Depressive Symptoms In Mothers Research Articles

Association between depressive symptoms in mothers and metabolic control in adolescents with type 1 diabetes.

Poor metabolic control in patients with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) is associated with short- and long-term complications. Adolescents with T1DM present poorer metabolic control than pa tients of other age groups. Few studies have shown an association between mothers with depressive symptoms and the metabolic control of their adolescent children. To evaluate the associa tion between maternal depressive symptoms and metabolic control of their adolescents with T1DM. Cross-sectional observational study carried out with adolescents aged between 10 and 18 years, with T1DM diagnosis of at least 1 year ago and their mothers. The Beck Depression Inventory-II and the SALUFAM questionnaire were applied, and sociodemographic data were co llected. Glycosylated hemoglobin from capillary blood was used as a marker of metabolic control. 86 couples (mother-adolescent children) were studied. The average age of the adolescents was 14.04 years and the average evolution time of T1DM was 5.95 years. 27.325.6% of mothers had depressive symptoms, which was associated with worse metabolic control of their children (HbA1c of 7.66% and 8.91%, p-value <0.001). 17.9% of adolescents had depressive symptoms, which was not associated with maternal depressive symptoms or worse metabolic control. Maternal depressive symptoms were also associated with lower maternal and paternal educational levels, high number of children in the family, presence of other siblings with chronic illnesses, and high health vulnera bility (SALUFAM). The mother's depressive symptoms can be associated with worst metabolic control in T1MD adolescents. It is fundamental a multidisciplinary family approach to get better metabolic controls in T1DM adolescents.

Psychological morbidity among children with transfusion dependent β-thalassaemia and their parents in Sri Lanka.

Thalassaemia is a chronic disease which requires lifelong treatment in a majority. Despite recent advances in the medical care, minimal attempts are made to improve psychological health in these patients. In this study, we aim to describe the psychological morbidity in patients with transfusion dependent β-thalassaemia and their mothers in Sri Lanka. This case control study was conducted in the three largest thalassaemia centres of Sri Lanka. All patients with transfusion dependent β-thalassaemia aged 4-18 years were recruited as cases whilst a randomly selected group of children without chronic diseases were recruited as controls. Psychological morbidity of children was assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and depressive symptoms of mothers was assessed by the Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. 288 transfusion dependent β-thalassaemia patients and equal number of controls were recruited. Abnormal emotional, conduct, hyperactivity and peer relationship symptom scores were reported by 18%, 17%, 9% and 14% of patients with thalassaemia respectively. Prevalences of abnormal psychological symptom scores in all domains were significantly higher among patients compared to controls. Abnormal conduct symptoms were significantly more prevalent among patients with HbE β-thalassaemia and those with suboptimal pretransfusion haemoglobin levels, lower transfusion volumes, hypothyroidism and undernutrition. Short stature was associated with abnormal emotional and hyperactivity scores. Depressive symptoms were significantly higher among mothers of patients with thalassaemia. Higher depressive symptom scores in mothers were significantly associated with abnormal emotional, conduct and peer relationship symptom scores in children. A higher proportion of patients with transfusion dependent β-thalassaemia had abnormal psychological symptom scores. Abnormal conduct symptoms were more prevalent among patients with HbE β-thalassaemia, those who were inadequately transfused and having hypothyroidism and undernutrition. Mothers of the children with transfusion dependent β-thalassaemia had significantly higher depressive symptoms which were significantly associated with psychological symptoms among children.

Small for gestational age babies and depressive symptoms of mothers during pregnancy: Results from a birth cohort in India.

