Study Links Antenatal and Postnatal Depression to Lower Vitamin D Levels

Affecting between 15 to 21 percent of pregnant women worldwide, antenatal depression poses significant risks to both maternal and infant health. Postnatal depression is similarly thought to affect between 10 and 20 percent of mothers globally, although some researchers believe the numbers to be even higher. With conventional treatments such as antidepressant drugs having significant safety concerns, research into micronutrient-based solutions is clearly essential.

The NUTRIMUM trial, conducted in Canterbury, New Zealand, from 2017 to 2022, investigated the efficacy of broad-spectrum micronutrient supplements for antenatal depression. A randomized controlled study involving 88 women with moderate depressive symptoms, participants were assigned either a micronutrient supplement or an active placebo for 12 weeks. The results indicated significant improvements in psychological functioning, sleep, and overall day-to-day activities for the micronutrient group, with 69 percent rating themselves as “much” or “very much” improved.

Further investigation followed the infants of mothers in the NUTRIMUM trial for 12 months, comparing their development to infants from the general population and those exposed to antidepressant drugs during pregnancy. Infants exposed to micronutrients exhibited better behavioral regulation, attention, muscle tone, and emotional interaction, clearly surpassing those of typical pregnancies or those exposed to drug treatments.

To learn more about the importance of micronutrients during pregnancy, see parts one and two of the special pregnancy feature article on our website.