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Abstract

There is evidence of the harmful effects of post-partum depression (PPD) on children's health in developed nations. There is no long-term follow-up study on this relationship in a developing nation. This study aimd to investigate the health problems of four-year-old children born from post-partum depressed women. In a longitudinal study design (2009), 1,801 pregnant women attending primary health centers of Mazandaran province provided selfreports of depression from two to twelve postpartum weeks using Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). Approximately four years later, the women experiencing PPD and twice as the ones who did not experienced this state were considered as case (N=204) and control (N=467) groups. The association between maternal depression at different times and health problems reported on the child were analyzed using two sample t-test, and chi-square test. There was no significant difference between the baseline characteristics of post-partum depressed and nondepressed women. The women with post-partum depression only or both depression post-partum and four years after delivery were less likely breast feed their baby compared with the ones without depression (18.79±6.99, 18.01±7.75 and 19.66±5.64, 19.58±5.82 months respectively). The women with PPD only and current depression as well as both PPD and current depression had more likely child with acute and chronic diseases and their child used more daily medication four years after birth than the baby of depressive symptoms free women. These complications rate was highly significant in the children whose mothers have experienced both PPD and current depression. These results highlight this fact that early and late exposure to maternal depression led to children with more difficulties. Screening of maternal depression early after giving birth is recommended.

Biography

Fatemeh Abdollahi has completed her PhD from University Putra Malaysia School of Medicine and Health Sciences. She is the Faculty Member and Researcher in Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences. She is Head of Public Health Department and Director of Health Sciences Research Center, Addiction Institute in Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences. She has published more than 30 papers in index journals on the Maternal and Child Health.

E-mail: abdollahizagh@gmail.com