Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Postpartum Depression Prevalence and Impact on Infant Health, Weight, and Sleep in Low-Income and Ethnic Minority Women and Infants

  • Published:
Maternal and Child Health Journal Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of maternal depressive symptoms at 5 and 9 months postpartum in a low-income and predominantly Hispanic sample, and evaluate the impact on infant weight gain, physical health, and sleep at 9 months. Participants included 132 low-income mother-infant pairs who participated in a larger investigation on prenatal care utilization. Mothers were interviewed in person 24–48 h after birth and by phone at 5 and 9 months postpartum. Clinically significant levels of depressive symptoms were reported in 33% of the women at 5 months postpartum, and 38% at 9 months postpartum. Higher depressive symptoms at 5 months were associated with less infant weight gain from 5 to 9 months, p = .002, increased infant physical health concerns, p = .05, and increased infant nighttime awakenings at 9 months, p = .001. Results suggest a striking prevalence of clinically significant depressive symptoms through 9 months postpartum in this very low income, largely ethnic minority sample. Further, the effects of postpartum depression include significant ramifications for infant physical health.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. CDC: Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2009). Maternal and infant health. September 1, 2009. http://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/MaternalInfantHealth/. Accessed 1 October 2009.

  2. Gavin, N. I., Gaynes, B. N., Lohr, K. N., et al. (2005). Perinatal depression: a systematic review of prevalence and incidence. Obstetrics and Gynecology, 106, 1071–1083.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. CDC: Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2009). PRAMS and postpartum depression. May 6, 2009. http://www.cdc.gov/prams/PPD.htm. Accessed 1 October 2009.

  4. Ramierz, R. R., & de la Cruz, G. P. (2002). The Hispanic population in the United States: March 2002. Current population reports (pp. 20–545). Washington, DC: US Census Bureau.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Beck, C. T., Froman, R. D., & Bernal, H. (2005). Acculturation level and postpartum depression in Hispanic mothers. MCN; American Journal of Maternal Child Nursing, 30, 299–304.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Heilemann, M., Frutos, L., Lee, K., et al. (2004). Protective strength factors, resources, and risks in relation to depressive symptoms among childbearing women of Mexican descent. Health Care for Women International, 25, 88–106.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Martinez-Schallmoser, L., Telleen, S., & MacMullen, N. J. (2003). The effect of social support and acculturation on postpartum depression in Mexican American women. Journal of Transcultural Nursing, 14, 329–338.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Goodman, S. H., & Gotlib, I. H. (2002). Children of depressed parents: Mechanisms of risk and implications for treatment. Washington, DC: American Psychology Association.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  9. Grace, S. L., Evindar, A., & Stewart, D. E. (2003). The effect of postpartum depression on child cognitive development and behavior: A review and critical analysis of the literature. Archives of Women’s Mental Health, 6, 263–274.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Vik, T., Grote, V., Escribano, J., et al. (2009). Infantile colic, prolonged crying and maternal postnatal depression. Acta Paediatrica, 98, 1344–1348.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Karraker, K. H., & Young, M. (2007). Night waking in 6-month-old infants and maternal depressive symptoms. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 28, 493–498.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Adewuya, A. O., Ola, B. O., Aloba, O. O., et al. (2008). Impact of postnatal depression on infants’ growth in Nigeria. Journal of Affect Disorders, 108, 191–193.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Patel, V., DeSouza, N., & Rodrigues, M. (2003). Postnatal depression and infant growth and development in low income countries: A cohort study from Goa, India. Archives of Disease in Childhood, 88, 34–37.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Rahman, A., Iqbal, Z., Bunn, J., et al. (2004). Impact of maternal depression on infant nutritional status and illness. Archives of General Psychiatry, 61, 946–952.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Bradley, R. H., & Corwyn, R. F. (2002). Socioeconomic status and child development. Annual Review of Psychology, 53, 371–399.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Boyd, R. C., Zayas, L. H., & McKee, M. D. (2006). Mother-Infant interaction, life events and prenatal and postpartum depressive symptoms among urban minority women in primary care. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 10, 139–148.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Chung, E. K., McCollum, K. F., Elo, I. T., et al. (2004). Maternal depressive symptoms and infant health practices among low-income women. Pediatrics, 113, e523–e529.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Minkovitz, C. S., Strobino, D., Scharfstein, D., et al. (2005). Maternal depressive symptoms and children’s receipt of health care in the first 3 years of life. Pediatrics, 115, 306–314.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Zajicek-Farber, M. L. (2009). Postnatal depression and infant health practices among high-risk women. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 18, 236–245.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Radloff, L. S. (1977). The CES-D scale: A self-report depression scale for research in the general population. Applied Psychological Measurement, 1, 385–401.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Heilemann, M. V., Coffey-Love, M., & Frutos, L. (2004). Perceived reasons for depression among low income women of Mexican descent. Archives of Psychiatric Nursing, 18, 185–192.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Vernon, S. W., & Roberts, R. E. (1981). Measuring nonspecific psychological distress and other dimensions of psychopathology: Further observations on the problem. Archives of General Psychiatry, 38, 1239–1247.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Campbell, S. B., & Cohn, J. F. (1991). Prevalence and correlates of postpartum depression in first-time mothers. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 100, 594–599.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Schafer, J. L., & Graham, J. W. (2002). Missing data: Our view of the state of the art. Psychological Methods, 7, 147–177.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Peugh, J. L., & Enders, C. K. (2004). Missing data in educational research: A review of reporting practices and suggestions for improvement. Review of Educational Research, 74, 525–556.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Dennis, C. L., & McQueen, K. (2009). The relationship between infant-feeding outcomes and postpartum depression: A qualitative systematic review. Pediatrics, 23, e736–e751.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Cohen, J., Cohen, P., West, S. G., et al. (2003). Applied multiple regression/correlation analysis for the behavioral sciences (3rd ed.). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

