Researchers at CHU Clemenceau in Caen (France) found that pregnant women with depression and low weight (BMI equal to or less than 19) were seven times more likely to give birth prematurely than those without depression. Likewise, pregnant women with a high score on the anxiety questionnaires and with a previous history of premature birth were five times more likely to repeat this situation.
These data were extracted from the evaluation of 634 pregnant women between 18 and 45 years old, between weeks 20 and 28 of gestation and taking into account their general health, anxiety and depression. The premature birth rate was 11% in the overall group, and, on average, it occurred at week 32 of gestation.
