title: Depression during gestation in adolescent mothers interferes with neonatal neurobehavior.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the neurobehavior of neonates born to adolescent mothers with and without depression during gestation.
  
  
  METHODS
  This prospective cross-sectional study included healthy term neonates born to adolescent mothers with untreated depression during gestation, without exposure to legal or illicit drugs, and compared them with infants born to adolescent mothers without psychiatric disorders. Maternal psychiatric diagnoses were assessed by the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI 2.1) and neonatal neurobehavior by the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Network Neurobehavioral Scale (NNNS) at 24 to 72 hours of life. Neurobehavioral outcomes were analyzed by ANOVA adjusted for confounders.
  
  
  RESULTS
  37 infants born to mothers with depression during gestation were compared to 332 infants born to mothers without psychiatric disorders. Infants of mothers with depression had smaller head circumferences. Significant interactions of maternal depression and male gender, gestational age > 40 weeks, regional anesthesia during delivery, vaginal delivery, and infant head circumference ≥ 34 cm were found. Worse performance was noted in the following neonatal neurobehavioral parameters: arousal, excitability, lethargy, hypotonicity, and signs of stress and abstinence.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Infants born to adolescent mothers with depression exhibit some behavioral changes in the first days of life. These changes are associated with infant sex, gestational age, type of anesthesia, mode of delivery, and head circumference.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neonatal Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Universidade Federal de São Paulo - Escola Paulista de Medicina (UNIFESP-EPM), São PauloSP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marina Carvalho de Moraes
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Barros
authors.affiliation: National Science and Technology Institute for Policies on Alcohol and Drugs (INPAD), UNIFESP and Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq), São PauloSP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Sandro Sendim
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Mitsuhiro
authors.affiliation: Research Unit on Alcohol and Other Drugs, UNIFESP-EPM, São PauloSP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Chalem
authors.affiliation: National Science and Technology Institute for Policies on Alcohol and Drugs (INPAD), UNIFESP and Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq), São PauloSP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ronaldo Ramos
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Laranjeira
authors.affiliation: Division of Neonatal Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Universidade Federal de São Paulo - Escola Paulista de Medicina (UNIFESP-EPM), São PauloSP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Guinsburg
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001938:Brazil; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D018730:Infant Behavior; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D008297:Male; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications; D011253:Pregnancy in Adolescence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014505:Urban Population; D055815:Young Adult