Background: More than one million babies are born with Low birthweight (LBW) in India every year, often afflicting disadvantaged families. Earlier studies on LBW in India have mostly focused on addressing poverty, nutritional status, and obstetric factors for LBW babies, comprising of preterm babies (<37 weeks) or small for gestational age (SGA) or both. We aim to find the association between antepartum depression and SGA in a public hospital. Methods: Pregnant women with gestational age between 14 to 32 weeks were recruited. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) was administered to assess depression. Newborn anthropometry was performed soon after delivery. Birth weight less than 10 percentile were classified as SGA, between 10 to 90th percentile was appropriate for gestational age (AGA), and greater than 90th percentile was large for gestational age (LGA). Results: We found that 16.51% (108) of the antenatal mothers had depressive symptoms (EPDS score >11). The women with depressive symptoms delivered a greater proportion of SGA babies (21.3 v/s 15.8) and LGA (9.3 v/s 3.3) compared to women with no symptoms. The odds of women giving birth to a child with SGA were twice as high for women with EPDS scores >11 (adjusted OR = 2.18; 95% CI = 1.23 - 3.87) compared to the women with EPDS scores of ≤11. In terms of Area under curve (AUC), EPDS 11 cut off (AUC: 0.533) narrowly outperformed EPDS 12 cut-off (AUC: 0.4738), which in turn was better than EPDS 13 cut off (AUC: 0.4687) for screening depression in mothers. Conclusions: We have demonstrated the usefulness of the 10-item EPDS screening tool in screening for symptoms of antenatal depression. There is a need to explore implementation of screening, diagnostic services and evidence-based antenatal mental health services by modifying the provisions of ongoing national programs.

Long-term trajectories of depression symptoms in mothers of children with cancer.

To identify trajectories of depression symptoms in mothers of children with cancer from diagnosis/relapse through 5 years and examine maternal factors at diagnosis/relapse predicting membership in these trajectories. Mothers (n = 327; Mage = 37.6 years, SD = 7.7 years; 85.9% White) reported depression symptoms near the time of their child's diagnosis/relapse and then again at 1-, 3-, and 5-years postdiagnosis/relapse. Mothers also reported perceived stress, coping (primary control, secondary control, and disengagement coping), and spirituality near the time of diagnosis. Latent class growth analysis was used to identify latent trajectories of depression symptoms, and a 3-step multinomial logistic regression tested covariate predictors of membership in the trajectories. Three trajectories were identified: "low depression symptoms" (63.3%), "moderate depression symptoms" (31.5%), and "high depression symptoms" (5.2%). Mothers who used more primary and secondary control coping were more likely to be in the low depression symptom trajectory as compared with the moderate (OR = 1.64, p = .024 and OR = 1.38, p = .013, respectively) or high trajectories (OR = 1.99, p = .008 and OR = 1.81, p = .001, respectively). Although mothers of children with cancer generally displayed improved mental health further from diagnosis, mothers with more depression symptoms after diagnosis/relapse displayed substantial stability in depression symptoms over the 5 years. Mothers of children with cancer may benefit from early screening of mental health and coping strategies, as well as interventions to bolster effective coping for those with elevated depression symptoms. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

A 6-Year Longitudinal Study of Adolescents and Mothers Depression Symptoms and Their Perception of Support and Conflict

Interpersonal theories of adolescent depression assume that adolescent and maternal depression symptoms affect adolescent and maternal perceptions of their relationship quality. However, little attention has been given to examining potential bidirectional prospective associations between both adolescent and maternal perceptions of the mother–adolescent relationship and adolescent and maternal depression symptoms across adolescence. We hypothesized that the longitudinal associations between adolescent and maternal depression symptoms and adolescent and maternal perception of conflict and support in the mother–adolescent relationship would be bidirectional. In this 6-year longitudinal study, 497 adolescents (Mage = 13.03) and their mothers participated. Each year both adolescents and their mothers completed questionnaires of their depression symptoms and their perception of conflict and support in the mother–adolescent relationship. Structural equation modelling cross-lagged panel models were constructed and analyzed. The cross-lagged panel models found bidirectional longitudinal associations between adolescent depressive symptoms and higher adolescent-reported conflict and lower adolescent-reported support. In contrast, maternal depressive symptoms were only unidirectionally associated with higher maternal-reported conflict, lower maternal-reported support and higher adolescent depression symptoms. Finally, positive bidirectional longitudinal associations were found between adolescent-reported and maternal-reported conflict, and between adolescent-reported and maternal-reported support. The findings of this study are discussed in relation to Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Depressed Adolescents (IPT-A).

