title: Early developmental changes in sleep in infants: the impact of maternal depression.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA. rosearmi@med.umich.edu
authors.forename: Roseanne
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Armitage
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Flynn
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
authors.forename: Delia
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vazquez
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lopez
authors.forename: Sheila
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marcus
mesh_terms: 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