Underdetection of Psychiatric Disorders During Prenatal Care: A Survey of Adolescents in São Paulo

This study estimetes the prevalecence of common mental disorders and the proportion and potential determinants of detection among adolescents attending prenatal care. Methods: We recruited 930 consecutive adolescens admitted for obstetric care, of which 457 participants had attended the hospital's prenatal care unit. Common mental disorders were assessed using the Composite International Diagnostic INterview (version 2.1). A detailed review od prenatal care records was used to identify detection of psychiatric disorders by orenatal healthcare professionals. Results: A total of 103 adolescents(22.5%) had some mental disorder but only one-fifth of them had had their psychiatric disorder detected during prenatal care. The most frequent diagnosis using the Compsite Internaional Diagnostic Interview (version2.1). was depression (13.5%), but only 21% had been detected. Alcohol and drug dependence were the least common mental disorders (2.4%), but they were the most commoly detected (45.5%), Physical chronic condition increased the likelihood of detecting psychiatric disorder. Conclusion: Mental health is not yet recognized as an integral component of practice in prenatal care, Given the potential effect of antenatal psychiatric morbidity on maternal and child outcomesm especially among aodlescents, practice needs to be changed and prenatal care professionals trained in the recognition and basic treatment of common mental disorders...

Prenatal tobacco exposure is related to neurobehavioral modifications in infants of adolescent mothers

INTRODUCTION: Prenatal tobacco exposure interferes with neonatal outcomes. OBJECTIVE: To determine the neonatal neurobehavioral effects of in utero tobacco exposure. METHODS: This prospective cross-sectional study included healthy, term, with birth weight appropriate for gestacional age neonates without exposure to alcohol, drugs, or infections, born to adolescent mothers without psychiatric disorders or post-traumatic stress. Infants were classified according to in utero tobacco exposure, as identified by the Composite International Diagnostic Interview administered to mothers. Neurobehavior was assessed by the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Network Neurobehavioral Scale. Both tools were administered between 24 and 72 hours after birth. Neurobehavioral outcomes were compared between exposed and nonexposed infants by ANOVA. The associations between neurobehavioral scores and number of cigarettes smoked were studied by linear correlation. RESULTS: During the study, 928 newborns of adolescent mothers were born, and 388 were included in the study. Of these, 23 were exposed to tobacco, and 365 neonates were not exposed. There were no differences between the groups in gestational age, birth weight, post-natal age at the exam, or time between last feeding and exam. Exposed neonates showed higher scores on arousal (p = 0.004), excitability (p = 0.003), and stress/abstinence signals (p = 0.019) and a lower score on regulation (p = 0.025). After adjusting for the type of anesthesia, mode of delivery, gender, age at neurologic exam, exam duration and time between last feeding and exam, differences in arousal and excitability remained significant. The mean number of cigarettes consumed daily was positively correlated with lethargy (p = 0.013) and inversely with attention (p = 0.043). CONCLUSIONS: Neonates exposed in utero to tobacco showed worse neurobehavioral performance between 24 and 48 hours of life.

Neurocomportamento de recém-nascidos a termo, pequenos para a idade gestacional, filhos de mães adolescentes / Neurobehavior of full-term small for gestational age newborn infants of adolescent mothers

OBJETIVO: Comparar o neurocomportamento de recém-nascidos a termo pequenos (PIG) e adequados (AIG) para a idade gestacional, filhos de mães adolescentes. MÉTODOS: Estudo transversal prospectivo de nascidos a termo AIG e PIG, com 24-72 horas de vida, sem afecções do sistema nervoso central. Os neonatos foram avaliados por meio da Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Network Neurobehavioral Scale (NNNS) para: habituação, atenção, despertar, controle, manobras para a orientação, qualidade dos movimentos, excitabilidade, letargia, reflexos não ótimos, assimetria, hipertonia, hipotonia e sinais de estresse e abstinência. A comparação dos grupos AIG e PIG foi feita por análise de variância e teste do qui-quadrado. Aplicou-se a regressão multivariada para analisar os fatores associados ao escore de cada variável do NNNS. RESULTADOS: Dos 3.685 nascidos no local do estudo, 928 (25 por cento) eram de mães adolescentes. Desses, 477 satisfizeram os critérios de inclusão, sendo 419 (88 por cento) AIG e 58 (12 por cento) PIG. A análise univariada não mostrou diferença em nenhuma das variáveis da NNNS entre os PIG e os AIG. Na análise multivariada, os PIG nascidos de parto vaginal apresentaram menor escore na variável qualidade de movimentos do que os nascidos por cesárea. Os PIG nascidos com anestesia local ou sem anestesia apresentaram maior escore na variável excitabilidade do que os nascidos sob anestesia loco-regional. Os PIG femininos tiveram menor escore na variável sinais de estresse/abstinência que os masculinos. CONCLUSÃO: Os recém-nascidos PIG de mães adolescentes mostraram menor qualidade de movimento, mais excitabilidade e mais sinais de estresse, em associação com o sexo do neonato e com variáveis relacionadas ao parto.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the neurobehavior of small (SGA) and adequate (AGA) for gestational age full-term neonates born to adolescent mothers. METHODS: This prospective cross-sectional study included full-term newborn infants aged 24-72 hours, free from central nervous system malformations and born to adolescent mothers at a single center in Brazil. Infants were assessed with the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Network Neurobehavioral Scale (NNNS) for: habituation, attention, arousal, regulation, handling, quality of movement, excitability, lethargy, nonoptimal reflexes, asymmetry, hypertonia, hypotonia, and stress/abstinence signals. The chi-square test and analysis of variance were used to compare SGA and AGA infants. Multivariate regression was used to analyze factors associated with the score of each NNNS variable. RESULTS: Of 3,685 infants born in the study hospital, 928 (25 percent) had adolescent mothers. Of these, 477 infants met the inclusion criteria: 419 (88 percent) were AGA and 58 (12 percent) were SGA. Univariate analysis did not show any differences between AGA and SGA neonates in terms of NNNS variables. Multivariate analysis showed that SGA neonates born by vaginal delivery had lower scores for quality of movements than those born by caesarean section. The SGA neonates born with local or without anesthesia had higher scores for excitability than those born with spinal anesthesia. Additionally, female SGA neonates had lower scores for stress/abstinence signals than males. CONCLUSION: SGA neonates born to adolescent mothers showed poorer quality of movements, more excitability and more signals of stress in association with sex of infant and variables related to delivery.