1022: Association between extremely preterm cesarean delivery and maternal depressive symptoms: a national population-based cohort study

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether cesarean delivery before 26 weeks was associated with depressive and anxiety symptoms of mothers of preterm infants in comparison with cesarean deliveries between 26 and 34 weeks. The Etude Epidémiologique sur les petits ages gestationnels (EPIPAGE) 2 is a national prospective population-based cohort study of preterm birth in 2011. We included mothers who delivered between 22 and 34 weeks and whom mothers' self-reported depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale: CES-D) and state anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory: STAI) symptoms were assessed at the moment of neonatal discharge. To assess the association of cesarean delivery before 26 weeks with depression (CES-D ≥ 16) and anxiety symptoms (STAI ≥ 45), we used univariate and cluster (to take into account a potential center effect) multivariate logistic regression analysis. Among 2270 women completing CES-D and STAI questionnaires at the moment of neonatal discharge, 38 (0.6%) had cesarean delivery and 61 (0.9%) had vaginal delivery before 26 weeks whereas 1415 (62.7%) women had cesarean delivery after 26 weeks and 744 (40.1%) had vaginal delivery after 26 weeks. Depression symptoms occurred in 25 (65.8%) women having cesarean delivery before 26 weeks versus in 748 (50.6%) women having cesarean delivery after 26 weeks (p=0.03). Cluster multivariate logistic regression showed significant association of cesarean delivery before 26 weeks and depression symptoms compared with cesarean delivery after 26 weeks (adjusted odd ratio [aOR], 2.61 ; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.13-6.02) whatever neonatal birth weight and severe neonatal morbidity. Univariate and cluster multivariate analysis did not show significant association between preterm mode of delivery and anxiety symptoms. Cesarean delivery before 26 weeks is an independent factor of depressive symptoms in mothers of preterm infants. Perinatal professionals should be aware of maternal psychological morbidity and take special preventive care to these women.

Neonatal outcomes and its association among gestational diabetes mellitus with and without depression, anxiety and stress symptoms in Malaysia: A cross-sectional study

ObjectivePrevalence of depression, anxiety and stress symptoms in gestational diabetes mellitus ranges from 10.2% to 39.9% based on previous studies in Malaysia. Presence of depression, anxiety or stress in pregnancy may increase the risk of neonatal morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of neonatal outcomes and its association among mothers with gestational diabetes mellitus with and without the presence of depression, anxiety and stress symptoms in Malaysia. DesignThis was a cross-sectional study. SettingTertiary hospitals in Malaysia. ParticipantsMothers with gestational diabetes mellitus (n = 418) who deliver their neonates at two major tertiary hospitals in Malaysia. MeasurementsNeonatal outcomes, such as low birth weight, preterm birth, macrosomia, metabolic and electrolyte disorders, neonatal respiratory distress and congenital anomalies were determined. FindingsPrevalence of low birth weight in neonates born to mothers with gestational diabetes mellitus was 14.6%, followed by metabolic and electrolyte disorders 10.5%, preterm birth 9.1%, macrosomia 4.8%, neonatal respiratory distress 5.8% and congenital anomalies (2.4%). Among the adverse neonatal outcomes, neonatal respiratory distress was significantly associated with the presence of depression symptoms in mothers with gestational diabetes mellitus using univariate analysis (p = 0.010). After controlling for confounding factors, predictors for neonatal respiratory distress at delivery were the presence of depression symptoms in mothers with gestational diabetes mellitus (Adjusted OR = 3.87, 95% CI = 1.32-11.35), living without a husband (Adjusted OR = 9.74, 95% CI = 2.04–46.51), preterm delivery (Adjusted OR = 7.20, 95% CI = 2.23–23.30), caesarean section (Adjusted OR = 3.33, 95% CI = 1.09–10.15), being nulliparous and primiparous (Adjusted OR = 3.62, 95% CI = 1.17–11.17) and having family history of diabetes (Adjusted OR = 3.20, 95% CI = 1.11–9.21). Key conclusionsThe findings of this study demonstrate the positive association of neonatal respiratory distress with the presence of depression symptoms in mothers with gestational diabetes mellitus. Implications for practiceIt is therefore important to identify depression symptoms after a diagnosis of gestational diabetes mellitus in pregnant mothers is made to enable early referral and interventions.

