title: Maternal stress during pregnancy is associated with moderate to severe depression in 11-year-old children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Maternal stress during pregnancy has been associated with negative outcomes in children. We examined the risk factors for symptoms of depression in 11-year-old children, including the interaction between birthweight and other variables.
  
  
  METHODS
  We collected maternal, obstetric and demographic information from birth through to the age of 11. Approximately, half of the 609 children were born small-for-gestational-age (SGA). Information collected at 3.5 and 7 years of age included intelligence testing and parent-reported behavioural and emotional development. At 11 years of age, the children completed the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for Children. Multivariable logistic regression analysis examined the relationship between self-reported symptoms of moderate to severe depression at the age of 11 and explanatory variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Symptoms of moderate to severe depression were related to increasing maternal stress during pregnancy, young maternal age, lower intelligence test scores at 7-years-old and being bullied at school in the previous 6 months. There was also a significant interaction between maternal stress in pregnancy and symptoms of depression in 11-year-old children born SGA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Increasing maternal stress during pregnancy was associated with increased risk of symptoms of moderate to severe depression in 11-year-old children, especially those who were born SGA.
authors.affiliation: Starship Children's Hospital, Auckland District Health Board, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Rebecca F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Slykerman
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Waldie
authors.forename: Rinki
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.forename: Clare
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wall
authors.forename: Edwin A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Mitchell
mesh_terms: D001724:Birth Weight; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological
keywords: Child depression; Maternal stress during pregnancy; Risk factors