The effect of antenatal common mental disorders on infant birth weight at the Dabat health and demographic surveillance site, Northwest Ethiopia: a community-based cohort study.

Authors

Helina Abebe Kurbi, Solomon Mekonnen Abebe, Netsanet Worku Mengistu, Alemayehu Teklu Toni, Tadesse Awoke Ayele

Published in

BMC pregnancy and childbirth. Jul 09, 2026. Epub Jul 09, 2026.

Abstract

Antenatal mental disorders often go unrecognized and untreated, potentially affecting birth weight in low- and middle-income countries. While studies in high-income countries have reported an association between antenatal common mental disorders and low birth weight, evidence from low-income countries such as Ethiopia remains inconsistent and limited. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the effects of common antenatal mental disorders and other psychosocial factors on the risk of low birth weight at the Dabat Health and Demographic Surveillance Site in Northwest Ethiopia.
A community-based cohort study was conducted at the Dabat Health and Demographic Surveillance Site in Northwest Ethiopia. Pregnant women in the second or third trimester were recruited and screened for antenatal common mental disorders using the World Health Organization Self-Reporting Questionnaire-20. Participants were followed prospectively until delivery. The primary outcome, low birth weight, was defined as a birth weight less than 2500 g, measured with a calibrated digital scale within 24 h of delivery. Modified Poisson regression was used to estimate relative risks associated with predictors of low birth weight, and generalized structural equation modeling was used to estimate the direct and indirect effects of antenatal common mental disorders and other psychological risk factors on low birth weight.
The cumulative incidence of low birth weight among infants born to mothers with common mental disorders during pregnancy was 33%. The risk of low birth weight was 4.27 (95% CI:2.78, 6.56), 2.66 (95%CI:1.81, 3.89), 3.10 (95%CI:1.87, 5.14), and 2.60 (95%CI:1.48, 4.56) times higher for pregnant mothers with antenatal mental disorders, preterm birth, intimate partner violence, and challenges in accessing food, respectively. Antenatal common mental disorders had both direct (β = 2.4) and indirect(β=-0.17) effects on low birth weight, with social support acting as a mediating factor in the relationship between antenatal common mental disorders and low birth weight.
The incidence of low birth weight was high in the study area. Antenatal common mental disorders and psychosocial risk factors significantly increased the risk of low birth weight. Interventions that focus on increasing social support and antenatal screening for common mental disorders will help reduce adverse birth outcomes.

PMID:
42426699
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 10 Jul 2026.

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