Sleep disturbances and affecting factors in young children with food allergy and their mothers

ObjectiveTo examine sleep patterns and sleep disturbance of children with food allergy (FA) and their mothers. MethodsThe food allergy group included 71 children with mean age, 2.97±1.52 years, and 58 control children were recruited the study. Mothers of children completed the Childhood Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ) and The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) in order to evaluate sleep disturbance in both children and themselves. Depressive symptomatology of mothers of children with or without food allergy was assessed with Beck-Depression Inventory II (BDI-II). ResultsThe mean total scores of CSHQ was 49.33±7.93 (range=31–68) in the FA and 42.39±6.43 (range=30–62) in controls. The total CSHQ scores were significantly higher in children with FA than in controls (p=0.002). The total PSQI score was significantly higher in mothers of children with FA than in mothers of children without FA (7.09±3.11 vs 5.15±2.59, p<0.001) indicating that the mothers of children with FA had worse sleep quality. The mothers of children with FA had more depressive symptoms than mothers of children without FA. The mean total scores of BDI-II were 10.10±6.95 in mothers of children with FA and 7.78±6.64 in mothers of children without FA (p=0.005). ConclusionThe presence of a food allergy in a child may be associated with a deterioration in sleep quality in children and mothers as well as increased depressive symptoms in mothers.

Eighteen-year trajectories of depressive symptoms in mothers with a lifetime eating disorder: findings from the ALSPAC cohort.

Two longitudinal studies have shown that depressive symptoms in women with eating disorders might improve in the antenatal and early postnatal periods. No study has followed up women beyond 8 months postnatal. To investigate long-term trajectories of depressive symptoms in mothers with lifetime self-reported eating disorders. Using data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children and multilevel growth curves we modelled trajectories of depressive symptoms from the 18th week of pregnancy to 18 years postnatal in women with lifetime self-reported anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa or both anorexia and bulimia nervosa. As sensitivity analyses we also investigated these trajectories using quintiles of a continuous measure of body image in pregnancy. Of the 9276 women in our main sample, 126 (1.4%) reported a lifetime diagnosis of anorexia nervosa, 153 (1.6%) of bulimia nervosa and 60 (0.6%) of both anorexia and bulimia nervosa. Women with lifetime eating disorders had greater depressive symptoms scores than women with no eating disorders, before and after adjustment for confounders (anorexia nervosa: 2.10, 95% CI 1.36-2.83; bulimia nervosa: 2.28, 95% CI: 1.61-2.94, both anorexia and bulimia nervosa: 2.86, 95% CI 1.81-3.90). We also observed a dose-response association between greater body image and eating concerns in pregnancy and more severe trajectories of depressive symptoms, even after adjusting for lifetime eating disorders which also remained independently associated with greater depressive symptoms. Women with eating disorders experience persistently greater depressive symptoms across the life-course. More training for practitioners and midwives on how to recognise eating disorders in pregnancy could help to identify depressive symptoms and reduce the long-term burden of disease resulting from this comorbidity.

Effects of acceptance and commitment therapy on decreasing anxiety and depression symptoms in mothers of hearing-impaired or deaf children

Background and Aim: The presence of a child with hearing impairment in the family is often problematic and needs psychological interven­tions. The purpose of this study was to inves­tigate the effect of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) on the symptoms of anxiety and depression in mothers of hearing-impaired or deaf children. Methods: This is a quasi-experimental study with pretest-posttest design and with experi­mental and control groups. The study population comprised all mothers of hearing-impaired or deaf children of 2–6 years old in Tabriz City, Iran. Using purposive sampling method, 32 mothers of hearing-impaired or deaf children were selected and then randomly assigned to control and experimental groups (each with 16 subjects). The experimental group was treated with ACT during 8 sessions of 1.5 hours long in two weeks. The study data were collected by the depression anxiety stress scale. Results: ACT was effective in decreasing anxi­ety and depression symptoms in mothers of hearing-impaired or deaf children (p &lt; 0.05). Conclusion: Considering the results and effecti­veness of ACT in reducing the symptoms of anxiety and depression in mothers of hearing-impaired or deaf children, this treatment is rec­ommended in rehabilitation centers for children with hearing problems.

