Women do not overcome psychological effects of miscarriage after the birth of a healthy baby but can continue to be traumatized for up to three years, finds a new study published yesterday (March 3) in the British Journal of Psychiatry.
Researchers at Rochester University looked at survey results from 13,000 expectant mothers, of which 2,800 had suffered a miscarriage. They found that those who had miscarried in a previous pregnancy were much more likely to be depressed or anxious during a subsequent one, and that this state of mind continued for up to three years after the birth of a healthy child.
"This finding is important because, when assessing if a women is at risk of antenatal or postnatal depression, previous pregnancy loss is usually not taken into account in the same way as other risk factors such as a family history of depression, stressful life events or a lack of social support," explained lead researcher Dr. Emma Robertson Blackmore.
Up to one-fifth of pregnancies ends in miscarriage, and 50 to 80 percent of miscarriage sufferers will become pregnant again.