Boehringer Ingelheim announce research results

Boehringer Inhelheim has announced research results which have seen a link between mental illness and births of stillborn babies.

Conducted at the Centre for Women’s Mental health at the University of Manchester, the study examined 1.5 million births in Denmark between 1973 and 1998.

The research found that pregnant women who have received medical care for a serious mental illness are twice as likely to have a stillborn baby.

Of the total births in the 25 year period, 7,021 were stillbirths.

Dr Kathryn Abel, lead researcher, said: “We found that the chances of stillborn or newborn death from all causes were greater for babies whose mothers had a serious mental health illness.”

The study found that women with schizophrenia or affective disorders such as anxiety, social phobia and depression were twice as likely to have a stillbirth.

Women with a history of alcohol or drug abuse also had a higher risk, the research found, though other lifestyle factors could have an impact – such as diet, environment and access to proper medical treatment.

Founded in 1885, Boehringer Ingelheim saw sales of 10.6 billion euros (8.67 billion pounds), an 11 per cent increase on the year before.

Over the same period, the company’s sales in the UK exceeded 260 million pounds.