Small for gestational age babies and depressive symptoms of mothers during pregnancy: Results from a birth cohort in India

Background: Annually, more than a million low birthweight (LBW) is born in India, often afflicting disadvantaged families. Several studies have undertaken the association of poverty, nutritional status, and obstetric factors with LBW. Through our study, we aimed to examine the possibility of any relation between the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) score measured during pregnancy with the incidence of babies born Small for Gestational Age (SGA). Methods: Pregnant women attending the antenatal clinic at a public hospital between 14 to 32 weeks were recruited from April 2016 to Oct 2017. The EPDS was administered to assess depression through face-to-face interviews. Newborn anthropometry was performed post-delivery. For analysis, birth weight <10 percentile was classified as SGA. Results: Prevalence of depressive symptoms (EPDS score >11) was 16.5% (n=108/654) in antenatal mothers. These women delivered a higher proportion of SGA babies (21.3 v/s 15.8) compared to women with no symptoms. The odds of women giving birth to a child with SGA were twice as high for women with EPDS scores >11 (adjusted OR = 2.03; 95% CI = 1.12 - 3.70) compared to the women with EPDS scores of ≤11, The EPDS 12 (Adjusted OR = 1.96; 95% CI = 1.04 - 3.69) and EPDS 13 (Adjusted OR = 2.42; 95% CI = 1.24 - 4.70) cut-off categories also proved to be a risk factor for SGA with significant p-value (0.0006 and 0.0003) and the individuals with more than 13 EPDS score is found to have the highest odds of SGA. Conclusions: We found a strong association of antenatal depressive symptoms during pregnancy with SGA measured by EPDS. Thus, we recommend the implementation of timely and effective screening, diagnostic services, and evidence-based antenatal mental health services to combat SGA and further associated-metabolic syndromes.

Older mother's health and adult children's education: Conceptualization of adult children's education and mother-child relationships.

This study joins and extends an emerging body of work examining the association between adult children's education and their parents' health by (1) providing a conceptual treatment of adult children's education, (2) examining the link between adult children's education and older mothers' physical and mental health, and (3) investigating whether mother-child relationships moderate the association between children's education and mothers' health. Data on 541 older mothers in the U.S. who reported on all of their adult children collected as part of the Within-Family Differences Study. Results indicate the best performing measure of adult children's education, the proportion with a college degree or higher, reflects a cumulative, credential-based approach. In addition, the proportion of adult children with a college degree or higher maintains a negative association with mother's depressive symptoms and activity limitations net of mother's own education as well as a number of sociodemographic factors and adult children's measures. There was no evidence that various aspects of mother-child relationships (geographic proximity, frequency of contact, and quality of relationships) moderated these negative associations.

Small for gestational age babies and depressive symptoms of mothers during pregnancy: Results from a birth cohort in India

Background: Annually, more than a million low birthweight (LBW) is born in India, often afflicting disadvantaged families. Several studies have undertaken the association of poverty, nutritional status, and obstetric factors with LBW. Through our study, we aimed to examine the possibility of any relation between the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) score measured during pregnancy with the incidence of babies born Small for Gestational Age (SGA). Methods: Pregnant women attending the antenatal clinic at a public hospital between 14 to 32 weeks were recruited from April 2016 to Oct 2017. The EPDS was administered to assess depression through face-to-face interviews. Newborn anthropometry was performed post-delivery. For analysis, birth weight <10 percentile was classified as SGA. Results: Prevalence of depressive symptoms (EPDS score >11) was 16.5% (n=108/654) in antenatal mothers. These women delivered a higher proportion of SGA babies (21.3 v/s 15.8) compared to women with no symptoms. The odds of women giving birth to a child with SGA were twice as high for women with EPDS scores >11 (adjusted OR = 2.03; 95% CI = 1.12 – 3.70) compared to the women with EPDS scores of ≤11, The EPDS 12 (Adjusted OR = 1.96; 95% CI = 1.04 – 3.69) and EPDS 13 (Adjusted OR = 2.42; 95% CI = 1.24 – 4.70) cut-off categories also proved to be a risk factor for SGA with significant p-value (0.0006 and 0.0003) and the individuals with more than 13 EPDS score is found to have the highest odds of SGA. Conclusions: We found a strong association of antenatal depressive symptoms during pregnancy with SGA measured by EPDS. Thus, we recommend the implementation of timely and effective screening, diagnostic services, and evidence-based antenatal mental health services to combat SGA and further associated-metabolic syndromes.

