title: Impact of maternal depressive symptoms on growth of preschool- and school-aged children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of our study was to examine whether maternal depressive symptoms at 9 months postpartum adversely affect growth in preschool- and school-aged children.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used data from the US nationally representative Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort. We fit multivariable logistic regression models to study maternal depressive symptoms at 9 months postpartum (using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale) in relation to child growth outcomes, ≤ 10% height-for-age, ≤ 10% weight-for-height, and ≤ 10% weight-for-age at 4 and 5 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At 9 months, 24% of mothers reported mild depressive symptoms and 17% moderate/severe symptoms. After adjustment for household, maternal, and child factors, children of mothers with moderate to severe levels of depressive symptoms at 9 months' postpartum had a 40% increased odds of being ≤ 10% in height-for-age at age 4 (odds ratio = 1.40, 95% confidence interval: 1.04-1.89) and 48% increased odds of being ≤ 10% in height-for-age at age 5 (odds ratio = 1.48, 95% confidence interval: 1.03-2.13) compared with children of women with few or no depressive symptoms. There was no statistically significant association between maternal depressive symptoms and children being ≤ 1 0% in weight-for-height and weight-for-age at 4 or 5 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Maternal depressive symptoms during infancy may affect physical growth in early childhood. Prevention, early detection, and treatment of maternal depressive symptoms during the first year postpartum may prevent childhood height-for-age ≤ 10th percentile among preschool- and school-aged children.
authors.affiliation: Social and Behavioral Interventions Program, Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 North Wolfe St, Room E5523, Baltimore, MD 21205-2179, USA. psurkan@jhsph.edu
authors.forename: Pamela J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Surkan
authors.forename: Anna K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Ettinger
authors.forename: Saifuddin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: Cynthia S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Minkovitz
authors.forename: Donna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Strobino
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001827:Body Height; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D057238:Growth Charts; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008425:Maternal Behavior; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011581:Psychological Tests; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult