Could Postpartum Depression Harm Your Child’s Growth?
Photo: Thinkstock / The Bump
This is some sad, and possibly true, news. New research suggests that moms who deal with depression could affect their children’s height.
The study, conducted by Professor Pamela J. Surkan of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, surveyed more than 6,000 mothers who suffered from moderate to severe depression after giving birth. Researchers tracked the growth of their children until the age of five. They found that those with moms who’d suffered symptoms of postpartum depression were almost 50 percent more likely than their peers to be in the shortest 10 percent of kids their age.
But why would a mom’s mood affect her child’s height? Surkan believes that, “mothers who are depressed or blue might have a hard time following through with caregiving tasks.”
While this study does not delve further into the correlation between depression and growth, it does bring to light a serious issue.
“It raises a red flag for us,” Dr. Andrew Leuchter, a professor of psychiatry at the University of California, said. “It’s more evidence that depression in the mom can have negative health effects on the kids. So it really underlines the urgency of treating depression in these mothers so the kids don’t suffer.”
Have you suffered from postpartum depression? How did you cope?
Plus more from The Bump:
Sign of Postpartum Depression: Waking Up Baby
Scary! Fertility Treatments Could Cause PTSD!
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This will be my first time ever commenting on TB story. I am appalled that a story like this would seem like a good idea. PPD is a serious mental disorder and causes enough feelings of inadequacy and shame as it is, the last thing a mother suffering from it needs is to read a story telling her that something that is beyond her control is harming her child. Thanks for once again reminding me why I left this site.
I suffered severe ppd and my son is above the 100% for height. I had to stop breastfeeding and went to formula. I wonder if this study takes into account if these poor mothers were still trying to nurse.
I have suffer from severe PPD that has even ventured very near PPP(postpartem phsycosis) and my son is in the 100% in his growth and several months ahead in his mental development. He is 8months old, and can speak quite well. He is able to say real words in connection to his needs and wants such has he is able to say drink, milk, cookie, chick(chicken), bed, and sleep. I am a single mother that receives little to no help with my son who also suffered from medical conditions that affected his breathing and eating. It sounds to me like the study was done on women that used their disorder as a crutch instead of stepping up and plowing through. Women have dealt with this disorder for hundreds of years without medical help or understanding of the condition so we have the ability to fight through the disorder if we do not allow it to cripple us because it now has a name and medication.
This article is like pouring salt into an open wound. In my opinion it was very insensitive. As a mother who suffered from PPD after my first child, I had no idea how to handle the feelings I had. I could not stop crying, and making matters worse I could not nurse my baby the way I wanted. After a week I had to switch to formula because I just could not produce enough milk. My daughter happens to be very petite and has struggled with her weight for a while. At her 15 month checkup she had increased to the 1st percentile for her weight. She has a great appetite and would eat all day if I let her. Had I read this article only a year ago when I was still dealing with depression it would have only made matters worse. What ever happened to article which provided some real facts and information to help with the issue???