Veronica O'Keane, a prenatal psychiatrist at the Institute of Psychiatry at King's Collage in London, has presented a study in which she states that depression during pregnancy can cause premature births. According to the expert, many of the premature births that have no medical cause are due to the mother's depression during pregnancy, the possible cause being the overstimulation of stress hormones (cortisol) and corticotropin-releasing hormone ( CRH).
During pregnancy, the future mother releases large amounts of this hormone, the CRH, in the placenta, it regulates the hormone cortisol so that the baby's organs develop properly. If the hormone levels are higher, the baby's organs develop faster but the brain is affected, is smaller than normal, and premature birth can be triggered.
It should be remembered that preterm births can have serious consequences for the baby, illnesses and even death.
Experts say it is more than likely that postpartum depressions have started during pregnancy. It is necessary, and many professionals insist on it, to have an exhaustive control of the pregnant woman also in this aspect, if she has depression it is still necessary to pay more attention in order to avoid the possible damages that the baby can suffer.
