Stepping Back to Gain Perspective: Pregnancy Loss History, Depression, and Parenting Capacity in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort (ECLS-B)

Abstract

Previous empirical studies of pregnancy loss have predominantly focused on complex grief response and emergent problems associated with future parenting in self-selected samples of bereaved women. This article presents findings from a retrospective secondary data analysis conducted with a racially and ethnically diverse sample of currently parenting women in the United States (N = 10,688) that examined the relationships among pregnancy loss history, current maternal depressive symptoms, and mother–infant interaction with the enrolled child. Study findings underscore a racial–ethnic disparity in pregnancy loss history for African American women, whereas current maternal depressive symptoms remain fairly constant across racial–ethnic groups. Multiple loss history is associated with a slight elevation in overall symptoms of depression, but there is no relationship between pregnancy loss history and current mother–infant interaction in the study sample. An important limitation in this study is that the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort (ECLS-B) data does not allow for inferences specific to the type of loss, gestational age of fetus, time since loss, or whether the loss was spontaneous or induced. However, study findings highlight areas of incongruity between clinical and population-based research that deserve further investigation. Ultimately, the findings from this population-based research contribute to a wider perspective regarding maternal response to reproductive loss that can inform future research and targeted bereavement support.

Notes

∗Significant at p < .05 level.

^a Relative Risk Ratios (RRR) reported control for the covariate of maternal age.

^b No loss as reference group.

∗Significant at p < .05 level.

^a Mean values reported control for the covariate of maternal age.

∗Significant at p < .05 level.

^a Relative Risk Ratios (RRR) presented include model covariates of overall depressive symptom level, maternal age, child's age at time of assessment, family composition, maternal race/ethnicity, socioeconomic quintile, the presence of developmental disability of the child, and maternal history of prior psychiatric hospitalization.

^b No loss as reference group.