A Birth Cohort Study on Maternal Mental Health and Child Development in Twin Pregnancies

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K18209
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 56040:Obstetrics and gynecology-related
• Research Institution: National Center for Child Health and Development
• Principal Investigator: Azuma Hiromitsu 国立研究開発法人国立成育医療研究センター, 周産期・母性診療センター, 医員 (60772936)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 双胎妊娠 / 母体メンタルヘルス / 母子愛着形成 / 発達 / 自閉症 / 前向きコホート研究

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The 240 patients participated and 141 women who had deliveried at the end of the study. Postpartum depression was suspected (EPDS ≧ 9 points) in 21/141 patients (14.9%), and 13/141 (9.2%) were suspected of maternal and infant attachment disorder (5 points or more was the cut-off from previous studies). This study is still being followed, and is currently analyzing the growth and development of twin children at the age of one and a half years and the mental state of their mothers. In the future, we plan to investigate the growth and development of children at the age of three, autism and the mental state of mothers.
We will follow the twins and their mothers until the age of three years during pregnancy, investigate risk factors, including social background, and generate new evidence.

Free Research Field

周産期医学、産科、疫学研究

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究では、ふたごの妊娠・出産・育児が母親のメンタルヘルスに及ぼす影響だけでなく、それがこども達への愛着形成やこどもの発育および発達へどのように影響するかを調査した研究でありる。周産期分野の研究では短期周的な周産期予後をアウトカムとすることが多く、母子について長期的に追跡した研究は非常に少ない。さらに母親のメンタル状況ー母子の愛着形成ーこどもの発育・発達を複合的に調査した先行研究はない。よって新知見を見いだせる可能性がある。本研究の結果はを母子への支援に応用することで、次世代を担うこどもとその母親の健康の向上に寄与できると考える。