Dad’s mental illness increases risk of premature birth

By Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, July 21, 2023 (HealthDay News) — It’s not just a mother’s mental health that’s linked to the risk of preterm birth — the father matters too.

New research has found that the risk of preterm birth was higher for infants whose mothers or fathers had a psychiatric diagnosis than for those whose parents did not.

Researchers from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden analyzed data on all live births to Nordic parents in Sweden between 1997 and 2016.

Of 1.5 million babies, 15% are born to parents with a mental health diagnosis. For parents without diagnosis, 5.8% of babies were born preterm.

Paternal diagnosis increased the risk to 6.3% of births, and maternal diagnosis increased the risk to 7.3%. If both parents had a mental health diagnosis, the risk of preterm birth was highest — affecting 8.3% of births.

The researchers also found that the risk increased even more for parents with multiple coexisting psychiatric disorders.

“Children of parents with mental illness are at increased risk of being born too early – mothers and fathers matter,” study author Weiyao Yina postdoctoral researcher, said in a press release.

Premature birth is associated with negative health consequences for babies, including anemia, jaundice, immune system problems and cerebral palsy, as well as a higher risk of sudden infant death syndrome.

The study authors suggested that future studies examine whether additional social support and prenatal care for families with a psychiatric history might affect gestational age – the length of pregnancy.

SOURCE: OLPpress release, July 20, 2023

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