Relationship between anxiety and depressive trajectories of women who conceived through assisted reproductive technology and their children's emotional and behavioral problems: A prospective cohort study

Abstract

ObjectiveThis study aimed to examine the relationship between the anxiety and depressive trajectory of women conceived through assisted reproductive technology (ART) and their children's emotional and behavioral problems. MethodsThis prospective cohort study including 18,711 women, was conducted between July 2014 and December 2017. Self-rating scales for anxiety and depression were used before treatment, during the first trimester, and two to three years postpartum. A latent class growth analysis identified their maternal anxiety and depressive symptom trajectories. Multiple comparison and linear regression models were performed to assess the relationships between maternal trajectories and their offspring's emotional and behavioral problems. ResultsThree longitudinal heterogeneous trajectories of maternal anxiety and depressive symptoms were identified: resilient, recurrent, and emergent. After adjusting for covariates, children with mothers in the recurrent and emergent trajectory groups had higher Child Behavior Checklist/2–3 scores. Additionally, the participants with a recurrent trajectory had lower education and employment levels and younger maternal age at delivery. They also had a history of ovarian surgery, primipara, secondary infertility, polycystic ovary syndrome, and more embryo transferred cycles, including intracytoplasmic sperm injections. Those with resilient trajectories had higher antral follicle counts and GnRH antagonist protocol. Finally, the participants with emergent trajectories had a lower monthly income, primipara, ectopic pregnancy, and fresh embryo transfers. ConclusionsInfertile women's psychological stress was not alleviated by the ART—sociodemographic, infertility-related and treatment-related characteristics determined three mental health trajectories. Children with mothers in recurrent and emergent trajectories showed higher odds of experiencing emotional and behavioral problems.