Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30428883›Full record

SynthesisBMC medicine2018

Offspring outcomes after prenatal interventions for common mental disorders: a meta-analysis.

Marlies E Brouwer, Alishia D Williams, Sam E van Grinsven, Pim Cuijpers, Mijke P Lambregtse-van den Berg, Huibert Burger, Claudi L H Bockting

Open access · goldAbstract readMeta-Analysis
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMC medicine, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
10citing papers in PubMed
9.0field-weighted citation impact, top 2% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

10 citing papers in PubMed, 46 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Trial
  2. Article
  3. Managing anxiety-related disorders from pregnancy to parenthood.Archives of gynecology and obstetrics · 2026
    Review
  4. Review
  5. Review
  6. Article
  7. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 5 institutions in 2 countries.

Marlies E BrouwerDepartment of Clinical Psychology, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 1, 3584 CS, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
Alishia D WilliamsDepartment of Clinical Psychology, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 1, 3584 CS, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
Sam E van GrinsvenDepartment of Clinical Psychology, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 1, 3584 CS, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
Pim CuijpersDepartment of Clinical, Neuro and Developmental Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Van der Boechorststraat 1, 1081 BT, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Mijke P Lambregtse-van den BergDepartment of Psychiatry and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus Medical Centre Rotterdam, P.O. Box 2060, 3000 CB, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Huibert BurgerDepartment of General Practice, University Medical Centre Groningen, University of Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, 9713 AV, Groningen, the Netherlands.
Claudi L H BocktingDepartment of Psychiatry, Amsterdam University Medical Centres, location AMC, University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. c.l.bockting@amc.uva.nl.
Utrecht University · NLErasmus University Rotterdam · NLUniversity of Amsterdam · NLUniversity of Groningen · NLVrije Universiteit Amsterdam · NL

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIt is presumed that pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment of prenatal common mental disorders can mitigate associated adverse effects in offspring, yet strong evidence for the prophylactic benefits of treatment is lacking. We therefore examined the effect of prenatal treatments for common mental disorders on offspring outcomes.

methodsFor this meta-analysis, articles published up to August 31, 2017, were obtained from PubMed, PsycInfo, Embase, and Cochrane databases. Included studies needed to be randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the effect of treatment of prenatal common mental disorders comparing an intervention to a control condition, including offspring outcome(s). Random effects models were used to calculate Hedges' g in the program Comprehensive Meta-Analysis

resultsSixteen randomized controlled trials among 2778 pregnant women compared offspring outcomes between prenatal interventions and control groups. There were zero pharmacological, 13 psychological, and three other interventions (homeopathy, relaxation interventions, and short psycho-education). Birth weight (mean difference 42.88 g, g = 0.08, 95% CI -0.06 to 0.22, p = 0.27, n = 11), Apgar scores (g = 0.13, 95% CI -0.28 to 0.54, p = 0.53, n = 4), and gestational age (g = 0.03, 95% CI -0.06 to 0.54, p = 0.49, n = 10) were not significantly affected. Other offspring outcomes could not be meta-analyzed due to the inconsistent reporting of offspring outcomes and an insufficient number of studies.

conclusionsNon-pharmacological interventions had no significant effect on birth outcomes, although this outcome should be considered with caution due to the risk of biases. No randomized controlled trial examined the effects of prenatal pharmacological treatments as compared to treatment as usual for common mental disorders on offspring outcomes. Present clinical guidelines may require more research evidence on offspring outcomes, including child development, in order to warrant the current recommendation to routinely screen and subsequently treat prenatal common mental disorders.

trial registrationPROSPERO CRD42016047190.

Indexed as

Birth WeightGestational AgeChildFemaleHumansMental DisordersPregnancyPregnancy ComplicationsYoung AdultAntidepressantAnxietyChildCommon mental disordersDepressionOffspringPregnancyPrenatal interventionsPsychotherapy

Identifiers

PMID30428883
PMCPMC6237028
OpenAlexW2899740931

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.