title: Maternal depressive symptoms and children's emotional problems: can early child care help children of depressed mothers?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Maternal depression is a major risk factor for the development of children's mental health problems. No population-based study to date has examined whether early child care spanning the full preschool period from infancy onward is protective for children of depressed mothers.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine whether early child care moderates associations between maternal depressive symptoms (MDSs) and child internalizing problems (emotional problems [EPs], separation anxiety symptoms, and social withdrawal symptoms [SWSs]) during the preschool period.
  
  
  METHODS
  Population-based prospective cohort study within the Québec Longitudinal Study of Child Development.
  
  
  METHODS
  Québec Longitudinal Study of Child Development participants (n = 1759) assessed repeatedly between ages 5 and 60 months.
  
  
  METHODS
  High-level trajectories of EPs, SWSs, and separation anxiety symptoms between ages 17 and 60 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Child care age at entry moderated associations between MDSs and child internalizing problems. Among children of mothers with elevated MDSs, reduced odds ratios for EPs and SWSs were found for those entering child care early (0.24; 95% CI, 0.09-0.66 for EPs and 0.29; 95% CI, 0.09-0.92 for SWSs) or late (0.29; 95% CI, 0.11-0.77 for EPs and 0.21; 95% CI, 0.07-0.65 for SWSs) compared with those remaining in maternal care. Child care type moderated the association between MDSs and child EPs; children of mothers with elevated MDSs who received group-based child care had lower odds ratios for EPs than those who remained in maternal care (0.21; 95% CI, 0.09-0.48) or those who were cared for by a relative or babysitter (0.40; 95% CI, 0.17-0.94).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Regulated early child care services reduced the risks for internalizing problems for children of mothers with elevated MDSs. Regulated child care services may be used as a public health intervention to buffer the negative effect of maternal depression on children's internalizing problems.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Québec, Canada. herba.catherine@uqam.ca
authors.forename: Catherine M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Herba
authors.forename: Richard E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Tremblay
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boivin
authors.forename: Xuecheng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Chantal
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mongeau
authors.forename: Jean R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Séguin
authors.forename: Sylvana M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Côté
mesh_terms: D001010:Anxiety, Separation / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D002654:Child Care / Q000523:psychology*; D016241:Child of Impaired Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology*; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D011314:Preventive Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011792:Quebec; D012919:Social Behavior; D013997:Time Factors