Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40035952›Full record

ArticleJournal of racial and ethnic health disparities2026

The Role of Maternal Depression in Racial Disparities and Birth Weight.

Anna E Eitel, Sara M Witcraft, Bernadette Cortese, Ayesha C Sujan, Courtney King, Constance Guille

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of racial and ethnic health disparities, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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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

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Anna E EitelCollege of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA. eitel@musc.edu.ORCID 0009-0006-5862-6841
Sara M WitcraftDepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
Bernadette CorteseDepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
Ayesha C SujanDepartment of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
Courtney KingDepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
Constance GuilleDepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.

Funding

Web-Based Treatment for Perinatal Opioid Use DisorderR34DA046730 · NIDA · MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA · PI GUILLE, CONSTANCE · 2019 to 2020
$899k
HRSA HHS U66RH31458NIDA NIH HHS R34DA046730Research in Anesthesia Training Program (ReAP) T32GM089626
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionPregnant people experiencing major depression during pregnancy are at increased risk for premature labor and infants with low birth weight, and there are significant racial disparities in these outcomes. Black women are at higher risk for having premature and low birth weight infants relative to their White counterparts. As such, we sought to examine the relationships between race, depression, and obstetric outcomes (low birth weight and prematurity) in both Black and White women with live births.

methodsThis study included 185 pregnant women receiving behavioral health services within an Ob/Gyn clinic in an academic medical center in South Carolina. Main and interactive effects on birth weight and gestational age were evaluated with analysis of covariance controlling for maternal age.

resultsThe association between race and low birth weight was driven primarily by maternal depression. Infants of depressed Black women had significantly reduced birth weight relative to infants of depressed White women, but there was no evidence of racial disparities in birth weight among non-depressed Black women compared to non-depressed White women. Depression symptom severity was not associated with birth outcomes, and there was no effect of depression or race on prematurity.

conclusionThe occurrence of depression during pregnancy may in part account for racial disparities in infant birth weight. Interventions to reduce depression across birthing persons but especially among Black women may be a promising direction to address racial disparities in low birth weight.

Indexed as

Birth WeightBlack or African AmericanDepressionHealth Status DisparitiesInfant, Low Birth WeightPregnancy ComplicationsWhite PeopleAdultFemaleGestational AgeHumansInfant, NewbornPregnancyPremature BirthSouth CarolinaWhiteBirth outcomesBirth weightHealthcare disparityMaternal healthPerinatal carePregnancy

Identifiers

PMID40035952
PMCPMC13157401

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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.