Women who are depressed while pregnant are known to be more likely to have infants who show increased irritability, erratic sleep patterns and diminished responsiveness. A mother's prenatal depression may also put her child at risk for problem behavior during the early elementary school years.
A mother's psychological well-being is important for her child's well-being, even before birth and through childhood. In our study, mothers' depressive symptoms during pregnancy were related to children's behavioral problems 8 to 9 years later.
Mothers who reported prenatal depression had a threefold increased risk of having children with a high level of delinquency or aggressiveness.
They were also 8.5 times more likely to have children with a high level of total problems, including delinquency, aggressiveness and symptoms of depression or anxiety.
Mothers who reported current depression were also more likely to have low-functioning or problematic children than their nondepressed peers -- a finding consistent with previous research.
Factors such as depression during the postnatal period, single parenthood, maternal age of 35 years or older, and having a male child were linked to a mother's low rating of her child's social competence, which included activity participation, peer and family relationship functioning and school achievement.
And a mother's report of current depression seemed to predict whether her child's behavior, working, learning and happiness were rated low by the child's teacher.
Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry December 2001;40:1367-1374
