J Milgrom1, D T Westley, P I McCloud. 1. Department of Clinical Psychology, Austin and Repatriation Medical Centre, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: This study compared the crying behaviour of infants of depressed and non-depressed mothers at 3 and 6 months of age. METHODOLOGY: Twenty-nine depressed and 44 non-depressed mothers, their infants and partners participated in this study. Mothers were asked to complete 24-hour diaries of the amount their infants cried for 1 week. RESULTS: The diurnal variations in crying patterns of infants of depressed and non-depressed mothers were not significantly different. However, infants of depressed mothers were found to cry significantly more in total per day than infants of non-depressed mothers at 3 months of age, but not at 6 months. The results could not be explained by differences in infant temperament. CONCLUSION: Maternal depression may be a contributory factor to infant crying at 3 months of age.
OBJECTIVE: This study compared the crying behaviour of infants of depressed and non-depressed mothers at 3 and 6 months of age. METHODOLOGY: Twenty-nine depressed and 44 non-depressed mothers, their infants and partners participated in this study. Mothers were asked to complete 24-hour diaries of the amount their infants cried for 1 week. RESULTS: The diurnal variations in crying patterns of infants of depressed and non-depressed mothers were not significantly different. However, infants of depressed mothers were found to cry significantly more in total per day than infants of non-depressed mothers at 3 months of age, but not at 6 months. The results could not be explained by differences in infant temperament. CONCLUSION:Maternal depression may be a contributory factor to infant crying at 3 months of age.
Authors: Lynne M Smith; Monica S Paz; Linda L LaGasse; Chris Derauf; Elana Newman; Rizwan Shah; Amelia Arria; Marilyn A Huestis; William Haning; Arthur Strauss; Sheri Della Grotta; Lynne M Dansereau; Charles Neal; Barry M Lester Journal: Depress Anxiety Date: 2012-05-03 Impact factor: 6.505