No studies have examined a diagnosis of depression relationship to fetal developmen.

Most studies adjusted for the effects of age, and SES and still found the relationship between depressive symptoms and preterm and low birth weight babies.

One study showed that a high number depressive symptoms at 32 weeks were associated with increased risk of epidural analgesia, caesarean section, instrumental deliveries, and NCU admissions of infants. Chung et al (2001). Antepartum depressive symptomatology associated with adverse obstetrics and neonatal outcome. 63:830-834.

Relative Risk in a low-income, African-American population is 1.59 for spontaneous preterm birth (Orr et al. 2002 American Journal of Epidemiology 156:797-802

Spontaneous preterm birth is defined a birth at less than 37 completed weeks of gestation.