Severe housing-cost burden and obesity among preschool-aged low-income children in Los Angeles County.

Despite high rates of housing-cost burden in the United States, little is known regarding its impact on childhood obesity. In this article, we determine whether low-income 2–5-year-olds living in housing-cost burdened households are more likely to be obese and examine the potential moderators and behavioral and psychosocial mediators of this relationship. We used data from a triennial survey (2011, 2014) of a random sample of Los Angeles County participants of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (n = 2307). Logistic regression was used to examine the association between child's obesity status (Body Mass Index for age and sex ≥ 95th percentile) and severe housing-cost burden (finding it very difficult to pay for housing). Mother's depressive symptoms and child's diet and screen time were tested for mediation. We found that 16% of children lived in severe housing-cost burdened households. Severe housing-cost burden was associated with an increase in the odds of childhood obesity [aOR (95%CI) = 1.33 (1.00, 1.78)] and household size moderated this relationship. Child's diet and screen time and mother's depressive symptoms were not mediators. Given the high and vacillating rates of early childhood obesity and the increasing burden of housing costs in low-income populations, there is an urgency to better understand the role of housing-cost burden in epidemiologic investigations of early childhood obesity.

Economic pressure and depressive symptoms: Testing the family stress model from adolescence to adulthood.

The family stress model (FSM) was used to examine the effects of economic pressure on maternal depressive symptoms, couple conflict, and mother harsh parenting during adolescence on offspring depressive symptoms in adulthood. Prospective longitudinal data were analyzed across 3 developmental time points that included 451 mothers and their adolescents. Economic pressure and mother depressive symptoms were assessed during early adolescence, couple conflict and mother harsh parenting were assessed during middle to late adolescence, and offspring depressive symptoms were assessed in adulthood. Findings were in support of pathways in the FSM in that economic pressure was related to maternal depressive symptoms, which were associated with couple conflict, which in turn predicted mother harsh parenting during adolescence, and mother harsh parenting was associated with offspring depressive symptoms in adulthood. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

The Mental Health of Adolescent Girls with Depressed Mothers: The Mediating Role of the Perception of Parental Styles

Maternal depression, its effects on mothers’ interactions with their children, and the different mechanisms of emotional and psychological disorders’ transaction to children have been surveyed for the last few decades of research. The aim of this research was to find the mediating role of the perception of parental styles between the maternal depression symptoms and the mental health of their daughters. The participants included 284 mothers and their daughters from 8 different schools chosen randomly. Mothers completed the Beck Depression Inventory-II and examined using differential diagnosis interview based on DSM-V while adolescents completed the Parenting Style Questionnaire and Symptom Check List 90-R. The results showed the mediating role of the perception of authoritative and authoritarian styles of parenting (p ≥ 0.0001). Also, depression symptoms in mothers could predict the perception of parental styles. Additionally, the perception of authoritative and authoritarian parenting could predict the mental health of adolescents.

Intimate Partner Violence, Depression, and Child Growth and Development.

