At?f Rahman|Zafar Iqbal|James Bunn|Hermione Lovel|Richard Harrington
Impact of Maternal Depression on Infant Nutritional Status and Illness
University of Manchester
risk emotional behavioral problems known high among children depressed mothers little known impact prenatal postnatal depression physical health infantsto determine whether maternal depression risk factor malnutrition illness infants living lowincome countryprospective cohort studyrural community rawalpindi pakistansix hundred thirtytwo physically healthy women assessed third trimester pregnancy obtain birth cohort 160 infants depressed mothers 160 infants psychologically well mothersall infants weighed measured birth 2 6 12 months age monitored episodes diarrhea acute respiratory infections mothers mental states reassessed 2 6 12 months data collected potential confounders infant outcomes birth weight socioeconomic statusinfants prenatally depressed mothers showed significantly growth retardation controls time points relative risks underweight weightforage z score less 2 40 95 confidence interval ci 21 77 6 months age 26 95 ci 17 41 12 months age relative risks stunting lengthforage z score less 2 44 95 ci 17 114 6 months age 25 95 ci 16 40 12 months age relative risk 5 diarrheal episodes per year 24 95 ci 17 33 chronic depression carried greater risk poor outcome episodic depression associations remained significant adjustment confounders multivariate analysesmaternal depression prenatal postnatal periods predicts poorer growth higher risk diarrhea community sample infants depression identified relatively easily could important marker highrisk infant group early treatment prenatal postnatal depression could benefit mothers mental health also infants physical health development