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ABSTRACT: Objectives
Perinatal depression has been found to be a strong and independent risk factor for poor child growth and development in low-income South Asian populations. The authors aimed to study if there was a similar association in first and second-generation British women of Pakistani origin.Design
A prospective cohort study.Setting
The study was conducted in the North-West of England, in areas with high density of Pakistani-origin population. The subjects were recruited from Central Manchester Hospital in the City of Manchester and East Lancashire Hospital in Lancashire.Participants
704 physically healthy women were assessed in two phases (screening and detailed assessment of high scorers and a proportion of low scorers) during the third trimester of pregnancy to obtain at birth a cohort of 63 infants of depressed mothers and 173 infants of psychologically well mothers.Primary and secondary outcome measures
All infants were weighed and measured at birth and 6 months, and their development was assessed using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development-Third Edition.Results
There was no difference in the birth weight or weight and height at 6 months of infants of depressed mothers versus infants of psychologically well mothers. The only significant difference between the two groups was in the infants' adaptive behaviour; infants of depressed mothers scored significantly lower than those of psychologically well mothers (mean difference 4.6, t=2.81, df 195, p=0.006). The associations remained significant after adjustment for socio-demographic factors by multivariate analyses.Conclusions
Prenatal depression is not associated with impaired growth in this sample of British Pakistani women. There is, however, an association of prenatal depression with parent-reported problems in the infants' adaptive behaviour. Further research is needed to understand various pathways through which maternal depression affects infant outcomes in low- and high-income settings.
SUBMITTER: Husain N
PROVIDER: S-EPMC3312074 | biostudies-literature | 2012
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Husain Nusrat N Cruickshank John Kennedy JK Tomenson Barbara B Khan Sarah S Rahman Atif A
BMJ open 20120320 2
<h4>Objectives</h4>Perinatal depression has been found to be a strong and independent risk factor for poor child growth and development in low-income South Asian populations. The authors aimed to study if there was a similar association in first and second-generation British women of Pakistani origin.<h4>Design</h4>A prospective cohort study.<h4>Setting</h4>The study was conducted in the North-West of England, in areas with high density of Pakistani-origin population. The subjects were recruited ...[more]