A new study published in International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics suggests that pregnant women with Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) may have a number of unfavorable feto-maternal consequences.
OCD is an extremely prevalent mental condition that seriously impairs a person's quality of life as well as their ability to perform in social and professional contexts. The reproductive years are included in the mean age at which OCD onset occurs in women. As a result, OCD may be seen in the prenatal stage in at least some women. Despite the fact that different studies have found a broad variety of prevalence rates, a recent meta-analysis found that OCD affects 2.07% of pregnant women and 2.43% of postpartum women.

Unfavorable obstetric and neonatal outcomes have been linked to mental health issues in pregnant women. The mother-child connection is negatively impacted by obsessive-compulsive disorder and causes great suffering to moms. Thereby, Aujla S. and colleagues carried out the current meta-analysis and systematic review to evaluate the relationship between maternal OCD and unfavorable feto-maternal outcomes. Thorough meticulous search over the five databases (Embase, Cochrane, Web of Science, ProQuest, and PubMed), this systematic review included studies that reported feto-maternal outcomes in pregnant women with OCD.
8 of the total 360 papers that were found were included in the meta-analysis.11 out of the twenty-four adverse outcomes for mothers and newborns that were evaluated were found to be associated with maternal OCD. These included pre-eclampsia (odds ratio [OR] 1.37, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.19-1.57), postpartum hemorrhage (OR 1.19, 95% CI 1.08-1.31), antepartum hemorrhage or placental abruption (OR 1.32, 95% CI 1.13-1.54), emergency cesarean section (OR 1.22, 95% CI 1.15-1.30), cesarean section delivery (OR 1.32, 95% CI 1.23-1.41), preterm birth (OR 1.41, 95% CI 1.21-1.64), low Apgar score at 5 minutes (OR 2.37, 95% CI 1.32-4.27), low birth weight (OR 1.41, 95% CI 1.28-1.54), neonatal respiratory distress (OR 1.77, 95% CI 1.44-2.16), neonatal hypoglycemia (OR 1.37, 95% CI 1.23-1.53), and major congenital malformations (OR 1.37, 95% CI 1.08-1.74).

Overall, the findings of this study clearly indicate the high risks associated with the maternal OCD to the developing fetus as well as the mother. Pregnant women should be treated well for OCD so that the possible harmful effects can be avoided for the safety of both the fetus and the mother.
Reference:
Aujla, S., Sandeep, M., Aparnavi, P., Padhi, B. K., Shamim, M. A., Sahoo, S., Gangane, N., & Gandhi, A. P. (2024). Effect of maternal obsessive‐compulsive disorder (OCD) on feto‐maternal outcomes: A systematic review and meta‐analysis. In International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics. Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/ijgo.15792