Top

Maternal and Child Health Journal

Published in:

01-06-2018

Prenatal Maternal Depressive Symptoms Predict Early Infant Health Concerns

Authors: S. S. Coburn, L. J. Luecken, I. A. Rystad, B. Lin, K. A. Crnic, N. A. Gonzales

Published in: Maternal and Child Health Journal | Issue 6/2018

Abstract

Introduction

Recent research suggests that health disparities among low-SES and ethnic minority populations may originate from prenatal and early life exposures. Postpartum maternal depressive symptoms have been linked to poorer infant physical health, yet prenatal depressive symptoms not been thoroughly examined in relation to infant health.

Methods

In a prospective study of low-income Mexican American mothers and their infants, women (N = 322, median age 27.23, IQR = 22.01–32.54) completed surveys during pregnancy (median gestation 39.50, IQR = 38.71–40.14 weeks) and 12 weeks after birth. We investigated (1) if prenatal depressive symptoms predicted infant physical health concerns at 12 weeks of age, (2) whether these associations occurred above and beyond concurrent depressive symptoms, and (3) if birth weight, gestational age, and breastfeeding were mediators of prenatal depression predicting subsequent infant health.

Results

Higher prenatal depressive symptoms were associated with more infant physical health concerns at 12 weeks (p < .001), after accounting for 12-week maternal depressive symptoms, breastfeeding, gestational age, and birth weight. Twelve-week maternal depressive symptoms were concurrently associated with more infant health concerns (p < .01). Birth weight, gestational age, and breastfeeding were not associated with maternal depression or infant health concerns.

Discussion

Results establish a link between prenatal depressive symptoms and an elevated risk of poor health evident shortly after birth. These findings underscore the importance of the prenatal period as a possible sensitive period for infants’ health, and the need for effective interventions for depression during pregnancy to mitigate potentially teratogenic effects on the developing fetus and reduce risks for later health concerns.

Beijers, R., Jansen, J., Riksen-Walraven, M., & de Weerth, C. (2010). Maternal prenatal anxiety and stress predict infant illnesses and health complaints. Pediatrics, 126(2), e401-9. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2009-3226.CrossRefPubMed

Bennett, H. A., Einarson, A., Taddio, A., Koren, G., & Einarson, T. R. (2004). Prevalence of depression during pregnancy: systematic review. Obstetrics and Gynecology, 103(4), 698–709. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.AOG.0000116689.75396.5f.CrossRefPubMed

Bornstein, M. H., Hahn, C., & Haynes, O. M. (2011). Maternal personality, parenting cognitions, and parenting practices. Developmental Psychology, 47(3), 658.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Boyle, E. M., Poulsen, G., Field, D. J., Kurinczuk, J. J., Wolke, D., Alfirevic, Z., & Quigley, M. A. (2012). Effects of gestational age at birth on health outcomes at 3 and 5 years of age: population based cohort study. British Medical Journal (Clinical Research Ed.), 344, e896. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.e896.CrossRef

Calkins, K., & Devaskar, S. U. (2011). Fetal origins of adult disease. Current Problems in Pediatric and Adolescent Health Care, 41(6), 158–176.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Chung, E. K., McCollum, K. F., Elo, I. T., Lee, H. J., & Culhane, J. F. (2004). Maternal depressive symptoms and infant health practices among low-income women. Pediatrics, 113(6), e523-e529.CrossRef

Chung, M., Raman, G., Chew, P., Magula, N., Trikalinos, T., & Lau, J. (2007). Breastfeeding and maternal and infant health outcomes in developed countries. Evidence Report/Technology Assessment, 153, 1–186.

