title: Infant outcomes following treatment of antenatal depression: Findings from a pilot randomized controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Maternal antenatal depression is associated with an increased risk of emotional and behavioural problems in children. More recently antenatal depression has been associated with shorter sleep duration, higher number of awakenings and sleep problems in infants. Examining the effect of treatment of depression on child development is the next step in unravelling the complex association between antenatal depression and offspring development.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used data from a pilot RCT of women with antenatal depression who received either Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) or Treatment as Usual (TAU), to examine infant sleep duration and temperament two months postpartum. Data was available for n=14 in the CBT group and n=11 in the TAU group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No differences by treatment arm were evident. Improvement in depression scores during pregnancy was associated with easier temperament (β=-.45, p=.024) and shorter nocturnal sleep duration (β=-.58, p=.003). The findings were more pronounced in the CBT group compared to the TAU group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This was a pilot RCT and as such the sample size was small and there was some loss to follow up between the baseline and postnatal assessment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Improvement in antenatal depressive symptoms may have beneficial effects for the infant; whether these are directly through effects on foetal development or indirectly through changes in the postnatal mother-infant relationship remains to be determined.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; The Centre for Mental Health, Imperial College London, UK.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Netsi
authors.affiliation: School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, UK; The Centre for Mental Health, Imperial College London, UK.
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.affiliation: Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; The Centre for Mental Health, Imperial College London, UK.
authors.forename: Katharina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wulff
authors.affiliation: Mood Disorders Centre, University of Exeter, Washington Singer Building, Exeter, UK; The Centre for Mental Health, Imperial College London, UK.
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: O'Mahen
authors.affiliation: Mood Disorders Centre, University of Exeter, Washington Singer Building, Exeter, UK; The Centre for Mental Health, Imperial College London, UK. Electronic address: p.ramchandani@imperial.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Paul G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Ramchandani
mesh_terms: D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D018730:Infant Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D011615:Psychotherapy, Group; D012890:Sleep; D013694:Temperament; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Infant bio-behavioural organisation; Infant sleep; Infant temperament; Perinatal mood disorders; Psychological therapies; RCT