Effects of tobacco consumption and anxiety or depression during pregnancy on maternal and neonatal health

Abstract

This study analyzed the possible interaction effects between tobacco consumption and anxiety or depression during pregnancy on maternal and neonatal health. We recruited a sample of 807 pregnant Spanish women from public healthcare services. Women completed a questionnaire on sociodemographic variables, health status and tobacco consumption (continuous, quitting or no consumption) in the first and third trimester of pregnancy and at 2 months postpartum, and self-reported measures of anxiety and depression in the first trimester. Abstinence of tobacco consumption was verified through biochemical measurements. Interaction effects between tobacco consumption and anxiety were found for delivery (<i>p</i> < 0.001), neonatal health complications (<i>p</i> = 0.026) and gestational age at birth (<i>p</i> = 0.029). Interaction effects between tobacco consumption and depression were found for pregnancy (<i>p</i> = 0.032), delivery complications (<i>p</i> < 0.001) and weeks of gestation at birth (<i>p</i> = 0.031). This study suggests that there are different kinds of interaction effects between tobacco consumption and anxiety or depression. Smokers with high anxiety presented more delivery complications compared to quitters and non-smokers with high anxiety. There is a cumulative effect of anxiety on the effects of tobacco consumption on maternal health. The results highlighted the beneficial impact of quitting smoking during pregnancy to reduce the risk of suffering anxiety, depression and health complications.