title: Child allergic symptoms and mental well-being: the role of maternal anxiety and depression.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether maternal mental health mediates the relationship between eczema or asthma symptoms and mental well-being in children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Analysis of 7250 children from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. Child mental well-being at 8 years was measured by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Binary outcomes were high 'internalizing' (anxious/depressive) and 'externalizing' (oppositional/hyperactive) problems (high was >90th percentile). Child rash and wheeze categories were 'none'; 'early onset transient' (infancy/preschool only); 'persistent' (infancy/preschool and at school age); and 'late onset' (school age only). Maternal anxiety and depression were reported during pregnancy and when child was 8 years old.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Persistent wheezing symptoms were associated with high externalizing (OR 1.74, 95% CI, 1.41-2.15) and internalizing (1.67, 1.35-2.06) problems compared with never wheeze. Maternal anxiety and depression, and disrupted child sleep, attenuated these associations. Persistent rash (externalizing: 1.74, 1.40-2.15; internalizing: 1.42, 1.16-1.74) and late onset rash (externalizing: 1.62, 1.17-2.25; internalizing: 1.46, 1.07-1.99) symptoms were associated with poorer mental well-being compared with no rash at any age. Maternal anxiety and depression, particularly when child was aged 8 years rather than during pregnancy, accounted for the association with internalizing symptoms and partly for externalizing symptoms. Sleep disruption did not mediate the association.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Maternal anxiety and depression may mediate the association between child rash and wheeze and child mental well-being.
authors: School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom.
authors: Alison
authors: A
authors: Teyhan
authors: School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom.
authors: Bruna
authors: B
authors: Galobardes
authors: School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom.
authors: John
authors: J
authors: Henderson
mesh_terms: D001007:Anxiety; D002648:Child; D003863:Depression; D005076:Exanthema / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D012135:Respiratory Sounds / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires