Effetti della depressione materna sul neurosviluppo del bambino

Abstract

Aim: To ascertain what in the scientific literature of the last decade has been observed regarding the effects of prenatal and postpartum maternal depression on the child. Materials and methods: we analyzed through the PRISMA framework the scientific literature of the past ten years and retained 73 articles. The collected data have been divided into four categories: a) influence of prenatal maternal depression in the child’s first year of life, b) influence of prenatal maternal depression after the child’s first year of life, c) influence of postnatal maternal depression in the first year of life, d) influence of postnatal maternal depression after the first year of life. Results: Maternal depression negatively affected child development, recording a higher rate of children with low weight, lower language and cognitive achievements, and difficult behavioral and social adjustment. Some papers also report a negative effect on alvo control, headache, and the emergence of unexplained crying attacks. In particular, there is much evidence of a higher risk of transgenerational transmission of depressive symptoms and psychopathologies in the offspring.