Postpartum depression and child development in first year of life

Emma Otta,Tania Kiehl Lucci,Maria De Lima Salum E Morais

doi:10.1590/s0103-166x2013000100002

Abstract

The aim of the study was to investigate the characteristics of infant development at four, eight and twelve months of age, as result of postpartum depression. The prevalence of Postpartum Depression - measured by the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale - at four months after delivery was 30.3%; at eight months, 26.4%; and at 12 months, 25.0%. Chi-square tests were used to compare children of mothers with and without Postpartum Depression in relation to developmental milestones. It was found developmental delay in infants of mothers with Postpartum Depression in: two interactional indicators at four months, two motor indicators at eight months and one gross motor indicator at twelve months. However, children of mothers with Postpartum Depression showed better results in one fine motor and in two language items at 12 months. The results point to the necessity of considering external and internal factors of mother and infant in the study of the effects of maternal depression on child development.

Highlights

The aim of the study was to investigate the characteristics of infant development at four, eight and twelve months of age, as result of postpartum depression
Postpartum Depression (PPD) is a depressive disorder that happens to mothers in puerperum stage, between four and twelve weeks after the baby is born (IDC 10) and is characterized by manifestations with varying levels of occurence and intensity of depressed humor, difficulties to concentrate, guilt feelings, lack of stamina, lack of energy and pleasure performing everyday activities, lack of interest for life in general, feelings of incapacity, lack of support and hopelessness
Studies on the impact of postpartum depression on mother-infant interaction suggest that one of the most important effects concerns the impairment of the face-to-face exchanges (Beck, 1998; Frizzo & Piccinini, 2007)

Summary

Introduction

The aim of the study was to investigate the characteristics of infant development at four, eight and twelve months of age, as result of postpartum depression. Postpartum Depression (PPD) is a depressive disorder that happens to mothers in puerperum stage, between four and twelve weeks after the baby is born (IDC 10) and is characterized by manifestations with varying levels of occurence and intensity of depressed humor, difficulties to concentrate, guilt feelings, lack of stamina, lack of energy and pleasure performing everyday activities, lack of interest for life in general, feelings of incapacity, lack of support and hopelessness Such maternal characteristics affect the interaction between a mother and her children, and may have consequences in the development of the child (Motta, Lucion & Manfro, 2005; Ribeiro, 2002; Schwengber & Piccinini, 2003; Tronick & Weinberg, 1997). These studies show clearly the risk that depression represents for the mother and for the development of her baby, the data is not clear and there are studies whose findings suggest that several factors may offset the effects of depression on parental behavior 8 (Boyd, Zayas & Mckee, 2006; Fonseca, Silva & Otta, 2010; Grote et al, 2010; Hartley et al, 2010). Boyd et al (2006), studying a group of African-American and Hispanic mothers, did not find significant differences were found between indicators of maternal interaction due to the depression and it found that only the positive events of the mother’s life were directly associated with the interaction rate of babies. Grote et al (2010), in a study with mothers in Europe, concluded that high rates of postnatal depression, as measured by the Scale of Edinburgh, had no significant effect on the growth of children in developed countries. Fonseca et al (2010) found no significant effect of postpartum depression on the interaction of mother-child dyads. Hartley et al (2010) found that maternal postpartum depression was not associated with social withdrawal in babies between ten and twelve months of age

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