Maternal Depressive Symptoms and Attained Size Among Children in the First 2 Years of Life.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the relation of maternal depressive symptoms with attained size and whether it is stronger for young children in low-income families.


METHODS
Secondary analysis was performed of longitudinal data from enrollment and parents surveys from the Healthy Steps for Young Children National Evaluation among 4745 children who made at least one visit to a Healthy Steps site. Length and weight data from medical records were converted to z scores and percentiles for length for age and weight for length at 6, 12, and 24 months using 2000 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention growth standards. Analyses evaluated the relation of maternal depressive symptoms at 2 to 4 months using a modified 14-item Center for Epidemiologic Depression Scale with attained size and child, maternal, and family characteristics. Regression models estimated the relation of symptoms with z scores and logistic regression the relation for short stature (below 10th percentile for length for age), adjusted for covariates.


RESULTS
Maternal depressive symptoms were associated with z scores for length for age at 6, 12, and 24 months and short stature at 6 and 24 months for children in low/middle-income families. The z scores at 24 months remained significantly lower for children in low/middle-income families whose mothers reported depressive symptoms, after adjustment for covariates. The odds of short stature were significantly increased at 6 months in the total sample and among low/middle-income families for children whose mothers reported symptoms. Other measures of attained size were not associated with depressive symptoms.


CONCLUSIONS
The link between maternal symptoms and young children's risk of short stature reinforces recommendations for increased screening for postpartum depressive symptoms and for clinicians to review growth charts with parents for impaired/unfavorable patterns.
Population, Family, and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Md. Electronic address: dstrobi1@jhu.edu.
Donna M
DM
Strobino
Population, Family, and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Md.
Saifuddin
S
Ahmed
Office of Extramural Research, Education and Priority Populations, Agency for Health Care Research and Quality, Rockville, Md.
Kamila
K
Mistry
Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins Children's Center, Baltimore, Md.
Ellen
E
Wasserman
Department of Public Health Analysis, Morgan State University, Baltimore, Md.
Mian B
MB
Hossain
Population, Family, and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Md.
Cynthia
C
Minkovitz
D000328:Adult; D001827:Body Height; D001835:Body Weight; D002657:Child Development; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007223:Infant; D016015:Logistic Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011203:Poverty; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
depressive symptoms; growth; maternal; young children