Cox, J. L., Holden, J. M., & Sagovsky, R. (1987). Detection of postnatal depression. Development of the 10-item Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. The British Journal of Psychiatry: The Journal of Mental Science, 150, 782–786.CrossRef

Dominguez, K., Penman-Aguilar, A., Chang, M., Moonesinghe, R., Castellanos, T., Rodriguez-Lainz, A., & Schieber, R. (2015). Vital signs: Leading causes of death, prevalence of diseases and risk factors, and use of health services among Hispanics in the United States—2009–2013. MMWR Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 64(17), 469–478.PubMedPubMedCentral

Dunkel Schetter, C., & Tanner, L. (2012). Anxiety, depression and stress in pregnancy: Implications for mothers, children, research,and practice. Current Opinion in Psychiatry, 25(2), 141–148. https://doi.org/10.1097/YCO.0b013e3283503680.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Enders, C. K. (2010). Applied missing data analysis. New York: Guilford Press.

Fairlie, T. G., Gillman, M. W., & Rich-Edwards, J. (2009). High pregnancy-related anxiety and prenatal depressive symptoms as predictors of intention to breastfeed and breastfeeding initiation. Journal of Women’s Health, 18(7), 945–953. https://doi.org/10.1089/jwh.2008.0998.CrossRef

Field, T. (2011). Prenatal depression effects on early development: A review. Infant Behavior and Development, 34(1), 1–14.CrossRefPubMed

Field, T., Diego, M., Dieter, J., Hernandez-Reif, M., Schanberg, S., Kuhn, C., et al. (2004). Prenatal depression effects on the fetus and the newborn. Infant Behavior and Development, 27(2), 216–229.CrossRef

Field, T., Hernandez-Reif, M., & Diego, M. (2011). Depressed mothers’newborns are less responsive to animate and inanimate stimuli. Infant and Child Development, 20(1), 94–105. https://doi.org/10.1002/icd.687.CrossRef

Figueiredo, B., Canário, C., & Field, T. (2014). Breastfeeding is negatively affected by prenatal depression and reduces postpartum depression. Psychological Medicine, 44(05), 927–936.CrossRefPubMed

Fuentes-Afflick, E., Hessol, N. A., & Pérez-Stable, E. J. (1999). Testing the epidemiologic paradox of low birth weight in Latinos. Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, 153(2), 147–153.CrossRef

Garcia-Esteve, L., Ascaso, C., Ojuel, J., & Navarro, P. (2003). Validation of the Edinburgh postnatal depression scale (EPDS) in Spanish mothers. Journal of Affective Disorders, 75(1), 71–76.CrossRefPubMed

Gress-Smith, J. L., Luecken, L. J., Lemery-Chalfant, K., & Howe, R. (2012). Postpartum depression prevalence and impact on infant health, weight, and sleep in low-income and ethnic minority women and infants. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 16(4), 887–893.CrossRefPubMed

Grote, N. K., Bridge, J. A., Gavin, A. R., Melville, J. L., Iyengar, S., & Katon, W. J. (2010). A meta-analysis of depression during pregnancy and the risk of preterm birth, low birth weight, and intrauterine growth restriction. Archives of General Psychiatry, 67(10), 1012–1024.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Hack, M., Klein, N. K., & Taylor, H. G. (1995). Long-term developmental outcomes of low birth weight infants. The Future of Children, 5, 176–196.CrossRefPubMed

Kajantie, E. (2006). Fetal origins of stress-related adult disease Stress, obesity, and metabolic syndrome (pp. 11–27). New York: New York Academy of Sciences.

Kingston, D., Tough, S., & Whitfield, H. (2012). Prenatal and postpartum maternal psychological distress and infant development: a systematic review. Child Psychiatry & Human Development, 43(5), 683–714.CrossRef

Lara, M. A., Le, H., Letechipia, G., & Hochhausen, L. (2009). Prenatal depression in Latinas in the US and Mexico. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 13(4), 567–576.CrossRefPubMed

Lazinski, M. J., Shea, A. K., & Steiner, M. (2008). Effects of maternal prenatal stress on offspring development: A commentary. Archives of Women’s Mental Health, 11(5–6), 363–375.CrossRef

Lindgren, K. (2001). Relationships among maternal–fetal attachment, prenatal depression, and health practices in pregnancy. Research in Nursing & Health, 24(3), 203–217.CrossRef

Mac Bird, T., Bronstein, J. M., Hall, R. W., Lowery, C. L., Nugent, R., & Mays, G. P. (2010). Late preterm infants: Birth outcomes and health care utilization in the first year. Pediatrics, 126(2), e311-e319.

