A prospective longitudinal study of the impact of early postnatal vs. chronic maternal depressive symptoms on child development.
BACKGROUND
Few studies of the effects of postnatal depression on child development have considered the chronicity of depressive symptoms. We investigated whether early postnatal depressive symptoms (PNDS) predicted child developmental outcome independently of later maternal depressive symptoms.


METHODS
In a prospective, longitudinal study, mothers and children were followed-up from birth to 2 years; repeated measures of PNDS were made using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS); child development was assessed using the Bayley Scales II. Multilevel modelling techniques were used to examine the association between 6 week PNDS, and child development, taking subsequent depressive symptoms into account.


RESULTS
Children of mothers with 6 week PNDS were significantly more likely than children of non-symptomatic mothers to have poor cognitive outcome; however, this association was reduced to trend level when adjusted for later maternal depressive symptoms.


CONCLUSIONS
Effects of early PNDS on infant development may be partly explained by subsequent depressive symptoms.
Sutter-Dallay
A L
AL
University Victor Segalen Bordeaux 2, Bordeaux, France; EA 4139, IFR of Public Health, Bordeaux, France. alsutter@ch-perrens.fr
Murray
L
L
Dequae-Merchadou
L
L
Glatigny-Dallay
E
E
Bourgeois
M L
ML
Verdoux
H
H
D000328:Adult; D002657:Child Development; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003071:Cognition; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D019052:Depression, Postpartum / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018730:Infant Behavior; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008423:Maternal Age; D008425:Maternal Behavior; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors