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Cited by 315Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and PostpartumMaternal and Neonatal HealthcareChild and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development

Maternal depressive symptoms and infant health practices among low-income women

Chung, Esther K., McCollum, Kelly F., Elo, Irma T., Lee, Helen J., Culhane, Jennifer F.·2004·Pediatrics
DOI 10.1542/peds.113.6.e523
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Abstract

Objectives. To determine the relationships between maternal depressive symptoms and the use of infant health services, parenting practices, and injury-prevention measures. Methods. A prospective, community-based survey of women attending Philadelphia public health centers between February 2000 and November 2001 was conducted. Women were surveyed at 3 time points before and after parturition. Depressive symptoms were determined with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale at each time point. We studied 6 outcomes, clustered into 3 categories: 1) infant health service use (adequate well-child care and ever being hospitalized); 2) parenting practices (breastfeeding for ≥1 month and use of corporal punishment); and 3) injury-prevention measures (having a smoke alarm and using the back sleep position). Results. The sample consisted of 774 largely single (74%), uninsured (63%), African American (65%) women, with a mean age of 24 ± 6 years and a mean annual income of $8063. Forty-eight percent of women had depressive symptoms at 1 or 2 time points (ever symptoms) and 12% had depressive symptoms at all points (persistent symptoms). Compared with women who never had depressive symptoms (without symptoms), women with persistent symptoms were nearly 3 times as likely to have their child ever hospitalized (adjusted odds ratio: 2.89; 95% confidence interval: 1.61–5.07) and twice as likely to use corporal punishment (adjusted odds ratio: 1.90; 95% confidence interval: 1.08–3.34). Mothers with persistent depressive symptoms were nearly three-quarters less likely to have smoke alarms in their homes (adjusted odds ratio: 0.28; 95% confidence interval: 0.11–0.70) and one-half as likely to use the back sleep position (adjusted odds ratio: 0.56; 95% confidence interval: 0.35–0.91), compared with women without symptoms. There was no association between maternal depressive symptoms and infant receipt of well-child care or the likelihood of breastfeeding for ≥1 month. Conclusions. Maternal depressive symptoms persisting from the prepartum to postpartum periods were associated with increased risks of infant hospitalization and use of corporal punishment and with lower likelihood of having a smoke alarm and using the back sleep position. Additional efforts are needed to identify and evaluate mothers with depressive symptoms to improve the health and safety of young infants.

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  • Depressed mothers are less likely to promote safety behaviours and more likely to use corporal punishment.

    “Depressed mothers are also less likely to promote safety behaviours that may prevent injury and harm among their children and are more likely to use corporal punishment (Chung et al. 2004;Mclennan & Kotelchuck, 2000).”

    From The effects of paternal depression on child and adolescent outcomes: A systematic review (2016) · cites this paper as Chung et al. 2004

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Authors
Chung, E. K., McCollum, K. F., Elo, I. T., Lee, H. J., & Culhane, J. F.
Affiliations
  • Thomas Jefferson University (US)
  • University of Pennsylvania (US)
ORCID
Venue
Pediatrics
Publisher
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
Published
2004-06-01
Volume
113
Issue
6
Pages
e523-e529
ISSN
  • 0031-4005 (ISSN-L)
  • 1098-4275
DOI
10.1542/peds.113.6.e523
OpenAlex
W2108288032
Cited by
315
References
56
Citations by year
2025: 1 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 10 · 2021: 20 · 2020: 19 · 2019: 18 · 2018: 17 · 2017: 10 · 2016: 13 · 2015: 19 · 2014: 24 · 2013: 18 · 2012: 11
FWCI
14.11
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • PEDIATRICS (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (TS-286-14/14)
  • National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
  • Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (R01HD036462, 1-R01-HD36462-01A1)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Maternal and Neonatal Healthcare
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
Keywords
maternal depressive symptoms, postpartum depression, low-income women, infant health services, infant hospitalization, corporal punishment, parenting practices, injury prevention, smoke detectors, infant sleep position, breastfeeding, well-child care, African American women, uninsured women, public health centers, child safety, maternal mental health screening, Philadelphia, United States
MeSH terms
Adult, Black or African American, Child Health Services, Depression, Female, Health Surveys, Humans, Infant, Infant Welfare, Mothers, Poverty, Preventive Health Services, Socioeconomic Factors, United States, Parenting, Black People

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