Psychopathology. 2007;40(6):446-52. Epub 2007 Aug 20.

Childhood behavioral inhibition and maternal symptoms of depression.
Moehler E, Kagan J, Parzer P, Brunner R, Reck C, Wiebel A, Poustka L, Resch F.

Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany. This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

BACKGROUND: The significance of behavioral inhibition in the second year of life for the development of social phobia in later childhood was the incentive to explore whether maternal postnatal psychopathology is a predictor for behavioral inhibition in the offspring. METHOD: 101 mother-infant pairs were recruited from local obstetric units and examined for maternal psychopathology by the Symptom Checklist and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale several times during the first postnatal year. Child behavioral inhibition was assessed at 14 months in a laboratory procedure. RESULTS: Postpartum depression at 4 months measured by the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale was found to be strongly associated with toddlers' fear score/behavioral inhibition at 14 months. Maternal depressive symptoms assessed by the revised 90-item Symptom Checklist at 6 weeks , 4 and 14 months were found to be related to child inhibition as well. CONCLUSIONS: Even maternal depression not reaching the level of clinical diagnosis and treatment has an impact on child behavioral development. These data should give rise to further studies on the origins of this relationship, which might be primarily genetic or interactional.

Arch Womens Ment Health. 2006 Sep;9(5):273-8. Epub 2006 Sep 8.

Maternal depressive symptoms in the postnatal period are associated with long-term impairment of mother-child bonding.
Moehler E, Brunner R, Wiebel A, Reck C, Resch F.

Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany. This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

BACKGROUND: Postnatal Depression has demonstrated long-term consequences on child cognitive and emotional development, however, the link between maternal and child pathology has not been clearly identified. OBJECTIVE: This study examined whether maternal bonding to the infant and young child is impaired by maternal depressive symptoms. METHODS: 101 mothers of newborn infants were recruited from local obstetric units and examined for psychopathology using Symptom Checklist, the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and the Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire at two weeks, six weeks, four months and fourteen months postpartum. RESULTS: Maternal depressive symptoms at 2 weeks, 6 weeks and four months postnatally but not at fourteen months of infant's age were found to be strongly associated with lower quality of maternal bonding to the infant and child from two weeks until fourteen months of postnatal age. Even mild and unrecognized maternal depressive symptoms had a significant impact on maternal bonding, if they occurred during the first four months of life. CONCLUSIONS: This gives reason for increased concern for mother-infant dyads in the first few months after birth that could be regarded as a highly sensitive period for the development of the mother-child relationship. The findings warrant further studies and inspire the development of preventive programs focussing on infant and early childhood mental health by emphasizing protection and support during the first critical months.