A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
Maternal pre- and postnatal depression and anxiety: Impacts on childhood asthma and its phenotypes
Authors: Kanerva, Eetu; Lukkarinen, Minna; Leppänen, Marika; Pape, Bernd; Rautava, Päivi; Karukivi, Max
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Publication year: 2026
Journal: Journal of Psychosomatic Research
Article number: 112610
Volume: 204
ISSN: 0022-3999
eISSN: 1879-1360
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2026.112610
Publication's open availability at the time of reporting: Open Access
Publication channel's open availability : Partially Open Access publication channel
Web address : https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2026.112610
Self-archived copy’s web address: https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/515878019
Self-archived copy's licence: CC BY
Self-archived copy's version: Publisher`s PDF
BackgroundMaternal psychological distress during pregnancy is known to elevate the risk of offspring asthma, but the impact of the timing of the distress remains poorly understood.ObjectivesTo assess the individual and combined effects of maternal prenatal and postnatal depressive and anxiety disorders, both separately and longitudinally, on offspring asthma and its phenotypes.MethodsHealthcare register data on 310,701 children born 2001–2006 and their 232,240 mothers were collected. Maternal depressive disorder was defined by diagnoses F30, F31, F32–F34 and F38 and anxiety disorder as F40–F42, F44–F45 and F48. Timing of disorder was defined as prenatal (from one year before until labor) and postnatal periods (from birth until three years postpartum). Child outcomes were overall asthma diagnosis J45–J46 at 7–12 years, further separated into allergic J45.0 and non-allergic J45.1 asthma phenotypes.ResultsAltogether, 19,000 (6.1%) children had asthma, 6517 (2.8%) mothers had depression, and 4189 (1.8%) had anxiety disorder. Child overall asthma was associated with maternal prenatal depression (adjusted odds ratio 1.28; 95% confidence interval 1.08–1.53) and anxiety disorders (1.30; 1.07–1.57), and with postnatal anxiety disorders (1.33; 1.15–1.54). Both maternal postnatal depression (1.36; 1.06–1.74) and anxiety disorders (1.45; 1.06–2.00) were associated with non-atopic asthma, and postnatal anxiety was associated with atopic asthma (1.34; 1.07–1.67). The comorbidity or longitudinality of maternal depressive and anxiety disorders didn't affect the associations.ConclusionMaternal depressive and anxiety disorders were associated with offspring asthma, varying by phenotype and timing. The postnatal effect was significant, suggesting independent associations and possibly distinct pathways in child respiratory morbidity.
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Funding information in the publication:
The study was conducted independently of the funding sources, which had no role in its design, data collection, analysis or interpretation, execution, nor in the preparation, writing, review, approval or submission of the manuscript for publication. The funding sources among the authors were the following: the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health of Finland, Helsinki (Päivi Rautava, Marika Leppänen), State Funding for University Level Research of Health (P¨ aivi Rautava), the Finnish State Grants for Clinical Research (P¨ aivi Rautava), Signe and Ane Gyllenberg Foundation, Helsinki (Eetu Kanerva) and the Finnish Allergy, Skin and Asthma Foundation, Helsinki (Eetu Kanerva) - all in Finland.
