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. 2012 Oct;130(4):e847-55.
doi: 10.1542/peds.2011-2118. Epub 2012 Sep 10.

Impact of maternal depressive symptoms on growth of preschool- and school-aged children

Pamela J Surkan  1 , Anna K Ettinger, Saifuddin Ahmed, Cynthia S Minkovitz, Donna Strobino
Affiliations

Impact of maternal depressive symptoms on growth of preschool- and school-aged children

Pamela J Surkan et al. Pediatrics. 2012 Oct.

Abstract

Objective: The aim of our study was to examine whether maternal depressive symptoms at 9 months postpartum adversely affect growth in preschool- and school-aged children.

Methods: We used data from the US nationally representative Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort. We fit multivariable logistic regression models to study maternal depressive symptoms at 9 months postpartum (using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale) in relation to child growth outcomes, ≤ 10% height-for-age, ≤ 10% weight-for-height, and ≤ 10% weight-for-age at 4 and 5 years.

Results: At 9 months, 24% of mothers reported mild depressive symptoms and 17% moderate/severe symptoms. After adjustment for household, maternal, and child factors, children of mothers with moderate to severe levels of depressive symptoms at 9 months' postpartum had a 40% increased odds of being ≤ 10% in height-for-age at age 4 (odds ratio = 1.40, 95% confidence interval: 1.04-1.89) and 48% increased odds of being ≤ 10% in height-for-age at age 5 (odds ratio = 1.48, 95% confidence interval: 1.03-2.13) compared with children of women with few or no depressive symptoms. There was no statistically significant association between maternal depressive symptoms and children being ≤ 1 0% in weight-for-height and weight-for-age at 4 or 5 years.

Conclusions: Maternal depressive symptoms during infancy may affect physical growth in early childhood. Prevention, early detection, and treatment of maternal depressive symptoms during the first year postpartum may prevent childhood height-for-age ≤ 10th percentile among preschool- and school-aged children.

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FIGURE 1
Identification of Study Participants.
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