Midodzi, W. K., Rowe, B. H., Majaesic, C. M., Saunders, L. D., & Senthilselvan, A. (2010). Early life factors associated with incidence of physician-diagnosed asthma in preschool children: Results from the Canadian Early Childhood Development cohort study. Journal of Asthma, 47(1), 7–13.CrossRefPubMed

NIH Health Disparities Strategic Plan. NIH health disparities strategic plan and budget, fiscal years 2009–2013 (extended to FY2016).

Rahman, A., Iqbal, Z., Bunn, J., Lovel, H., & Harrington, R. (2004). Impact of maternal depression on infant nutritional status and illness: A cohort study. Archives of General Psychiatry, 61(9), 946–952.CrossRefPubMed

Reiter, J. P., & Raghunathan, T. E. (2007). The multiple adaptations of multiple imputation. Journal of the American Statistical Association, 102(480), 1462–1471.CrossRef

Rossiter, M. D., Colapinto, C. K., Khan, M. K., McIsaac, J. L. D., Williams, P. L., Kirk, S. F., & Veugelers, P. J. (2015). Breast, formula and combination feeding in relation to childhood obesity in Nova Scotia, Canada. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 19(9), 2048–2056.CrossRefPubMed

Seckl, J. R. (2001). Glucocorticoid programming of the fetus; adult phenotypes and molecular mechanisms. Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology, 185(1), 61–71.CrossRefPubMed

Stein, A., Pearson, R. M., Goodman, S. H., Rapa, E., Rahman, A., McCallum, M., et al. (2014). Effects of perinatal mental disorders on the fetus and child. The Lancet, 384(9956), 1800–1819.CrossRef

Stewart, R. C. (2007). Maternal depression and infant growth—A review of recent evidence. Maternal & Child Nutrition, 3(2), 94–107.CrossRef

Wambach, K., Domian, E. W., Page-Goertz, S., Wurtz, H., & Hoffman, K. (2016). Exclusive breastfeeding experiences among Mexican American women. Journal of Human Lactation: Official Journal of International Lactation Consultant Association, 32(1), 103–111. https://doi.org/10.1177/0890334415599400.CrossRef

Ystrom, E. (2012). Breastfeeding cessation and symptoms of anxiety and depression: A longitudinal cohort study. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 12, 36–36.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Title: Prenatal Maternal Depressive Symptoms Predict Early Infant Health Concerns
Authors: S. S. Coburn
L. J. Luecken
I. A. Rystad
B. Lin
K. A. Crnic
N. A. Gonzales
Publication date: 01-06-2018
Publisher: Springer US
Published in: Maternal and Child Health Journal / Issue 6/2018
Print ISSN: 1092-7875
Electronic ISSN: 1573-6628
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-018-2448-7

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

Prenatal Maternal Depressive Symptoms Predict Early Infant Health Concerns

Abstract

Introduction

Methods

Results

Discussion

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Introduction

Methods

Results

Discussion

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 6/2018

Sustainability of a Community-Based CHOICE Program to Improve the Health and Nutrition Status of Mothers and Infants in Indonesia

Chlamydia trachomatis and Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes: Meta-analysis of Patients With and Without Infection

The Fertility Management Experiences of Australian Women with a Non-communicable Chronic Disease: Findings from the Understanding Fertility Management in Contemporary Australia Survey

Feasibility of Linking Long-Term Cardiovascular Cohort Data to Offspring Birth Records: The Bogalusa Heart Study

The Impact of a Cultural Lifestyle Intervention on Metabolic Parameters After Gestational Diabetes Mellitus A Randomized Controlled Trial

Association of Maternal Depressive Symptoms and Offspring Physical Health in Low-Income Families