Impact of perinatal maternal depression on child development

BACKGROUND: As India reduced maternal mortality by 50% in the last decade, the mental health of mothers has slowly started catching our attention. Increased participation of women in the economic sector and awareness of women’s rights has added to this process. Perinatal depression has been associated with negative birth outcomes and poor child development. The paucity of research from eastern India poses challenges for physicians and hinders effective medical interventions. AIM: To investigate the effect of antenatal and postnatal depression on child development at 12 months of age. METHOD: In total, 174 mothers were administered Bengali Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS-B) for assessment of antenatal and postnatal depression. Developmental Assessment Scale in Indian Infants (DASII) was administered to assess the motor and cognitive development of their children (n = 153) at 12 months. RESULT: The prevalence of antenatal and postnatal depression was 28.7% and 16.7%, respectively. Antenatal depression predicted postnatal depression (b = 0.631). Mothers with AD scored significantly low on family support measures (P = 0.012). Children of mothers with AD had low motor and cognitive attainment at the age of 12 months (P = 0.022). CONCLUSION: Screening and treatment of mental health need to be included in the antenatal care routine to facilitate appropriate child development.