Assisted conception is a risk factor for postnatal mood disturbance and early parenting difficulties.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate whether assisted conception is associated with an increased risk of admission to a residential early parenting program for treatment of maternal mood disorder or infant feeding or sleeping disorders in the postpartum year.

DESIGN

Systematic audit of consecutive medical records.

SETTING

Masada Private Hospital Mother Baby Unit (MPHMBU), Melbourne, Australia.

PATIENT(S): Medical records of all mother-infant dyads admitted to MPHMBU between July 2000 and August 2002.

INTERVENTION(S): None.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Modes of conception and delivery of index infant, maternal and infant age on admission, multiplicity of birth, infant birth weight, and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale scores.

RESULT(S): A total of 745 records were audited, and mode of conception was recorded in 526 (70.6%) of records. Overall 6% (45/745) of the admitted infants had been conceived through assisted reproductive technologies compared with 1.52% in the general population (relative risk 4.0; 95% confidence interval, 3.0-5.4). Mothers who had conceived with assisted reproductive technologies were older and more likely to have had cesarean and multiple births than those who conceived spontaneously.

CONCLUSIONS

Assisted conception appears to be associated with a significantly increased rate of early parenting difficulties. Women who experience assisted conception may require additional support before and after their babies are born.