SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article
Front. Endocrinol.
Sec. Clinical Diabetes
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fendo.2025.1672527
This article is part of the Research TopicWorld Diabetes Day 2024: Exploring Mechanisms, Innovations, and Holistic Approaches in Diabetes CareView all 21 articles
The impact of maternal depression during pregnancy on the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus: a meta-analysis
Provisionally accepted
- Jiangsu University Affiliated People's Hospital, Zhengjiang, China
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Background: Antenatal depression, defined as clinically significant depressive symptoms occurring during pregnancy, has been suggested to increase the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), a glucose intolerance disorder with onset or first recognition during pregnancy. However, evidence regarding its relationship with GDM remains inconsistent. This meta-analysis aimed to quantitatively assess the association between antenatal depression and the risk of GDM. Methods: We systematically searched PubMed, Embase, Wanfang, and the Cochrane Library from inception to June 12, 2025 for observational studies reporting the association between depression during pregnancy and GDM. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using a random-effects model. Results: A total of 8 studies were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled analysis showed that maternal depression during pregnancy was significantly associated with an increased risk of GDM (OR = 1.37, 95% CI: 1.20-1.54). Subgroup analyses based on country, depression assessment tool, and study design showed consistent results. Sensitivity analyses confirmed the stability of the results. No significant publication bias was detected. Conclusion: This meta-analysis suggests that maternal depression during pregnancy is associated with a significantly increased risk of developing GDM. Screening for depression in early pregnancy may represent a potential strategy to reduce the risk of GDM and improve maternal health outcomes.
Keywords: Maternal Depression, Pregnancy, gestational diabetes mellitus, Meta-analysis, Mental Health
Received: 24 Jul 2025; Accepted: 15 Sep 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Du, Dai, Xu and Guan. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Nan Du, 15262168046@163.com
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