Evidence on the relationship between maternal depression and exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) with child physical growth and development is equivocal. Our aim in the current study is to examine these relationships among women and their children in Tanzania. The Bayley Scales of Infant Development and anthropometric measures were used to assess children 18 to 36 months of age (n = 1031). Maternal exposure to IPV and depression were assessed using the Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey questionnaire and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, respectively. We used linear regression models to calculate standardized mean differences (SMDs) for developmental outcomes and generalized linear models to estimate the associations with nutritional status. Mild depressive symptoms in mothers (Patient Health Questionnaire-9 ≥5) and exposure to physical and sexual IPV were associated with lower SMDs for motor skills (-0.14 [P = .023] and -0.23 [P < .01], respectively), expressive communication (-0.13 [P = .187] and -0.23 [P < .01], respectively), receptive communication (-0.19 [P < .009] and -0.16 [P = .03], respectively), and cognitive development (-0.08 [P = .245] and -0.12 [P = .07], respectively). Exposure to physical and sexual IPV was associated with higher risk for stunting (relative risk = 1.6; P < .001). This study reveals that maternal depressive symptoms and IPV are associated with adverse child nutritional and developmental outcomes. Further research is needed to develop programs to address IPV and depression among women and enhance the growth and development of their children.

Small for gestational age babies and depressive symptoms of mothers during pregnancy: Results from a birth cohort in India

Background: More than one million babies are born with Low birthweight (LBW) in India every year, often afflicting disadvantaged families. Earlier studies on LBW in India have mostly focused on addressing poverty, nutritional status, and obstetric factors for LBW babies, comprising of preterm babies (&lt;37 weeks) or small for gestational age (SGA) or both. We aim to find the association between antepartum depression and SGA in a public hospital. Methods: Pregnant women with gestational age between 14 to 32 weeks were recruited. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) was administered to assess depression. Newborn anthropometry was performed soon after delivery. Birth weight less than 10 percentile were classified as SGA, between 10 to 90th percentile was appropriate for gestational age (AGA), and greater than 90th percentile was large for gestational age (LGA). Results: We found that 16.51% (108) of the antenatal mothers had depressive symptoms (EPDS score &gt;11). The women with depressive symptoms delivered a greater proportion of SGA babies (21.3 v/s 15.8) and LGA (9.3 v/s 3.3) compared to women with no symptoms. The odds of women giving birth to a child with SGA were twice as high for women with EPDS scores &gt;11 (adjusted OR = 2.18; 95% CI = 1.23 – 3.87) compared to the women with EPDS scores of ≤11. In terms of Area under curve (AUC), EPDS 11 cut off (AUC: 0.533) narrowly outperformed EPDS 12 cut-off (AUC: 0.4738), which in turn was better than EPDS 13 cut off (AUC: 0.4687) for screening depression in mothers. Conclusions: We have demonstrated the usefulness of the 10-item EPDS screening tool in screening for symptoms of antenatal depression. There is a need to explore implementation of screening, diagnostic services and evidence-based antenatal mental health services by modifying the provisions of ongoing national programs.

Parenting stress and depressive symptoms in Taiwanese mothers of young children with autism spectrum disorder: Association with children's behavioural problems.

This study examined the severity of parenting stress and depressive symptoms in Taiwanese mothers of young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) compared to mothers of young children with developmental delay (DD). The associations between parenting stress, depressive symptoms, and children's behavioural problems were also tested. The study sample included 51 young children with ASD (mean age=31 months), 51 young children with DD (mean age=30months) and their mothers. The results confirmed that mothers of young children with ASD experienced higher levels of parenting stress and depressive symptoms than mothers of young children with DD. In addition, children's behavioural problems were robust predictors of parenting stress and depressive symptoms in mothers of young children with ASD, but not in mothers of young children with DD. The findings indicated that one of the critical goals in early intervention for young children with ASD and their families is to reduce children's behavioural problems.

The Fatigue and Depressive Symptom Relationship in Mothers of Young Children: the Moderating Role of Mindfulness

Previous studies have demonstrated that fatigue is a risk factor for depressive symptoms in mothers of young children. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the five facets of mindfulness moderated the relationship between fatigue and depressive symptoms in mothers of young children. A sample of 723 mothers of children aged 1–5 years completed the Fatigue Assessment Scale, the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, and the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire-Short Form. Results showed that four out of the five mindfulness facets (non-judging of inner experience, non-reactivity to inner experience, acting with awareness, and describing) weakened the relationship between fatigue and depressive symptoms. Interaction effects were found to be small. Further investigation of the unique roles of the five mindfulness facets as well as other possible protective factors and interventions that may weaken the fatigue-depressive symptom relationship in mothers of young children is warranted.