Qi SF, Sun HX, Zhao J. Effects of combined preconception and prenatal myo-inositol, probiotics, and trace element supplementation on the outcomes of depressed mothers. World J Psychiatry 2025; 15(7): 103684 [DOI: 10.5498/wjp.v15.i7.103684]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Jie Zhao, Department of Medical Genetics and Prenatal Diagnosis, The Second Children and Women’s Healthcare of Jinan City, No. 12 Fengcheng West Street, Laiwu District, Jinan 271100, Shandong Province, China. lwfbyzhj8900@163.com
Research Domain of This Article
Psychology
Article-Type of This Article
Retrospective Study
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Psychiatry. Jul 19, 2025; 15(7): 103684 Published online Jul 19, 2025. doi: 10.5498/wjp.v15.i7.103684
Effects of combined preconception and prenatal myo-inositol, probiotics, and trace element supplementation on the outcomes of depressed mothers
Shu-Fang Qi, Hong-Xia Sun, Jie Zhao
Shu-Fang Qi, Jie Zhao, Department of Medical Genetics and Prenatal Diagnosis, The Second Children and Women’s Healthcare of Jinan City, Jinan 271100, Shandong Province, China
Hong-Xia Sun, Operating Room, The Second Children and Women’s Healthcare of Jinan City, Jinan 271100, Shandong Province, China
Author contributions: Qi SF and Zhao J designed the experiments, conducted clinical data collection, conducted the collation and statistical analysis, wrote the original manuscript, and revised the paper; Sun HX performed postoperative follow-up and recorded the data; All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Institutional review board statement: This study was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of the Second Children and Women’s Healthcare of Jinan City.
Informed consent statement: The ethics committee agreed to waive informed consent.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Data sharing statement: All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Jie Zhao, Department of Medical Genetics and Prenatal Diagnosis, The Second Children and Women’s Healthcare of Jinan City, No. 12 Fengcheng West Street, Laiwu District, Jinan 271100, Shandong Province, China. lwfbyzhj8900@163.com
Received: March 7, 2025 Revised: April 21, 2025 Accepted: June 4, 2025 Published online: July 19, 2025 Processing time: 124 Days and 20 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Perinatal depression affects 10%-20% of pregnant women and subsequently influences maternal health and fetal development. Concerns over the safety of antidepressants during pregnancy have prompted the exploration of nutritional interventions as adjunct therapies. This study evaluated the impact of combining preconception and prenatal supplementation with myo-inositol, probiotics, and trace elements on mood, quality of life, and fetal development in depressed mothers.
AIM
To identify a novel therapeutic approach to reduce pregnancy complications and improve maternal-fetal health outcomes.
METHODS
This retrospective cohort study included 314 pregnant women who were diagnosed with mild to moderate depression, as determined by a Zung self-rating depression scale score of less than 69. The participants were divided into an intervention group (n = 161) receiving myo-inositol, probiotics, and trace elements and a control group (n = 153) without supplementation. Supplementation commenced 3 months before conception and continued through pregnancy. Psychiatric symptoms and quality of life were evaluated using the positive and negative affect schedule-now, state-trait anxiety inventory, Patient Health Questionnaire-8, and World Health Organization Quality of life Assessment: Brief Version scales preconception and postpartum. Fetal development metrics were assessed via ultrasound, and neonatal outcomes were recorded.
RESULTS
The intervention group presented significant reductions in gestational diabetes mellitus (13.04% vs 23.53%, P = 0.016) and gestational hypertension (3.73% vs 9.15%, P = 0.049). Higher levels of inositol, iron, zinc, and probiotics were observed near term in the intervention group. Postpartum mood assessments indicated lower anxiety and depression scores for the intervention group, with significant improvements in the positive and negative affect schedule-now (P = 0.002), trait anxiety (P = 0.002), and Patient Health Questionnaire-8 (P = 0.018) scores. The World Health Organization Quality of life Assessment: Brief Version scores improved in the psychological (P = 0.041) and environmental (P = 0.009) domains postpartum. Fetal biparietal diameter and femoral length were greater in the intervention group alongside better neonatal body length and reduced neonatal unit admissions (2.48% vs 7.84%, P = 0.031).
CONCLUSION
Combined supplementation with myo-inositol, probiotics, and trace elements from preconception through pregnancy may reduce pregnancy-related complications, enhance mood and quality of life, and improve fetal growth metrics.
Core Tip: This study assessed the effects of combined myo-inositol, probiotics, and trace elements on maternal and fetal health. Results showed reduced gestational diabetes mellitus and hypertension rates, improved postpartum mood, and enhanced quality of life scores. Fetal growth parameters and neonatal outcomes also improved. These findings highlight a promising strategy to reduce complications and improve maternal-fetal health.
