A Systematic Review of the Correlation Between Micronutrient Levels and Perinatal Depression

Background: Depression is a significant complication of the peripartum period that can result in profound long-term detrimental implications for the affected woman, her child, and her family. It is possible that micronutrient imbalances could contribute to the development of perinatal depression through their roles in neurotransmitter synthesis and neuroendocrine and neuroimmune pathways. Micronutrient imbalances are more likely during the perinatal period due to the additional physiological demands on the body during this time. The objective of this systematic review was to review and summarise the existing evidence regarding the association between micronutrient levels and perinatal depression. Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched for studies examining blood levels of micronutrients and assessment of depression within the peripartum period using validated rating tools. Results: A total of 58 studies met the eligibility criteria and were included in this review. Of these, 31 studies reported a significant inverse association between perinatal depression and at least one of the following: vitamin D, iron status, vitamin B12, folate, or zinc. Vitamin D was the most frequently investigated nutrient, examined in 28 of the 58 articles. The remaining 27 did not demonstrate a significant association. Conclusion: This review found that vitamin D deficiency has the greatest evidence of an association with perinatal depression. The evidence for other micronutrients is mixed, inconclusive, or limited. Further research is required to determine the significance of these micronutrients in the development of perinatal depression.

• Publication year

  2025

• Venue

  Nutrients

• Publication date

  2025-11-01

• Fields of study

  Medicine

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.3390/nu17213479PMID 41228551PMCID 12610701
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar, PubMed

• No claims are published for this paper.

• No concepts are published for this paper.

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