Pregnancy outcomes after recurrent pregnancy loss: a longitudinal cohort study on stress and depression

RESEARCH QUESTION: Are self-reported symptoms of stress and depression associated with pregnancy outcomes within the first year after referral to a tertiary recurrent pregnancy loss unit?

DESIGN: Prospective cohort study with online questionnaires using the Major Depression Inventory (MDI) and Cohen's Stress Scale (PSS) at referral and after 1 year. The study was conducted between 2010 and 2014. A total of 301 women who had experienced recurrent pregnancy loss completed the first questionnaire. One year after referral, 185 women (61%) completed a follow-up questionnaire.

RESULTS: A score above the threshold for major depression on the MDI at referral was not a predictor for outcome in the first pregnancy after referral; OR (95% CI) for live birth 1.71 (0.66 to 4.44), neither was increasing scores on the PSS: OR 0.98 (95% CI 0.94 to 1.02). At follow-up, women who had achieved a pregnancy resulting in a live birth had significantly lower scores on both the MDI: 13.45 (11.05) versus 11.04 (11.07); difference -2.41 (95% CI -4.60 to -0.23); and the PSS: mean 17.69 (7.59) versus 13.03 (6.83); difference -4.66 (95% CI -6.04 to -3.28), respectively. This was not the case for women who did not have a successful pregnancy. Women who experienced recurrent pregnancy loss after a successful birth were less likely to report symptoms corresponding to major depression than women who had only experienced losses (n = 7 [5%] versus 19 [12%]; P = 0.04).

CONCLUSIONS: Self-reported emotional distress did not affect future chance of live birth. A live born child decreased emotional distress.