Infantile colic, prolonged crying and maternal postnatal depression.
OBJECTIVE
To study if infant crying is associated with maternal postnatal depression.


METHODS
Data from 1015 mothers and their children participating in a prospective European multicentre study were analysed. Infantile colic and prolonged crying were defined as excessive crying as reported by the mothers 2 and 6 months after delivery, and at the same time the mothers completed the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS).


RESULTS
In cross-sectional analyses, infant crying was associated with high EPDS scores both 2 (OR: 4.4; 95% CI: 2.4-8.2) and 6 months postpartum (OR: 10.8; 95% CI: 4.3-26.9). More than one-third of the others of infants with prolonged crying had high EPDS scores 6 months postpartum. Longitudinal analyses showed that mothers of infants with colic had increased odds of having high EPDS scores 6 months after delivery even if crying had resolved (OR: 3.7; 95% CI: 1.4-10.1).


CONCLUSIONS
Both infantile colic and prolonged crying were associated with high maternal depression scores. Most noteworthy, infantile colic at 2 months of age was associated with high maternal depression scores 4 months later.
Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.
Torstein
T
Vik
Veit
V
Grote
Joauqín
J
Escribano
Jerzy
J
Socha
Elvira
E
Verduci
Michaela
M
Fritsch
Clotilde
C
Carlier
Rüdiger
R
von Kries
Berthold
B
Koletzko
D003085:Colic; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003448:Crying / Q000523:psychology; D019052:Depression, Postpartum / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D018730:Infant Behavior; D016015:Logistic Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012307:Risk Factors