Maternal depression or anxiety during pregnancy and offspring type 1 diabetes: a population-based family-design cohort study

BMJ Open Diabetes Res Care. 2023 Apr;11(2):e003303. doi: 10.1136/bmjdrc-2023-003303.

Abstract

Introduction: To investigate the association between maternal depression/anxiety during pregnancy and offspring type 1 diabetes, to assess the specific importance of exposure during pregnancy by comparing across different exposure periods before and/or after pregnancy, and to explore potential unmeasured familial confounding.

Research design and methods: This was a population-based cohort including 1 807 809 offspring born in Sweden 2002-2019. From national registers, data were available on diagnosis or medication prescription for depression/anxiety in and around pregnancy, as well as incident cases of type 1 diabetes defined through diagnosis or insulin treatment. Associations were examined using flexible parametric and Cox regression models. Familial confounding was explored using paternal exposure as a negative control and by comparing offspring exposed to maternal depression/anxiety with their unexposed siblings.

Results: For exposure during pregnancy, maternal depression/anxiety was associated with an increased risk of offspring type 1 diabetes onset after, but not before, 8 years of age (adjusted HR (aHR) 1.21 (95% CI 1.03 to 1.42]). Exposure occurring only during pregnancy was similarly associated to type 1 diabetes (aHR 1.24 (0.96 to 1.60)), whereas exposure occurring only before pregnancy was not (aHR 0.91 (0.64 to 1.30)). Associations were close to the null for paternal depression/anxiety (aHR 0.95 (0.72 to 1.25)), and point estimates were above 1 in sibling comparisons, although with wide CIs (aHR 1.36 (0.82 to 2.26)).

Conclusions: Maternal depression/anxiety specifically during pregnancy seems to be associated with offspring type 1 diabetes. Paternal negative control and sibling comparisons indicate that the results cannot entirely be explained by familial confounding.

Keywords: diabetes mellitus, type 1; epidemiology; pregnancy; stress, psychological.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Anxiety / epidemiology
  • Cohort Studies
  • Depression / epidemiology
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1* / complications
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1* / epidemiology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects* / etiology