The Impact of Postnatal Depression on Infant Development

Abstract

A large sample of primiparous women was screened far depression after childbirth. Those identified us depressed, women with a previous history of depression and a control group were followed up to 18 months, went their infants were assessed on measures of congomotive, spcoal and behavioural development. Infants of postnatally depressed mothers performed worse on object concept tasks, were more insecurely attached to their mothers and worst on object concepl task, were mure insecurely attached to their mothers and showing more mild behavioural difficulties. Postnatal depression had no effect on general cognitive and language development, but appeared to make infants more vulnerable to adverse effects of lower social class and male gender.