Low-income African American women (AAW) report elevated prenatal depressive symptoms more often (42%) than the national average (20%). In the USA in 2012, 13% of AAW had low-birth-weight infants (<2500 grams) compared to 7% of white women. Variation in the neuropeptide oxytocin is implicated in perinatal depression, maternal behavior, stress and inflammatory responses, and potentially associated with this health disparity. The purpose of this investigation was to examine factors associated with prenatal depressive symptoms including oxytocin and birth weight in urban AAW. Pregnant AAW (N = 57) completed surveys, blood draws (second and third trimester), and birth data were collected. A large number of participants reported elevated prenatal depressive symptoms in the second (n = 20,35%) and third (n = 19,33%) trimester. Depressive symptoms were higher in multigravidas (t (51) = −2.374, p = .02), women with higher anxiety (r (47) = 0.71, p = .001), earlier gestational births (r (51) = −.285, p = .04), and those without support of the offspring’s father (F (4,48) = 2.676, p = .04). Depressive symptoms were also higher in women with low oxytocin compared to women with high oxytocin (F (2,47) = 3.3, p = .05). Additionally, women with low oxytocin tended to have infants with lower birth-weights (F (2,47) = 2.9, p = .06). These results demonstrate that multigravida AAW with increased anxiety and lacking the father’s support were at higher risk for prenatal depressive symptoms. Moreover, prenatal depressive symptoms were associated with lower oxytocin and earlier gestational birth. Further research is needed to clarify pathways linking prenatal depressive symptoms to altered oxytocin levels and poor infant outcomes.
