Babies born to women who suffer postnatal depression in the first six weeks of their child’s life develop more slowly than other infants, according to research from South Asia.
A joint study from the UK and India investigated the progress of more than 170 babies and assessed the mood of their mothers using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. Researchers also examined socio-demographic and infant health variables.
The team found that the infants, from Goa in India, who had mothers with postnatal depression were 2.3 times more likely to be underweight than those born to healthy women and 2.9 times more likely to be short at six months of age.
Researchers from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, along with researchers from Goa’s Sangath Center, also found that 44 per cent of the infants with depressed mothers scored low on a test measuring development compared with 20 per cent of children whose mothers were not suffering from a depressive illness.
Even after taking into account factors such as maternal education, postnatal depression remained a significant factor in childhood development.
Researchers suggests that depressed mothers are less likely to exclusively breastfeed their infants, which can lead to the use of milk substitutes and result in poorer growth.
The researchers also point out that postnatal depression is treatable, and controlling the condition can therefore help tackle poor infant growth.
Mental health services need to be brought within family services focusing on the relationship between parents and their children, suggest the study’s authors.
“This study provides evidence for the first time that postnatal depression, a potentially treatable disorder, is a cause of poor growth and development in South Asia,” they say.
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