aid in the prevention of obesity among women.
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Significantly more women with postpartum weight retention had higher scores on the PPD scale.
“The two last studies evaluated postpartum weight retention (PPWR) and found that significantly more women with PPWR had higher scores on the PPD scale.35,67”
From Consequences of maternal postpartum depression: A systematic review of maternal and infant outcomes (2019) · cites this paper as [67]
The Abstract and Discussion report a significant association between new-onset postpartum depression, defined by an EPDS score above 12, and retaining at least 5 kg one year after childbirth. They do not report that women with weight retention had higher EPDS scores overall; the significant finding is limited to new-onset postpartum depression, not antenatal depression or depression in both periods. The supplied copy gives no page numbers for these passages. (LLM, conf=0.86)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredDepressed mothers presented more postpartum weight retention (PPWR) and lower scores on all SF-36 domains.
“Only three studies included in the present systematic review showed that depressed mothers presented more PPWR35,67 and lower scores on all SF-36 domains,88”
From Consequences of maternal postpartum depression: A systematic review of maternal and infant outcomes (2019) · cites this paper as [67]
The Results/Discussion report more substantial postpartum weight retention among women with new-onset postpartum depression than among women without depression (27% versus 11%). The finding does not extend to all depressed mothers: women with antenatal depression, alone or continuing postpartum, did not show a marked difference. This source is cited for weight retention (references 35 and 67), not for the SF-36 finding (reference 88). (LLM, conf=0.88)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredNew-onset PPD was associated with more than double the risk of retaining at least 5 kg (OR = 2.54, 95% CI = 1.06, 6.09).
“In multivariate logistic regression analyses, after adjustment for weight-related covariates, maternal sociodemographics, and parity, new-onset PPD was associated with more than double the risk of retaining at least 5 (OR = 2.54, 95% CI = 1.06, 6.09) kg.”
From Consequences of maternal postpartum depression: A systematic review of maternal and infant outcomes (2019) · cites this paper as [67]
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- Authors
- Herring, S. J., Rich‐Edwards, J. W., Oken, E., Rifas‐Shiman, S. L., Kleinman, K. P., & Gillman, M. W.
- Affiliations
- Harvard University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Herring, Sharon J.
- Venue
- Obesity
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2008-06
- Volume
- 16
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 1296-1301
- ISSN
- 1930-7381 (ISSN-L)
- 1930-739X
- PMC
- PMC2761642
- OpenAlex
- W2089389714
- Cited by
- 133
- References
- 53
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 16 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 11 · 2013: 11 · 2012: 12
- FWCI
- 6.62
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Obesity (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- Kaiser Permanente
- National Institutes of Health (HL 68041, HD 34568)
- U.S. Public Health Service (#5 T32HP1101-19)
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (K24HL068041, HL-68041, R01HL064925)
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (P30DK040561)
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (HD 64925, R37HD034568, HD34568, R01HD034568)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Maternal and Neonatal Healthcare
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Obstetrics and Gynecology › Maternal and Perinatal Health Interventions
- Keywords
- postpartum depression, weight retention, antenatal depression, postpartum obesity, gestational weight gain, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, Project Viva
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Body Weight, Female, Health Surveys, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Obesity, Pregnancy, Prospective Studies, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, Risk Factors, Time Factors, Cohort Studies, Weight Gain, Weight Loss, Logistic Models, Depression, Postpartum
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