Early maternal depressive symptoms and child growth trajectories: a longitudinal analysis of a nationally representative US birth cohort
Year: 2014
Type: article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Maternal depressive symptoms are negatively associated with early child growth in developing countries; however, few studies have examined this relation in developed countries or used a longitudinal design with data past the second year of the child's life. We investigated if and when early maternal depressive symptoms affect average growth in young children up to age 6 in a nationally representative sample of US children. METHODS: Using data from 6,550 singleton births from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study -- Birth Cohort (ECLS-B), we fit growth trajectory models with random effects to examine the relation between maternal depressive symptoms at 9 months based on the twelve-item version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) and child height and body mass index (BMI) to age 6 years. RESULTS: Mothers with moderate/severe depressive symptoms at 9 months postpartum had children with shorter stature at this same point in time [average 0.26 cm shorter; 95% CI: 5 cm, 48 cm] than mothers without depressive symptoms; children whose mothers reported postpartum depressive symptoms remained significantly shorter throughout the child's first 6 years. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that the first year postpartum is a critical window for addressing maternal depressive symptoms in order to optimize child growth. Future studies should investigate the role of caregiving and feeding practices as potential mechanisms linking maternal depressive symptoms and child growth trajectories.
Source: BMC Pediatrics
Language: English
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,090
Funders: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Johns Hopkins University, National Institutes of Health, Health Resources and Services Administration, U.S. Public Health Service, Hopkins Population Center, Johns Hopkins University, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
OpenAlex ID: W2117046430