Postnatal trajectories of maternal depressive symptoms: Postpartum antecedents and differences in toddler adjustment

Trajectories of maternal depressive symptoms from infancy through early childhood: The roles of perceived financial strain, social support, and intimate partner violence

Although new mothers are at risk of heightened vulnerability for depressive symptoms, there is limited understanding regarding changes in maternal depressive symptoms over the course of the postpartum and early childhood of their child's life among rural, low-income mothers from diverse racial backgrounds. This study examined distinct trajectories of depressive symptoms among rural low-income mothers during the first five years of their child's life, at 6, 15, 24, and 58 months, using data from the Family Life Project (N = 1,292). Latent class growth analysis identified four distinct trajectories of maternal depressive symptoms, including Low-decreasing (50%; n = 622), Low-increasing (26%; n = 324), Moderate-decreasing (13%; n = 156), and Moderate-increasing (11%; n = 131) trajectories. Multinomial logistic regression demonstrated that higher perceived financial strain and intimate partner violence, and lower social support predicted higher-risk trajectories (Low-increasing, Moderate-decreasing, and Moderate-increasing) relative to the Low-decreasing trajectory. Compared to the Low-decreasing trajectory, lower neighborhood safety/quietness predicted to the Low-increasing trajectory. Moreover, lower social support predicted the Moderate-increasing trajectory, the highest-risk trajectory, compared to those in Moderate-decreasing. The current analyses underscore the heterogeneity on patterns of depressive symptoms among rural, low-income mothers, and that the role of both proximal and broader contexts contributing to distinct trajectories of maternal depressive symptoms over early childhood.

Prospective Associations between Maternal Depressive Symptoms during Early Infancy and Growth Deficiency from Childhood to Adolescence

Maternal health represents an important predictor of child development; yet it often goes unnoticed during pediatric visits. Previous work suggests that mental state affects parenting. The relationship between infant exposure to maternal depressive symptoms suggests conflicting findings on physical growth. Body mass index (BMI) has not been rigorously examined across development. Using a prospective-longitudinal birth cohort of 2120 infants (50.7% boys), we estimated the prospective relationship between symptoms of maternal depressive symptoms at 5 months postpartum and later BMI in typically developing children. We hypothesized that maternal depressive symptom severity would predict later BMI through to adolescence. Mothers self-reported depressive symptoms at 5 months. Child BMI was measured by a trained research assistant at ages 6, 8, 10, 13, and 15 years. We estimated a series of sex-stratified regressions in which BMI was linearly regressed on maternal symptoms, while controlling for potential pre-existing/concurrent individual and family confounding factors. Boys born to mothers with more severe depressive symptoms at age 5 months had a significantly lower BMI than other boys at subsequent ages. There were no such associations observed for girls. Maternal depressive symptoms were prospectively associated with later BMI for sons and not daughters, predicting risk of faltering in growth through to adolescence. Health practitioners should routinely assess maternal psychological functioning during pediatric visits to optimize parent and child flourishment.

The psychological symptoms and behavioral problems of children with mothers working as medical staff in the crisis of Covid-19 outbreak in Hamadan, Iran

Background and objectives

The purpose of this study was to investigate the psychological symptoms and behavioral problems of children with mothers working as medical staff in the crisis of Covid-19 disease in Hamadan.

Methods

This descriptive causal-comparative study was conducted on all mothers with children aged 6 to 12  years in Hamadan from September 2 to November 29, 2020. In this study, eligible individuals were selected using random sampling and were assigned to two groups of mothers working as the medical staff and the control group. The research instruments included the Child Behavior Checklist (Achenbach) and the Child Symptom Inventory-4 (CSI-4).

Results

The results showed that the mean scores of psychological and behavioral symptoms of children in terms of group membership (group of mothers working in the medical staff and control group) had a significant difference. There was a significant difference between the mean scores of depression and aggression in children of the staff group and the control group meaning that for depression and aggression scores of children of the staff group are higher than children of the control group (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference between the mean anxiety scores and there was almost a significant difference between the attention scores of the staff group and the control group (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

Children whose mothers worked as medical staff during Covid-19 show more depression, attention, and aggression problems than children whose mothers do not work as medical staff.

Preventing early harsh parenting and toddler behavior problems: The role of neighborhood collective efficacy among low-income Latine families

Harsh parenting behaviors are alarmingly prevalent during infancy and toddlerhood. From an ecological perspective, predicting and preventing harsh parenting requires probing not only micro- and exosystem-level processes but also the interactions among them. In the current longitudinal study, we examined associations among maternal depressive symptoms, harsh parenting, and neighborhood collective efficacy in 142 low-income Latina mothers and their infants (M_{child age} = 14.11 months, SD = 3.60). We hypothesized that there would be a mediated pathway from maternal depressive symptoms to harsh parenting to toddler behavior problems, and that neighborhood collective efficacy would moderate this pathway. As predicted, maternal depressive symptoms predicted toddler behavior problems, and harsh parenting significantly mediated this association. Moreover, neighborhood collective efficacy was a significant moderator such that this indirect pathway was maintained in the context of low neighborhood collective efficacy only. When collective efficacy was high, this pathway was not significant. Results are discussed in terms of the buffering potential of neighborhood collective efficacy. Tentative implications for leveraging neighborhood supports to prevent early harsh parenting are suggested.

Feeding and Growth in Infants With Cleft Lip and/or Palate: Relationships With Maternal Distress

OBJECTIVE

To examine relationships between early feeding and growth and maternal distress in infants with and without cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P).

DESIGN

Cross-sectional.

SETTING

Pediatric academic medical center in the Midwestern United States.

PARTICIPANTS

Mothers of infants 1 to 12 weeks old with CL/P (n = 30) and without CL/P (control group, n = 30) were recruited at craniofacial clinic or pediatrician appointments.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S)

Maternal responses on the Feeding/Swallowing Impact Survey (FS-IS), Parenting Stress Index, Fourth Edition, Short Form (PSI-4-SF), and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. Infant feeding history and growth measurements were obtained.

RESULTS

Having an infant with CL/P revealed greater impact on maternal health-related quality of life due to feeding problems (F = 4.83, P = .03). Mothers of infants with CL/P reported average range Total Stress scores on the PSI-4-SF, which were higher than controls (F = 4.12, P = .05). Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale scores did not differ between groups. Compared to controls, infants with cleft palate had lower percentiles for weight (t = 4.13, P = .04) and length (t = 2.93, P = .01). Higher FS-IS scores were associated with longer feeding duration (r = 0.32, P = .01) and lower weight (r = -0.31, P = .02) and length (r = -0.32, P = .02).

CONCLUSIONS

Despite receiving early team care and feeding interventions, mothers of infants with CL/P reported higher stress and more challenges with feeding and growth. Future studies should examine targeted psychosocial interventions to improve feeding and growth outcomes in infants with CL/P.