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Maternal depression may affect children's physical growth

Maternal depressive symptoms 9 months after giving birth were associated with children’s physical growth in early childhood, according to study results published online in Pediatrics.

“Our study underscores the importance of screening for depressive symptoms among young mothers and women of childbearing age,” the researchers wrote. “Incorporating a maternal mental health component into maternal child health care delivery situations could likely benefit child growth, as well as a range of other child health and development outcomes.”

 

Pamela J. Surkan

Pamela J. Surkan, ScD, and colleagues from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health examined data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort, focusing on approximately 6,550 children whose mothers had depressive symptoms when the children were infants. The study tracked children’s growth at 9 months, 4 years and again at 5 to 6 years.

Growth measurements were collected by trained staff during home visits at each study wave. Maternal depression at 9 months was assessed using self-administered questionnaires. Surkan and colleagues used multivariable logistic regression analyses to determine the link between maternal symptoms of depression and child growth outcomes.

Results showed that, at 9 months, 24% of mothers reported mild depressive symptoms and 17% reported moderate to severe depressive symptoms. Adjusting for factors that included household income, maternal age and children’s birth weight, the researchers found that children whose mothers had moderate to severe depressive symptoms at 9 months postpartum were at 40% increased odds of being below the 10th percentile in height at age 4 (OR=1.4; 95% CI, 1.04-1.89) and at 48% increased odds of being below the 10th percentile in height at age 5 (OR=1.48; 95% CI, 1.03-2.13) vs. children whose mothers had no or few depressive symptoms. Surkan and colleagues found no significant association between maternal depression at 9 months postpartum and weight deficits.

Maternal depression may be associated with poorer parenting behaviors, such as shorter duration of breast-feeding, less responsive feeding practices and increased stress response in children, which may account for stunted growth.

“Our study does not, however, elucidate mechanisms; thus, additional study is needed to understand the behavioral and physiologic processes that link early caregiving to child growth,” the researchers wrote.

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.