Depression and anxiety in pregnant women may be connected to the type of delivery they have, new research suggests.

Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders have already been associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes like low birth weight and preterm birth. And now, a new Michigan Medicine study finds that they may also be linked to significantly higher rates of first time cesarean deliveries among women who were otherwise at low risk of having one.

«Our findings reinforce the importance of better identifying and treating perinatal depression and anxiety disorders in pregnant women,» said senior author Vanessa Dalton, M.D., M.P.H., obstetrician gynecologist at University of Michigan Health Von Voigtlander Women’s Hospital.

«It’s critical to better understand how these mood disorders increase the likelihood of cesarean section deliveries, which we know have both short and long-term health consequences for both expecting moms and their babies.»

Researchers analyzed national data for 360,225 delivery hospitalizations among commercially insured women ages 15-44 during the decade between 2008 and 2017, with 24% including a first-time delivery by cesarean section. The findings appear in Health Affairs.

The study is among the largest to document a link between predated mood and anxiety disorders and first-time c-sections among low-risk pregnant women. Previous research on this relationship is limited, often including patients who had previous cesarean deliveries — one of the most significant predictors of a repeat c-section — or who may not have already been diagnosed with a perinatal mood disorder.

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Materials provided by Michigan Medicine — University of Michigan. Original written by Beata Mostafavi. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.