Abstract

Depression in pregnancy imposes an emotional burden to mothers’ life; on the other hand, an association exists between negative fetal and birth outcomes and pregnancy depression. The umbilical cord is vital for the fetus, which has critical roles in transportation of nutrients and oxygen between fetal and maternal circulation. NO is an important molecule involved in many physiological functions like vasodilatation, smooth muscle relaxation, immune-modulation, neurotransmission, and platelet aggregation inhibition. In this study, we aimed to investigate NO levels in fetal cord blood (FCB) of depressed mothers and healthy controls.
An obstetrician collected blood samples during the caesarean section. Study participants were 40 depressed mothers and 44 healthy controls.
We did not find any difference between groups regarding NO levels. However, birth weight of babies was significantly lower in depression group.
Placenta could have a regulatory role in NO levels during pregnancy.

Key words: fetal cord blood, umbilical vein, pregnancy, depression, nitric oxide