Early developmental changes in sleep in infants: the impact of maternal depression.
OBJECTIVE
This study evaluated whether sleep over the first 6 months of life was more disturbed in infants born to mothers who were depressed compared with infants from nondepressed mothers.


METHODS
Actigraphy was recorded for 7 consecutive days starting at 2 weeks postpartum and monthly thereafter until 6 months of age. Mothers completed daily sleep/wake diaries. Sleep data at 2 weeks and 6 months postpartum are presented here.


METHODS
The home environment.


METHODS
Eighteen healthy, full-term infants, 9 males and 9 females. Seven infants were born to women with no personal or family history of depression; 11 infants were born to women diagnosed with depression or with elevated levels of depression symptoms.


METHODS
N/A.


RESULTS
Total sleep time, sleep latency, sleep efficiency, and number and duration of sleep episodes were computed for nocturnal and daytime sleep in each 24-hour block. Data were coded for risk group (1 = low risk, 2 = high risk), and repeated-measures multivariate analysis of variance contrasted changes in sleep measures at Week 2 and Week 24, between risk groups. The high-risk infants took longer to fall asleep, had lower sleep efficiencies, and had more sleep bouts in the nocturnal sleep period than did low-risk infants. These effects persisted at 6 months postpartum.


CONCLUSIONS
Maternal depression is associated with significant sleep disturbance in infancy at 2 weeks postpartum that continues through 24 weeks. It remains to be determined if sleep disturbance in infancy confers a greater risk of developing early-onset depression in childhood.
Armitage
Roseanne
R
Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA. rosearmi@med.umich.edu
Flynn
Heather
H
Hoffmann
Robert
R
Vazquez
Delia
D
Lopez
Juan
J
Marcus
Sheila
S
D016241:Child of Impaired Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000502:physiology*; D019052:Depression, Postpartum / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D012307:Risk Factors; D012894:Sleep Stages / Q000502:physiology*; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology