Low birth-weight and risk for major depression: A community-based longitudinal study

The current study examines the association between low birth weight and risk for major depression from early adolescence to early adulthood. It accounts for eight documented confounders, and depression within families. Data were analyzed from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 on mothers and offspring. Major depression was assessed with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale Short-Form (CES-D-SF) among offspring (N=3398) biannually, from 2000 to 2010 (aged 14-25). Competing models were examined with survival analysis and Generalized Estimated Equations (GEE). CES-D-SF based major depression was reported by 33.46% (n=1137) of participants. Among persons with very low birth weight (<1500 g), 47.5% (n=19/40) were classified with CES-D-SF depression (OR=1.81, 95% CI=0.97, 3.39). Similar results were found with survival analysis (HR=1.97, 95% CI=0.97, 4.01). Among multiple offspring families, GEE modeling showed a similar trend. On aggregate (unadjusted OR=2.46, 95% CI=1.07, 5.63; adjusted OR=2.43, 95% CI=0.94, 6.23), and within families of mothers with CES-D-SF depression (unadjusted OR=2.54, 95% CI=0.55, 11.66; adjusted OR=1.79, 95% CI=0.28, 11.42). Compelling evidence is lacking in favor of an association between very low birth weight (<1500 g), and suspected major depression from early adolescence to early adulthood after accounting for documented confounders.