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Depression is common in pregnant and postpartum women and can have untoward effects on their children. Three recent studies shed light on multiple aspects of this problem.
Riley and colleagues examined parent and teacher reports about the children of 84 poor, urban, predominantly minority mothers with major depression and of 49 demographically similar, psychiatrically healthy mothers. Children of depressed mothers had poorer adaptive skills and more behavioral and emotional problems than did children of controls. The quality of mothers’ parenting mediated the effects on adaptive skills.
Yonkers and colleagues evaluated the effects of the New Haven Healthy Start initiative in 400 low-income pregnant and postpartum women; comparison subjects we…