    Google Scholar 

  28. Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences (2nd ed.). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  29. Dennis, C. L., & Ross, L. (2005). Relationships among infant sleep patterns, maternal fatigue, and development of depressive symptomatology. Birth, 32, 187–193.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Warren, S. L., Howe, G., Simmens, S. J., et al. (2006). Maternal depressive symptoms and child sleep: Models of mutual influence over time. Development and Psychopathology, 18, 1–16.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Cox, J. L., Holden, J. M., & Sagovsky, R. (1987). Detection of postnatal depression: Development of the 10-item Edinburgh postnatal depression scale. British Journal of Psychiatry, 150, 782–786.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Georgiopoulos, A. M., Bryan, T. L., Yawn, B. P., et al. (1999). Population-based screening for postpartum depression. Obstetrics and Gynecology, 93, 653–657.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Garcia-Esteve, L., Ascaso, C., Ojuel, J., et al. (2003). Validation of the Edinburgh postnatal depression scale (EPDS) in spanish mothers. Journal of Affective Disorders, 75, 71–76.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Rich-Edwards, J. W., Kleinman, K., Abrams, A., et al. (2006). Sociodemographic predictors of antenatal and postpartum depressive symptoms among women in a medical group practice. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 60, 221–227.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Hiscock, H., & Wake, M. (2002). Randomised controlled trial of behavioural infant sleep intervention to improve infant sleep and maternal mood. British Medical Journal, 324, 1062–1065.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Spoth, R., Goldberg, C., & Redmond, C. (1999). Engaging families in longitudinal preventive intervention research: Discrete-time survival analysis of socioeconomic and social-emotional risk factors. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 67, 157–163.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Ramos-Gomez, F., Chung, L. H., Gonzalez Beristain, R., et al. (2008). Recruiting and retaining pregnant women from a community health center at the US-Mexico border for the mothers and youth access clinical trial. Clinical Trials Journal, 5, 336–346.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. Ronsaville, D. S., & Hakim, R. B. (2000). Well child care in the United States: Racial differences in compliance with guidelines. American Journal of Public Health, 90, 1436–1443.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Moore, P., & Hepworth, J. T. (1994). Use of perinatal and infant health services by Mexican-American medicaid enrollees. Journal of the American Medical Association, 272, 297–304.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Fergusson, D. M., Lynskey, M. T., & Horwood, L. J. (1993). The effect of maternal depression on maternal ratings of child behavior. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 21, 245–269.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. McGrath, J. M., Records, K., & Rice, M. (2008). Maternal depression and infant temperament characteristics. Infant Behavior and Development, 31, 71–80.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. Pearce, H., & Ayers, S. (2005). The expected child versus the actual child: Implications for the mother-baby bond. Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology, 23, 89–102.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  43. Richters, J. E. (1992). Depressed mothers as informants about their children: A critical review of the evidence for distortion. Psychological Bulletin, 112, 485–499.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This research was funded by the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, St. Joseph’s Hospital, and the Arizona Department of Health Services. Preparation of the manuscript was supported by NIMH training grant T32MH018387. We are grateful for the input and assistance from members of the Alliance for Innovations in Health Care, and to Dr. Craig Enders for his assistance with the analyses for this manuscript.

Conflict of interest

The authors of this manuscript have no potential conflicts of interests, including financial interests or gains.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, 950 S. McAllister St, Box 1104, Tempe, AZ, USA

    Jenna L. Gress-Smith, Linda J. Luecken & Kathryn Lemery-Chalfant

  2. Maricopa County Department of Public Health, Phoenix, AZ, USA

    Rose Howe

Authors
  1. Jenna L. Gress-Smith
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Linda J. Luecken
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Kathryn Lemery-Chalfant
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Rose Howe
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Linda J. Luecken.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Gress-Smith, J.L., Luecken, L.J., Lemery-Chalfant, K. et al. Postpartum Depression Prevalence and Impact on Infant Health, Weight, and Sleep in Low-Income and Ethnic Minority Women and Infants. Matern Child Health J 16, 887–893 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-011-0812-y

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-011-0812-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation