758 - Role of Carotenoid and Retinol Intake and Plasma Levels in Perinatal Depression of NICU Mothers

Poster Number: 758
Publication Number: 758.246

Kara Bown, University of Nebraska College of Medicine, Omaha, NE, United States; Madison Han, University of Nebraska College of Medicine, Omaha, NE, United States; Rose E. McCoy, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Medicine, Omaha, NE, United States; Braden J. Fink, University of Nebraska Medicine, Omaha, NE, United States; Denise Torres, University of Nebraska College of Medicine, Omaha, NE, United States; Theresa R. Trautman, University of Nebraska College of Medicine, Omaha, NE, United States; Annie Nguyen, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States; Dannielle J. Schutz, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Otoe, NE, United States; MATTHEW VANORMER, University of Nebraska at Omaha, OMAHA, NE, United States; Rebecca A. Slotkowski, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Papillion, NE, United States; Anum Akbar, University of Nebraska College of Medicine, Omaha, NE, United States; Taija Hahka, UNMC, Omaha, NE, United States; Melissa Thoene, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States; Corrine Hanson, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States; Ann L. Anderson Berry, University of Nebraska Medical Center, OMAHA, NE, United States

Background: Carotenoids are antioxidant and fat-soluble nutrients found primarily in fruits and vegetables. The carotenoids’ antioxidant properties may have a protective effect on neural tissue and previous studies indicate a potential protective effect against depressive symptoms in adults. However, little is known about the impact of carotenoid status on depressive symptoms in the setting of pregnancy.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between maternal dietary carotenoid and retinol intake and plasma levels with Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale scores to understand if the status of these nutrients are a modifiable variable within the development of perinatal depression.

Design/Methods: We enrolled 83 women presenting for delivery whose infants were admitted to the NICU. Food frequency questionnaires were available for 48 mothers and plasma carotenoid levels were available for 39 mothers. Maternal plasma was collected at time of delivery and HPLC was used to quantify concentrations of α-carotene, β-carotene, lycopene, lutein, zeaxanthin, β-cryptoxanthin, and retinol. Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) scores were collected from the medical record. Spearman correlations were used to assess the relationship between carotenoid plasma levels and dietary intake with EPDS score. Mann-Whitney U Tests were used to compare maternal carotenoid intake and plasma levels with non-depressed participants (EPDS score < 10) and those at increased risk of depression (EPDS score ≥10). A p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results: 27.7% of mothers had EPDS scores ≥10, placing them in the category of increased risk for postnatal depression. There was a statistically significant positive correlation between plasma retinol levels and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Screen scores (R=0.370, p=0.020). No other carotenoids correlated with EPDS score. Maternal plasma retinol was significantly higher in mothers with EPDS ≥10 (318.7 ug/L vs 247.3 ug/L, p = 0.020). Dietary intake of β-carotene was also elevated in the at-risk group vs the non-depressed group, but this difference only approached significance (8176 mg/d vs 5760 mg/d, p = 0.064).

Conclusion(s): In this study, we observed an association between retinol levels and post-partum depression – contrary to our hypothesis. This may be due to increased accumulation of retinol during the third trimester of pregnancy, impairing the function of Retinol Binding Protein that transports Vitamin A to other tissues. Further investigation with a larger sample size is warranted to confirm these relationships.