Maternal Perinatal Depression and Infant Behavioural Development: A Potential Cumulative Effect

ABSTRACT Limited research has examined the relationship between maternal perinatal depression and infant behaviours, as well as the potential cumulative effects. A sample of 686 mother‐child pairs from the Wuhu Birth Cohort Study was used. Maternal depression levels were repeatedly assessed during the first trimester, second trimester, third trimester, and 3‐months postpartum using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. Children's behavioural development at 12 months of age was evaluated using the Ages and Stages Questionnaire. A group‐based trajectory model was employed to fit the trajectories of maternal perinatal depression scores. Generalised linear regression models with robust estimation were used to analyse the association between maternal depression scores, depressive symptoms, depression trajectories, and child behavioural development. The postnatal depression score was negatively associated with infant behavioural scores in all 5 domains ( β communication (95% CI): −0.23 (−0.38, −0.08), β gross‐motor (95% CI): −0.29 (−0.52, −0.06), β fine‐motor (95% CI): −0.19 (−0.35, −0.02), β problem‐solving (95% CI): −0.28 (−0.48, −0.09), β personal‐social (95% CI): −0.39 (−0.59, −0.18)), while postpartum depressive symptom was associated with reduced score in the personal‐social domain ( β (95% CI):−4.01 (−7.15, −0.88)). The high depression score trajectory was associated with decreased scores in communication ( β (95% CI): −1.76 (−3.35, −0.18)), problem‐solving ( β (95% CI): −2.10 (−4.17, −0.03)) and personal‐social domain ( β (95% CI): −2.50 (−4.68, −0.33)). Additionally, depression in the third trimester was inversely associated with communication ( β (95% CI):−2.20 (−4.23, −0.18)). Maternal perinatal depression was negatively correlated with infant behavioural development, and a potential cumulative effect was observed, suggesting that we should pay attention to the entire perinatal period rather than a specific period.